Virtual Wind Tunnel: June 02, 2011 Update

This is a general update on all the recent CFD "virtual wind tunnel" simulations of a Kyosho Mini-Z MR03 Mazda 787b 3D model.

In addition to the configurations tested previously (no wing, flat rear wing, 15, 30, 45 and 60 degree rear wing) three additional ones were considered: broken wing, gurney flap, and scoop wing.

The table below shows drag and down forces for all the different rear wing configurations tested:

	Drag (gf)	Down Force (gf)
No Rear Wing	6.2	- 7.8 (lift)
Broken Wing	6.4	- 3.8 (lift)
0o Rear Wing	6.6	- 0.5 (lift)
15o Rear Wing	7.7	4.6
Gurney Flap	7.2	5.7
30o Rear Wing	8.9	8.0
45o Rear Wing	10.1	8.5
60o Rear Wing	10.6	9.3
Scoop Wing	11.7	13.5

A chart showing these results, and the trade off between drag and down forces, is available here.

All values above consider the car "racing" at 10 m/s (36 km/h). Charts showing the results for other speeds (2.5, 5.0, 7.5 in addition to 10 m/s) are available here.

Detailed results and pictures for each of the simulations are posted in the following links:

Virtual Wind Tunnel: No Rear Wing
Virtual Wind Tunnel: Broken Rear Wing
Virtual Wind Tunnel: Flat Rear Wing
Virtual Wind Tunnel: 15 Degree Rear Wing

Virtual Wind Tunnel: Gurney Flap

Virtual Wind Tunnel: 30 Degree Rear Wing

Virtual Wind Tunnel: 45 Degree Rear Wing

Virtual Wind Tunnel: 60 Degree Rear Wing
Virtual Wind Tunnel: Scoop Wing

Streamlines, pictures showing the theoretical trajectory of particles flowing around the car are posted here (colored according to pressure coefficient - Cp) and here (colored by air speed).

Videos of vertical plane streamlines, "3D" streamlines and particle tracks are also available.

Once again, all results come from a computer simulation of a Kyosho Mini-Z MR03 3D model, resembling a Mazda 787b car body. None of the results have been validated empirically at a real wind tunnel, so all the typical CFD caveats apply.