CEEMO Engineering Uses FloEFD to Fine-Tune New Race Car Design in 8 Weeks
CEEMO Engineering used FloEFD, an easy-to-use general purpose engineering fluid dynamics software from Flomerics Ltd. to test and optimize a new concept car. The entire design optimization process for the 2-seater chassis took about eight weeks despite the design engineer being a novice in the use of fluid analysis software. "I am an aerospace engineer by background but I had never used CFD software so we did an exhaustive search to find the right tool for the design engineer" said Evan van Wolfswinkel, an Engineer at Ceemo. "FloEFD offered the best combination of cost effectiveness and ease-of-use for us. As a matter of fact, my colleagues who were using a traditional market-leading CFD code were amazed at how quickly I could conduct "what-if" tests."
Regarded as a market leader, CEEMO Engineering develops and manufactures innovative products for the racing industry such as airfoils, body panels and air boxes. CEEMO has contributed to the success of many racing teams by delivering products for Renault, BMW, Marcos, Lexus and Spyker racing cars. "Since we had an extensive background in designing various aerodynamic parts for racing purposes, we decided to expand our portfolio by designing a new concept car" explained van Wolfswinkel.
CEEMO's primary goal was to analyze and improve the aerodynamics of the car chassis. Firstly, van Wolfswinkel checked the ground clearance. "The results revealed a remarkable amount of down force and explained how the downforce was generated" explained van Wolfswinkel. He further modified the design by adding a diffuser and adjusting the ground clearance in the front and the back of the car. He also reduced the drag by making the back rounder. "After seeing the simulation results, I realized that the change in the shape also reduced the down force and resulted in the diffuser losing its effectiveness. FloEFD was instrumental in helping me better understand the cumulative effects of my changes and solving the problem."
The process of testing the body and improving it took about eight weeks. The car is still about two years away from production. "We've optimized the shape of the concept car and will be moving on to studying the suspension shortly" explained Evan van Wolfswinkel.
For further information, please contact:
Head of Marketing
Mentor Graphics Mechanical Analysis, UK
81 Bridge Road
Surrey, KT8 9HH
Tel: +44 (0)20 8487 3000
Fax: +44 (0)20 8487 3001