Spectral/hp element simulation of flow past a Formula One front wing: validation against experiments

F. F. Buscariolo, J. Hoessler, D. Moxey, A. Jassim, K. Gouder, J. Basler, Y. Murai, G. R. S. Assi, S. J. Sherwin

J. Wind. Eng. Ind. Aerod., vol. 221, pp. 104832 (2022)

@article{buscariolo-2022,
  title = {Spectral/$hp$ element simulation of flow past a Formula One front wing: validation against experiments},
  author = {Buscariolo, F. F. and Hoessler, J. and Moxey, D. and Jassim, A. and Gouder, K. and Basler, J. and Murai, Y. and Assi, G. R. S. and Sherwin, S. J.},
  journal = jweia,
  year = {2022},
  volume = {221},
  pages = {104832},
  url = {https://arxiv.org/pdf/1909.06701},
  doi = {10.1016/j.jweia.2021.104832},
  abstract = {Emerging commercial and academic tools are regularly being applied to the design of road and race cars, but there currently are no well-established benchmark cases to study the aerodynamics of race car wings in ground effect. In this paper we propose a new test case, with a relatively complex geometry, supported by the availability of CAD model and experimental results. We refer to the test case as the Imperial Front Wing, originally based on the front wing and endplate design of the McLaren 17D race car.cv A comparison of different resolutions of a high fidelity spectral/hp element simulation using under-resolved DNS/implicit LES approach with fourth and fifth polynomial order is presented. The results demonstrate good correlation to both the wall-bounded streaklines obtained by oil flow visualization and experimental PIV results, correctly predicting key characteristics of the time-averaged flow structures, namely intensity, contours and locations. This study highlights the resolution requirements in capturing salient flow features arising from this type of challenging geometry, providing an interesting test case for both traditional and emerging high-fidelity simulations.}
}

There is no well-established benchmark for the aerodynamics of race car wings in ground effect, which makes new methods hard to validate. This paper proposes one, the Imperial Front Wing, based on the front wing and endplate of the McLaren 17D and supported by a CAD model and experimental data. Simulations at fourth and fifth polynomial order are compared against oil flow visualisation and PIV measurements, and the resolution needed to capture the flow features of such a geometry is set out.