AirShaper

For other aero updates:
- Part 1: https://youtu.be/PgogIbld-Ko
- Part 2: https://youtu.be/07ru0LfGl3c


In this Aero update we wanted to reduce the flow separation at the top of the side pods. The air had way too much upward momentum to stay attached to the sharply angled top edge of the side pod. So based on community feedback and internal brainstorms, the Voyager - AirShaper team came up with the following design changes:

3a: Ferrari-inspired backward swept design
The goal here is to have the top & bottom edge of the sidepods sweep backward to alleviate some of the pressure towards the outside. In the results we can see that flow separation at the top has been much reduced, but now there is some flow separation at the sides, as we're directing flow there. Good news though, that flow separation area looks to be smaller in size.

3b: Curved top geometry of the side pods
The goal here is simple: provide a more gradual, upward curvature at the top edge of the side pod for the air to stay attached to. We can see in the results that flow separation has been reduced, but not eliminated. Also, as the air curves around this geometry it speeds up more than before, futher lowering the pressure. This creates a suction effect which can cancel out some of the downforce generated elsewhere on the car.

3c: wing profile to control the flow
We added a wing profile just above the top edge of the side pod to force the airflow to take a sharper corner around the edge and to stay attached. In the CFD results, we can see that separation is slightly reduced at the outer parts of the sidepods, but not at the inner parts (where the local angle of attack is probably more aggressive). So the solution has potential, but would require a lot more tweaking to potentially make it work.

Coefficient analysis
All concepts score worse than Aero Update 2: they all have less downforce and all have more drag. So what is happening?

Well, to get a very reliable averaged value, you need a lot of iterations. For normal design work, the length of the averaging window used at AirShaper (which keeps variations around max 1%) is enough. But for specific cases like this one, where we are looking at deltas of less than 1% in some cases, you would need to increase the length of the averaging window to get reliable drag coefficient and lift coefficient data.

Still, we're able to obtain qualitative insights from these simulations, allowing us to make a pragmatic choice:
we're going for the Ferrari design!


Simulations:
Original car: https://app.airshaper.com/projects/voyager-airshaper-adcc85
Aero Package 1: https://app.airshaper.com/projects/voyager-airshaper-20adc9
Aero Package 2: https://app.airshaper.com/projects/voyager-airshaper-4b4532
Aero Update 3a: https://app.airshaper.com/projects/aero-update-3-conc-afd350
Aero update 3b: https://app.airshaper.com/projects/aero-update-3-conc-845f3d
Aero update 3c: https://app.airshaper.com/projects/aero-update-3-conc-18fb76

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The AirShaper videos cover the basics of aerodynamics (aerodynamic drag, drag & lift coefficients, boundary layer theory, flow separation, reynolds number...), simulation aspects (computational fluid dynamics, CFD meshing, ...) and aerodynamic testing (wind tunnel testing, flow visualization, ...).

We then use those basics to explain the aerodynamics of (race) cars (aerodynamic efficiency of electric vehicles, aerodynamic drag, downforce, aero maps, formula one aerodynamics, ...), drones and airplanes (propellers, airfoils, electric aviation, eVTOLS, ...), motorcycles (wind buffeting, motogp aerodynamics, ...) and more!

For more information, visit www.airshaper.com

Formula One - Aerodynamics update 3 - within the margin of CFD error

For other aero updates:
- Part 1: https://youtu.be/PgogIbld-Ko
- Part 3: https://youtu.be/HXVBs7JgUis


Simulations:
Original car: https://app.airshaper.com/projects/voyager-airshaper-adcc85
Aero Package 1: https://app.airshaper.com/projects/voyager-airshaper-20adc9
Aero Package 2: https://app.airshaper.com/projects/voyager-airshaper-4b4532

In this video, we present the second set of aero updates to the Voyager-AirShaper F1 car.
The redesign has been based on:
- Input from the talented people who contributed to the AirShaper Reddit channel
- Input from AirShaper (supported by aerodynamic shape optimization)

We've focused on a number of areas:
SIDEPODS
- Bring them forward
- Add more curvature at the front / less curvature at the rear to avoid separation at the rear


STRAKES
- Bring the second fence to the top of the underfloor to reduce flow curvature
- Reduce the exit angle of the inner fence
- Make the first part of the fences curved and straighten them just before they bend outward, to aid vortex formation

BIB
The BIB has been made sharper, to reduce the pressure build up.

REAR WING
- Single instead of double support arm
- Modification of the swan neck to reduce flow separation at the suction side

OTHER
- The mirrors have been mounted onto the sidepods, eliminating the lateral support beam
- The profile of the Halo has been modified


A MASSIVE THANKS TO ALL OF THOSE WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THIS AERO PACKAGE
And a special thanks to the guys at Voyager for implementing all of the community suggestions

Links
General: https://www.airshaper.com /// https://www.voyager.be/
F1 Challenge: https://airshaper.com/f1-aerodynamics-challenge
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/airshaper/
Contact: info@airshaper.com


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The AirShaper videos cover the basics of aerodynamics (aerodynamic drag, drag & lift coefficients, boundary layer theory, flow separation, reynolds number...), simulation aspects (computational fluid dynamics, CFD meshing, ...) and aerodynamic testing (wind tunnel testing, flow visualization, ...).

We then use those basics to explain the aerodynamics of (race) cars (aerodynamic efficiency of electric vehicles, aerodynamic drag, downforce, aero maps, formula one aerodynamics, ...), drones and airplanes (propellers, airfoils, electric aviation, eVTOLS, ...), motorcycles (wind buffeting, motogp aerodynamics, ...) and more!

For more information, visit www.airshaper.com

Formula One Aerodynamics Challenge - Part 2: side pods, underfloor, fences and more

For other aero updates:
- Part 2: https://youtu.be/07ru0LfGl3c
- Part 3: https://youtu.be/HXVBs7JgUis

UPDATE:
we found a mistake in the simulation - the increase in downforce was 44% and not 64% - check the next video (on aero update 2) to learn more!

Simulations:
Original car: https://app.airshaper.com/projects/voyager-airshaper-adcc85
Aero Package 1: https://app.airshaper.com/projects/voyager-airshaper-20adc9

In this video, we present the first set of aero updates to the Voyager-AirShaper F1 car.
The redesign has been based on:
- Input from the talented people who contributed to the AirShaper Reddit channel
- Input from AirShaper (supported by aerodynamic shape optimization)

We've focused on a number of areas:
FRONT WING
- We implemented the design of Busor to have a more updated design
- The spacing between the wing elements was increased to avoid mesh bridging
- The sideplates were pushed inward at the front to reduce flow separation
The downforce on the front wing improved dramatically, with low pressure zones on the suction side being much more pronounced, now extending to the second and partially the third wing element.

STRAKES
- The thickness of the straks was reduced to avoind local flow separation
- The "inlet angle" of the strakes was increased, to point more inward.
- The "outlet angle" of the straks was increased as well, to be outward instead of parallel to the driving direction of the car.
The result is less flow separation at the inleg and stronger vortices further downstream, resulting in a lower pressure and thus more pronounced suction effect across the majority of the underfloor.

BIB
The bib (sort of a scoop around the central part of the underfloor) was added, grabbing some extra downforce (as the pressure on top of it pushes it downward - even though some of this is cancelled out as this higher pressure also acts on the surface above the BIB).

OTHER
Other small changes include updated barge boards and a different nose angle.


A MASSIVE THANKS TO ALL OF THOSE WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THIS AERO PACKAGE
And a special thanks to the guys at Voyager for implementing all of the community suggestions

Links
General: https://www.airshaper.com /// https://www.voyager.be/
F1 Challenge: https://airshaper.com/f1-aerodynamics-challenge
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/airshaper/
Contact: info@airshaper.com

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The AirShaper videos cover the basics of aerodynamics (aerodynamic drag, drag & lift coefficients, boundary layer theory, flow separation, reynolds number...), simulation aspects (computational fluid dynamics, CFD meshing, ...) and aerodynamic testing (wind tunnel testing, flow visualization, ...).

We then use those basics to explain the aerodynamics of (race) cars (aerodynamic efficiency of electric vehicles, aerodynamic drag, downforce, aero maps, formula one aerodynamics, ...), drones and airplanes (propellers, airfoils, electric aviation, eVTOLS, ...), motorcycles (wind buffeting, motogp aerodynamics, ...) and more!

For more information, visit www.airshaper.com

Improving F1 Aerodynamics using AirShaper CFD simulations - The Voyager-AirShaper F1 challenge

For more information on sports car aerodynamics:
- Gordon Murray T50: https://youtu.be/FSaI6STYIQA
- Lotus Evija: https://youtu.be/WaLxG9CT3RI
- Porsche Taycan - part 1: https://youtu.be/K2jgsgihZ_w
- Porsche Taycan - part 2: https://youtu.be/kyHjWGnrByQ


Have you ever wondered how hypercars can reach incredible top speeds? Because of aerodynamics! (and engine power :) ).

At high speeds, almost all resistance the car has to overcome stems from aerodynamic drag. So reducing it, while maintaining a good aerodynamic balance, is the key.

In this video, we walk around the 7X Design Rayo, a highly modified Lamborghini Huracan. The car was almost entirely rebodied, with highly streamlined shapes. We reduced the drag by over 28%!

There are a lot of aerodynamic elements on the car that made this possible:
- Extended & revised front splitter: guiding more high speed air underneath the car to create downforce through the Bernoulli effect
- Front air curtains: accelerating air to form a curtain alongside the wheels, reducing their drag
- Nearly flat underfloor to allow the flow underneath the car to accelerate as much as possible
- Ventilation of the front & rear wheel arches
- Revised position of the side air intakes
- Diffuser optimization: reduction of rear wheel wake disturbance, wider & more organic shape to maintain attached flow
- Open rear grill to aid cooling

For more information, visit:
- https://7x.design/
- https://www.envisagegroupltd.com/
- https://www.adrianoraeli.com/
- https://undergroundracing.com/

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The AirShaper videos cover the basics of aerodynamics (aerodynamic drag, drag & lift coefficients, boundary layer theory, flow separation, reynolds number...), simulation aspects (computational fluid dynamics, CFD meshing, ...) and aerodynamic testing (wind tunnel testing, flow visualization, ...).

We then use those basics to explain the aerodynamics of (race) cars (aerodynamic efficiency of electric vehicles, aerodynamic drag, downforce, aero maps, formula one aerodynamics, ...), drones and airplanes (propellers, airfoils, electric aviation, eVTOLS, ...), motorcycles (wind buffeting, motogp aerodynamics, ...) and more!

For more information, visit www.airshaper.com

7X Design Rayo - How to design a 300 mph hypercar based on a Lamborghini Huracan

Learn more about CFD simulations: https://youtu.be/dyiREvdc4Gg

Rivian claims a drag coefficient of just 0.30 for the Rivian R1T. That's much lower than the typical 0.45-0.50 for cars like the Ford F150 and alike.In this video, we'll goo over the details of how they did this.

---Smooth underfloor---
On a conventional ICE (internal combustion engine) truck, many of the drive train components are exposed. This creates quite a lot of aerodynamic resistance as the air flows underneath the car. On the Rivian, they have covered almost the entire underfloor with flat, smooth panels. This greatly reduces the turbulence & drag generated.

---Smooth exterior---
Door handles have been made flush and the design in general doesn't feature many external bits of geometry sticking out. This helps to keep the flow attached to the surface.

---Air deflectors---
Ahead of both the front & rear wheels, air deflectors help to guide the air around the tires, reducing the "head on collision" of the air on the tires. They likely also help to bridge the wheel well area.

---Air curtain---
Inside the front bumper, air gets accelerated through channels which exit in the front wheel wells. This stream of air acts as an air curtain, shielding the rotating wheels. This reduces the drag generated by the wheels, which typically act as large mixers.

---Air breathers---
A slot/channel connects the rear of the front wheel wells to an open channel at the bottom of the door panels. This helps to evacuate some of the high pressure air in the wheel wells and provides a stream of air that ends up at the rear wheels.

---Cabin spoiler---
The spoiler at the cabin helps to "contract" the flow both in top view and side view. The flow lands onto the closed cargo bed, ahead of the trailing edge of the cargo bay. The spoiler also features slots which help to accelerate the flow / draw more air downward into the wake.

---Gaps---
At the top of the right A-pillar we detected more turbulence than the same area at the left A-pillar. Upon closer inspection, we found that there actually was a misalignment of panels, causing this flow problem.

A massive thanks to A2MAC1 (https://www.a2mac1.com/) for providing us with the 3D scan of the Rivian R1T. Just contact us if you want to purchase this or another analysis using their 3D scans.


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The AirShaper videos cover the basics of aerodynamics (aerodynamic drag, drag & lift coefficients, boundary layer theory, flow separation, reynolds number...), simulation aspects (computational fluid dynamics, CFD meshing, ...) and aerodynamic testing (wind tunnel testing, flow visualization, ...).

We then use those basics to explain the aerodynamics of (race) cars (aerodynamic efficiency of electric vehicles, aerodynamic drag, downforce, aero maps, formula one aerodynamics, ...), drones and airplanes (propellers, airfoils, electric aviation, eVTOLS, ...), motorcycles (wind buffeting, motogp aerodynamics, ...) and more!

For more information, visit www.airshaper.com

Rivian R1T Aerodynamics - Is the claimed drag coefficient of 0.30 correct?

Learn more about airplane aerodynamics: https://youtu.be/2W5Q2mllmxI

In this video we go over some of the coolest scenes of the Top Gun Maverick movie which include aerodynamics effects.

The first one is about the Dark Star, the plane in which Maverick is going for Mach 10. The plane itself is supercool and was conceptualized together with Lockheed Martin. But I was left with one question: when he is at around Mach 9, he makes a turn! Why would you make a turn when you are going for a top speed record? That would result in massive G-forces on both the plane and the pilot, only to generate extra drag and slow it down. Perhaps I am missing something, perhaps they did the same with the X-15 back in the days, but it felt like a dragster taking a corner.

The next scenes involve the F18, a fairly dated fighter jet used by the Top Gun pilots in this movie. One is where Maverick pulls up from low level flight. Pulling up like this creates massive vortices which are nicely captured by the dust on the ground.

Another scene is where the pilots are speeding up, breaking the sound barrier at Mach 1. You can hear the sonic boom and you can also visually see the planes going through some sort of white disc - or a vapor cone as they call it. It has long been thought that this cone was the actual sound barrier, but it is not. The air is first compressed and heated up by the first shockwave. Behind the shockwave is the expansion wave, lowering the pressure again. If there is enough humidity, the water vapor will condense and form the white cone you can see. After that, the air is compressed again by a second shock wave, eliminating the vapor.

And then there is the famous Cobra maneuver, or dynamic deceleration. If you are being chased by the enemy, you can abruptly raise the nose of the plane to a more or less vertical position. At such an extreme angle of attack, the plane momentarily goes into stall and will act like an air brake, slowing it down. After the chasing airplane has passed underneath you, you pull the noise back down and resume level flight, only now you are in the chasing position. 

A final remark relates to motorbikes, one of our favorite areas of development. As you may know, the rider on a motorbike creates a large wake behind him, dragging air along. Filling that void with something that is slightly smaller than the rider itself and is closely attached to it to maintain a nice flow can help to reduce the wake, boost efficiency and reduce fuel consumption. So when taking Penny for a ride on the back of his motorcycle, Maverick was probably thinking of the environment.


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The AirShaper videos cover the basics of aerodynamics (aerodynamic drag, drag & lift coefficients, boundary layer theory, flow separation, reynolds number...), simulation aspects (computational fluid dynamics, CFD meshing, ...) and aerodynamic testing (wind tunnel testing, flow visualization, ...).

We then use those basics to explain the aerodynamics of (race) cars (aerodynamic efficiency of electric vehicles, aerodynamic drag, downforce, aero maps, formula one aerodynamics, ...), drones and airplanes (propellers, airfoils, electric aviation, eVTOLS, ...), motorcycles (wind buffeting, motogp aerodynamics, ...) and more!

For more information, visit www.airshaper.com

Top Gun Maverick Aerodynamics - Our Top Scenes Analyzed

Parts in the NASA interview series:
- Part 1 - New aerodynamic concepts: https://youtu.be/m4rysu8LlLM
- Part 2 - Propeller design: https://youtu.be/UDZBqDQGU8o
- Part 3 - Battery and component cooling: https://youtu.be/ieB541felas
- Part 4 - Electric flight experience: https://youtu.be/pGn07UTVKBg

In this fourth part of our video interview series with NASA on the X-57 Maxwell Electric Aircraft, we discuss what it will be like to fly this electric aircraft.

The high lift propellers provide extra lift for the wing, but they also produce forward thrust. This can feel a bit strange and therefore multiple control modes have been introduced.

One of them is called Air Speed Sending: as the aircraft speeds up, the high lift propellers provide more thrust and lift for take-off. Once the velocity is high enough for the wing to produce enough lift on its own, the torque on the high lift propellers is reduced again. Finally, they are shut down and folded back all together when the airplane is in cruise mode.

The other way around, as the aircraft is preparing for landing, they are first switched on at a low torque & rpm, just to know they are there. As the airplane slows down on the approach corridor, the torque is increased and more lift and thrust are generated. This increased lift helps to limit the sink rate and the extra thrust can help offset the increased drag as the airplane slows down to regions within the backside of the power curve.

In terms of scaling, the batteries don't scale so well. So this technology, using batteries, could be interesting for 10-19 seaters for example. Beyond that, the energy storage can become a problem. But the electric propulsion itself does scale well, as you can simply put more high lift propellers on a larger wing, on top of increasing their size, combined with a hybrid powertrain.

You would then not have the energy efficiency benefits of the battery, but the aerodynamic benefits of the electric propulsion are still there.


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The AirShaper videos cover the basics of aerodynamics (aerodynamic drag, drag & lift coefficients, boundary layer theory, flow separation, reynolds number...), simulation aspects (computational fluid dynamics, CFD meshing, ...) and aerodynamic testing (wind tunnel testing, flow visualization, ...).

We then use those basics to explain the aerodynamics of (race) cars (aerodynamic efficiency of electric vehicles, aerodynamic drag, downforce, aero maps, formula one aerodynamics, ...), drones and airplanes (propellers, airfoils, electric aviation, eVTOLS, ...), motorcycles (wind buffeting, motogp aerodynamics, ...) and more!

For more information, visit www.airshaper.com

Electric Aviation - NASA interview on Maxwell X57 - Part 4: Electric Flight Experience

Parts in the NASA interview series:
- Part 1 - New aerodynamic concepts: https://youtu.be/m4rysu8LlLM
- Part 2 - Propeller design: https://youtu.be/UDZBqDQGU8o
- Part 3 - Battery and component cooling: https://youtu.be/ieB541felas
- Part 4 - Electric flight experience: https://youtu.be/pGn07UTVKBg

In this third part of our video interview series with NASA on the X-57 Maxwell Electric Aircraft, we dive into the details of cooling.

The X-57 requires around 90-100 kW in cruise versus 250 kW during take-off. This variation in loading strongly determines the sizing, the cells, the layout etc. of the battery.

Everything is directly air cooled on the airplane. The battery is passively cooled. The cooling of the inverters and motors poses quite a big challenge. They reach their operating temperature within seconds, so it's important to minimize the amount of rejected heat as well as understanding the cooling requirements across the flight envelope.


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The AirShaper videos cover the basics of aerodynamics (aerodynamic drag, drag & lift coefficients, boundary layer theory, flow separation, reynolds number...), simulation aspects (computational fluid dynamics, CFD meshing, ...) and aerodynamic testing (wind tunnel testing, flow visualization, ...).

We then use those basics to explain the aerodynamics of (race) cars (aerodynamic efficiency of electric vehicles, aerodynamic drag, downforce, aero maps, formula one aerodynamics, ...), drones and airplanes (propellers, airfoils, electric aviation, eVTOLS, ...), motorcycles (wind buffeting, motogp aerodynamics, ...) and more!

For more information, visit www.airshaper.com

Electric Aviation - NASA interview on Maxwell X57 - Part 3: Battery and Component Cooling Design

Parts in the NASA interview series:
- Part 1 - New aerodynamic concepts: https://youtu.be/m4rysu8LlLM
- Part 2 - Propeller design: https://youtu.be/UDZBqDQGU8o
- Part 3 - Battery and component cooling: https://youtu.be/ieB541felas
- Part 4 - Electric flight experience: https://youtu.be/pGn07UTVKBg

In this second video in our series with NASA, we dive into the details of the propellers and how they compare to other propellers seen on e-VTOLs for example.

The X57 features two very distinct propellers:
- High lift propellers: these increase the local airflow speed around the wing, providing it with more lift. They aim for a uniform flow velocity to create a predictable and reliable increase in lift.
- Cruise propellers: these are aimed at maximum efficiency and feature a higher axial flow speed at the tips of the propellers


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The AirShaper videos cover the basics of aerodynamics (aerodynamic drag, drag & lift coefficients, boundary layer theory, flow separation, reynolds number...), simulation aspects (computational fluid dynamics, CFD meshing, ...) and aerodynamic testing (wind tunnel testing, flow visualization, ...).

We then use those basics to explain the aerodynamics of (race) cars (aerodynamic efficiency of electric vehicles, aerodynamic drag, downforce, aero maps, formula one aerodynamics, ...), drones and airplanes (propellers, airfoils, electric aviation, eVTOLS, ...), motorcycles (wind buffeting, motogp aerodynamics, ...) and more!

For more information, visit www.airshaper.com

Our Latest Videos Gain aerodynamic insight by watching our videos

Formula One - Aerodynamics update 3 - within the margin of CFD error

Formula One Aerodynamics Challenge - Part 2: side pods, underfloor, fences and more

Improving F1 Aerodynamics using AirShaper CFD simulations - The Voyager-AirShaper F1 challenge

7X Design Rayo - How to design a 300 mph hypercar based on a Lamborghini Huracan

Rivian R1T Aerodynamics - Is the claimed drag coefficient of 0.30 correct?

Top Gun Maverick Aerodynamics - Our Top Scenes Analyzed

Electric Aviation - NASA interview on Maxwell X57 - Part 4: Electric Flight Experience

Electric Aviation - NASA interview on Maxwell X57 - Part 3: Battery and Component Cooling Design

Electric Aviation - NASA interview on Maxwell X57 - Part 2: Propeller Design

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