DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF UNDERTRAY DIFFUSER FOR A FORMULA STYLE RACECAR

Ali Asgar S. Khokhar, Suhas S. Shirolkar

Abstract: The advancements in Formula one industry have clearly shown the importance of Aerodynamics and thus it was taken as an opportunity to design and develop a not much widely known aerodynamic component, a diffuser considering the myriad of benefits. This report explains the development of an undertray diffuser for an Formula Student (fsae) car. An undertray Diffuser is just as the front and back wing of race cars an aerodynamic package that generates Downforce. The hard part of designing an aerodynamic package for these cars is their top speed. The faster a car drives the more downforce is going to be generated. The Formula student race cars have a top speed around 130km/h. Due to this low top speed (Formula 1 cars reach top speeds of 370km/h), the wings of the car have to work with lower speeds and have to be larger. The undertray diffuser has to generate as much downforce as possible and as less drag as possible. The working principle of the undertray diffuser is explained later. The air under the undertray diffuser travels faster than on top of the undertray diffuser. When this happens a lower pressure is generated underneath the undertray diffuser and this lower pressure generates downforce.

Keywords: Aerodynamics, downforce, speed, pressure

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15623/ijret.2015.0411035