Aerodynamic optimization of a solar powered race vehicle

• Main Author: Augenbergs, Peteris K
• Other Authors: J. Kim Vandiver.
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2007
• Subjects: Mechanical Engineering.
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/36295

Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, February 2006. === Includes bibliographical references (leaf 19). === Aerodynamic optimization was performed on Tesseract, the MIT Solar Electric Vehicle Team's 2003-2005 solar car using Wind Tunnel 8 at Jacobs/Sverdrup Drivability Test Facility in Allen Park, MI. These tests include angle of attack and ride height optimization, as well as vehicle-level details such as wheel fairing length, surface finish, sealing, and rear-view mirrors. These tests achieved a net reduction in drag, an increase in stability due to lift force reduction, and valuable knowledge of boundary layer conditions which will be used in future designs. === by Peteris K. Augenbergs. === S.B.