Abstract
An experimental investigation was conducted to identify the main structures in the near wake of an isolated Formula One wheel rotating in ground contact. A 50 percent-scale isolated wheel assembly, geometrically similar to the configuration mounted on a Formula One racing car, was tested in a closed-return three-quarter open-jet wind tunnel. The test Reynolds number, based on wheel diameter was 6.8 × 105. Using laser doppler anemometry, three velocity components were measured with a total of 1966 data points across four planes and within one diameter downstream of the wheel axis. Based on analysis of these data, the main characteristics of the near-wake of an isolated wheel rotating in ground contact are presented. A revised model of the trailing vortex system induced in the wake of such a wheel is proposed, which clarifies the contradictory ones published in the literature to date.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- D :
-
wheel diameter
- f :
-
focal length (of laser doppler anemometer probe)
- t :
-
transit time (of seeding particle)
- u :
-
velocity component in the x-direction
- u ∞ :
-
freestream velocity
- v :
-
velocity component in the y-direction
- w :
-
velocity component in the z-direction
- x :
-
streamwise Cartesian coordinate (see Fig. 3)
- y :
-
crosswise Cartesian coordinate (see Fig. 3)
- z :
-
vertical Cartesian coordinate (see Fig. 3)
- τ i :
-
integral timescale
References
Axon L (1999) The aerodynamic characteristics of automobile wheels—CFD prediction and wind tunnel experiment. PhD Thesis, Cranfield University, Bedfordshire, UK
Basara B, Beader D, Przulj VP (2000) Numerical simulation of the air flow around a rotating wheel. In: 3rd MIRA international conference on vehicle aerodynamics, Rugby, UK
Bearman PW, De Beer D, Hamidy E, Harvey JK (1988) The effect of a moving floor on wind-tunnel simulation of road vehicles. Technical Paper 880245, Society of Automotive Engineers, Warrendale, PA
Benedict LH, Gould RD (1996) Towards better uncertainty estimates for turbulence statistics. Exp Fluids 22(2):129–136
Buchave P, George Jr WK, Lumley JL (1979) The measurement of turbulence with the laser-doppler anemometer. Annu Rev Fluid Mech 11:443–503
Cogotti A (1983) Aerodynamic characteristics of car wheels. Int J Vehicle Des Technol Adv Vehicle Des Ser SP3. Impact of aerodynamics on vehicle design, pp 173–196
Cogotti A, De Gregorio F (2000) Presentation of flow field investigation by PIV on a full-scale car in the Pininfarina wind tunnel. Technical Paper 2000-01-0870, Society of Automotive Engineers, Warrendale, PA
Dring RP (1982) Sizing criteria for laser anemometry particles. ASME J Fluids Eng 104:15–17
Fackrell JE (1974) The aerodynamics of an isolated wheel rotating in contact with the ground. PhD Thesis, University of London, UK
Fackrell JE, Harvey JK (1973) The flow field and pressure distribution of an isolated road wheel. In: Stephens HS (ed) Advances in road vehicle aerodynamics, BHRA fluids engineering. Cranfield, UK, pp 155–165
Fackrell JE, Harvey JK (1974) The aerodynamics of an isolated road wheel. In: Pershing B (ed) 2nd AIAA symposium of aerodynamics of sports and competition automobiles, vol 16. Western Periodicals Co., Los Angeles, CA, pp 119–125. ISBN 0879380284
Finnis MV, Knowles K, Lewis R, Pitchforth D, Reynard AJ (2000) A new 3/4 open-jet wind tunnel for racing car aerodynamic testing. In: 3rd MIRA international conference on vehicle aerodynamics, Rugby, UK
Hackett JE, Baker JB, Williams JE, Wallis SB (1987) On the influence of ground movement and wheel rotation in tests on modern car shapes. Technical Paper 870245, Society of Automotive Engineers, Warrendale, PA
Hinson M (1999) Measurement of the lift produced by an isolated, rotating formula one wheel using a new pressure measurement system. MSc Thesis, Cranfield University, Bedfordshire, UK
Hucho WH (ed) (1998) Aerodynamics of road vehicles, 4th edn. Society of Automotive Engineers, Warrendale, PA
Knowles R, Saddington A, Knowles K (2002) On the near wake of rotating, 40%-scale Champ Car wheels. SAE 2002 transactions. J Passenger Cars Mech Syst 6:2245–2253
Knowles RD (2005) Monoposto racecar wheel aerodynamics: Investigation of near-wake structure and support sting interference. PhD Thesis, Cranfield University, Shrivenham, UK
Knowles RD, Finnis MV, Saddington AJ, Knowles K (2006) Planar visualization of vortical flows. IMechE Part G: J Aerospace Eng 220(6):619–627
Mears AP, Dominy RG (2004) Racing car wheel aerodynamics— comparisons between experimental and CFD derived flow-field data. Technical Paper 2004-01-3555, Society of Automotive Engineers, Warrendale, PA
Mears AP, Dominy RG, Sims-Williams DB (2002a) The air flow about an exposed racing wheel. Technical Paper 2002-01-3290, Society of Automotive Engineers, Warrendale, PA
Mears AP, Dominy RG, Sims-Williams DB (2002b) The flow about an isolated rotating wheel—effects of yaw on lift, drag and flow structure. In: Proceedings of the 4th MIRA international vehicle aerodynamics conference, Warwick, UK
Mears AP, Crossland SC, Dominy RG (2004) An investigation into the flow-field about an exposed racing wheel. Technical Paper 2004-01-0446, Society of Automotive Engineers, Warrendale, PA
Mercker E, Berneburg H (1992) On the simulation of road driving of a passenger car in a wind tunnel using a moving belt and rotating wheels. In: Proceedings of 3rd international conference on innovation and reliability, Florence, Italy
Mercker E, Breuer N, Berneburg H, Emmelmann HJ (1991) On the aerodynamic interference due to the rotating wheels of passenger cars. Technical Paper 910311, Society of Automotive Engineers, Warrendale, PA
Milliken WF, Milliken DL (1995) Racecar vehicle dynamics. Society of Automotive Engineers, Warrendale, PA
Morelli A (1969) Aerodynamics actions on an automobile wheel. In: 1st symposium on road vehicle aerodynamics, City University, London, Paper 5
Mueller R, Singer N, Eckert W (1999) Moving belt with distributed suction in the Porsche model wind tunnel. Technical Paper 1999-01-0650, Society of Automotive Engineers, Warrendale, PA
Nigbur JE (1999) Characteristics of the wake downstream of an isolated automotive wheel. MSc Thesis, Cranfield University, Bedfordshire, UK
Nobach H (2000) A global concept of autocorrelation and power spectral density estimation from LDA data sets. In: 10th international symposium on applications of laser techniques to fluid mechanics, Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisbon, Portugal
Purvis AR (2003) The wake behind a deformable racing tyre. MSc Thesis, Cranfield University, UK
Skea AF, Bullen PR, Qiao J (1998) The use of CFD to predict the air flow around a rotating wheel. In: 2nd MIRA international conference on vehicle aerodynamics, Birmingham, UK
Skea AF, Bullen PR, Qiao J (2000) CFD simulations and experimental measurements of the flow over a rotating wheel in a wheel arch. Technical Paper 2000-01-0487, Society of Automotive Engineers, Warrendale, PA
Stapleford WR, Carr GW (1970) Aerodynamic characteristics of exposed rotating wheels. In: Report 1970/2, Motor Industry Research Association, Nuneaton, UK
Wäschle A, Cyr S, Kuthada T, Wiedermann J (2004) Flow around an isolated wheel—experimental and numerical comparison of two CFD codes. Technical Paper 2004-01-0445, Society of Automotive Engineers, Warrendale, PA
Wildi J (1994) Wind tunnel testing of racing cars—the importance of the road simulation technique. In: Royal aeronautical society conference on wind tunnels and wind tunnel testing, Loughborough, UK
Wright PG (2004) Ferrari Formula 1: under the skin of the championship-winning F1-2000. Society of Automotive Engineers, Warrendale, PA
Acknowledgments
Financial support from an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council CASE award and the loan of wind tunnel model components from Jaguar Racing is gratefully acknowledged.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Saddington, A.J., Knowles, R.D. & Knowles, K. Laser Doppler anemometry measurements in the near-wake of an isolated Formula One wheel. Exp Fluids 42, 671–681 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-007-0273-7
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-007-0273-7