Isaiah Ramirez's EPortfolio

Automotive Aerodynamics

Automotive aerodynamics is the study of the aerodynamics of road vehicles. Its main goals are reducing drag and wind noise, minimizing noise emission, and preventing undesired lift forces and other causes of aerodynamic instability at high speeds. Air is also considered a fluid in this case. For some classes of racing vehicles, it may also be important to produce downforce to improve traction. In this challenge, you will not only learn about how build and design a race car but also realize how the design the surface of a car can help minimize drag and improve its motion through the air for better performance.

Research - Rail Car Build

Starting rail car body

A cut extrude to the back and fillet to the front

Cut extrudes on sides

Side pockets extruded back and front and cockpit lofted

All sides and lofts and extrudes filleted

Finished rail car body

Research - Rail Car Build Accessories

Front Stick axle midpoint extruded

Front Stick axle filleted on sides

Rear stick axle size decreased and created

Normal wheel created

Outer rim is now curved

Circular pattern for holes added

Another circular pattern for small circle bumps added

Outer rim is filleted

Simple tire design

The wheel and tire assembly

Rear wheel created (increased the size of the front wheel sketch)

Rear tire created

Rear tire spokes created

Small spokes added inside

Pattern with spokes added

Bottom of spokes filleted

Front wheel spokes created (decreased size of sketch)

Full Rail Car Assembly

Full design sketches of Rail Car

Rail car with decal

CO2 Cartridge

Outline of CO2 Cartridge

Rail car render shot

Research - Rail Car FlowSim

Lift & drag data for Railcar

Domain of rail car

Rail car surface plots

Rail car in the FlowSimulator

Custom Car Build

Original design that was planned and inspired by team communication

Video of car being printed

Cut extrude body with curved front

Filleted top and under the car

Boss extruded small material under the front and back of the car and added a guide hole

Filleted middle top part, and also cut extruded holes and vents

Added fins to the sides of the car. Also added cartridge inside and wheels and axles and washers

Rotation of car

racecd1.mp4

Redesign video 1

racecd2.mp4

Redesign video 2

racecd3.mp4

Redesign video 3

Lift and drag data from car

Engineering Drawing of the custom car

IMG_2094.MOV

First race of custom car (2.441 seconds)

IMG_2096.MOV

Second race of custom car (2.557 seconds)

Cut extrude top to bottom with curves and straight lines in the back

Lofted extruded canister cover and also cockpit

Cut extruded and filleted underneath the car

Filleted front holes and vents and also middle top part, and lofted cockpit and cartridge cover

Photoshot of the original custom car

Car going into the FlowSimulator

All surface plots that show "dirty air" around the car

IMG_2106.MOV

Fourth race of custom car (2.437 seconds)

IMG_2103.MOV

Third race of custom car (2.367 seconds)

Race data converted into mph/kmph with a formula

Drag data converted into percentage improvement with a formula

Test Prints

Front end of the custom car. Featuring guide and axle holes, and vents and overhangs.

Test print 1: Half of the back end of the custom car. Featuring guide, rear axle, and cartridge holes

Test print 2: Full back end of the custom car. Featuring guide, rear axle (now 4mm instead of 5mm), and cartridge holes

Full back test print

Full front test print

Half back test print

IMG_2029.MOV

Full back test print in video

IMG_2039.MOV

Full front test print in video

IMG_2024.MOV

Half back test print in video

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