Skip to Main Content
 

Global Search Box

 
 
 
 

Files

File List


Final_Thesis.pdf (1.82 MB)

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

Body Modification and Aerodynamic Performance Determination of the Buckeye Bullet 3 Land Speed Race Vehicle

Clark, Casie M
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1397642971

Abstract Details

2014, Master of Science, Ohio State University, Aero/Astro Engineering.
The Venturi Buckeye Bullet 3 is a land speed race vehicle designed by students at The Ohio State University. A significant driver visibility issue was identified in the original bodywork design. This was addressed by first defining changes that could be made to the geometry that both increased driver visibility and adhered to existing packaging constraints. Once parameters were defined and acceptable deviations from the original geometry set, a computer model of the vehicle was morphed in varying degrees, resulting in a large number of possible vehicle configurations. Each design iteration was then run in OpenFOAM, an open-source Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software package. The drag response and morphing methodology for each run were used as the training dataset to the kriging algorithm. Using the results from the algorithm, a surrogate model was developed that outputted predicted drag response given specified geometry changes. This model proved capable of identifying major trends, but struggled to predict the drag response of random morphing input. The entire drag range observed throughout the morphing process was approximately 14 N. The bodywork thus proved largely robust and insensitive to the geometry changes necessary to improve driver visibility. Overall, the major trends identified by the kriging algorithm, as well as a separate windshield re-design study, were used to minimize the drag and develop a finalized configuration. Conclusions showed that the new bodywork has 7 N more drag at 200 mph than the original design; however, allows for a significant increase in driver visibility. This drag addition is expected to decrease the top speed of the vehicle by 3 mph when compared to the original bodywork.
Giorgio Rizzoni (Advisor)
James Gregory (Advisor)
147 p.
Aerospace Engineering
Buckeye Bullet; VBB3; CFD; Aerodynamics; electric vehice; land speed; racing

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Clark, C. M. (2014). Body Modification and Aerodynamic Performance Determination of the Buckeye Bullet 3 Land Speed Race Vehicle [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1397642971

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Clark, Casie. Body Modification and Aerodynamic Performance Determination of the Buckeye Bullet 3 Land Speed Race Vehicle. 2014. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1397642971.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Clark, Casie. "Body Modification and Aerodynamic Performance Determination of the Buckeye Bullet 3 Land Speed Race Vehicle." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1397642971

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1397642971
1,473
© 2014, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.