The wheels of a passenger car are responsible for approximately one quarter of its total aerodynamic drag. Therefore, wheel optimization is essential to achieve the goals in an aerodynamic development process. In this study multiple factors on the flow around wheels are investigated experimentally by means of on-road and wind tunnel testing and numerically using computational fluid dynamics. Guidelines for the virtual assessment of wheel aerodynamics in an early phase of the development process are developed and new insights into the flow field around an isolated, treaded tire are generated.
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The wheels of a passenger car are responsible for approximately one quarter of its total aerodynamic drag. Therefore, wheel optimization is essential to achieve the goals in an aerodynamic development process. In this study multiple factors on the flow around wheels are investigated experimentally by means of on-road and wind tunnel testing and numerically using computational fluid dynamics. Guidelines for the virtual assessment of wheel aerodynamics in an early phase of the development process...
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