Flow Around a Simplified Car, Part 2: Understanding the Flow

Abstract

Results of a large eddy simulation (LES) are used to explore the flow around a generic car model. A new, refined picture of this flow is established. Many parts and aspects of this flow are studied and explained. The development of the instantaneous flow and its resulting time-averaged flow are depicted. Large differences are found between the instantaneous and the time-averaged flows. Special attention is given to the flow above the rear slanted surface. The origin, the development, and the interactions of the instantaneous vortices in this part of the flow are presented for the first time. This instantaneous flow is shown to be very unsteady and to contain a large number of different vortices that range in size from those of the size of the body over the intermediate hairpin-like vortices to very small coherent structures. Besides the variety in the length scales, the flow covers a wide spectrum of the time scales from the relatively steady motion of the cone-like trailing vortices on the slanted edges to highly frequent collisions of the hairpin-like vortices in the region of the attachment on the rear slanted surface.