Review—Bluff Body Flows Applicable to Vehicle Aerodynamics

Abstract

This paper attempts to review those aspects of bluff body aerodynamics that are relevant to the understanding of vehicle flows. Vehicles often have complex body shapes and are influenced by the proximity of the ground. The effect of the ground is discussed in some detail and results for bluff bodies mounted in wind tunnels above fixed and moving ground planes are presented. It is concluded that drag is little affected by ground proximity and ground representation whereas lift is often sensitive to both. The effect of slanting the base of a bluff body is discussed and the two main flow regimes that result are described. The influence of the wind on vehicle flows is investigated and it is found that vehicle mean flows are sensitive to the turbulence level in the relative wind. Finally numerical prediction methods are considered.