Formula SAE is all about pushing the limits of design, performance, and innovation → CFD plays a powerful role by enabling student teams to develop a virtual twin of their vehicle, explore aerodynamic behavior in the virtual world, and make faster, more informed design decisions.

With this objective in mind, we’re pleased to share the work of our SIMULIA colleagues who supported this engagement with the University of California, Davis Formula SAE team, using SIMULIA PowerFLOW to investigate the external aerodynamics of their race car.

Formula SAE vehicles present an interesting CFD challenge, with flow interacting with highly complex, largely exposed geometry - including the front and rear wings, wheels, suspension, chassis, cockpit, and driver - to produce strongly three-dimensional and transient aerodynamic structures. Powered by Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) technology, PowerFLOW provides a high-fidelity CFD approach well suited to these real-world applications, with key capabilities demonstrated through this work including:

🔹Handling complex, real-world geometry without requiring the extensive geometry simplification often associated with conventional CFD workflows
🔹Capturing the transient, three-dimensional flow structures developing around the complete vehicle
🔹Providing detailed insight into the velocity field, pressure distribution, wake, and vortical structures around key aerodynamic components
🔹Evaluating different vehicle attitudes and operating conditions, including the baseline configuration, positive/negative pitch, and yaw
🔹Using PowerINSIGHT to quickly compare simulations side-by-side and assess changes in flow behavior and aerodynamic performance, including quantities such as drag

This type of workflow helps Formula SAE teams to move CFD beyond simply visualizing the flow:

🔹By developing a virtual twin and evaluating multiple configurations in the virtual world, teams can better understand why aerodynamic performance changes, compare design alternatives earlier
🔹Support faster design iteration, reduced reliance on physical testing and associated material costs, and ultimately the development of a more efficient and better-performing race car
🔹Make informed engineering decisions before committing to final physical prototypes of their vehicle

Beyond supporting the development of a faster and more efficient race car, collaborations like this give the next generation of engineers hands-on experience with industry-proven CFD technology and simulation workflows used to apply these skills to real-world CFD and other simulation applications.

▫️Credits: @MM, @LA and @JC for developing and demonstrating the simulations and visualization content to University of California, Davis, and @JP for supporting this university engagement
▫️Thanks to University of California, Davis FSAE team (Link) for the collaboration