Porsche Taycan Aerodynamics Features - VIDEO

[Kingske]

Hi @Kingske
We didn't run a back-to-back simulation with & without air curtain, so I don't have info on the real difference. But I would guess it's in the order of magnitude of 1%.

I've attached a screenshot below where you can at least see an indication that the flow through the air curtain (blue arrow) is reducing the wake/turbulent area around the lower part of the tire.

But we have to be careful with conclusions, as we don't have a car model with blocked curtains and this lower area might see reduced wake because of other reasons.

Nevertheless, we do see proper airflow going through the air curtains, so if it's blocked, for sure there is at least some impact!

@Wouter Remmerie , thank you.

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[BeTay22]

I've attached a screenshot below where you can at least see an indication that the flow through the air curtain (blue arrow) is reducing the wake/turbulent area around the lower part of the tire.

Actually, the motorized charge port only blocks the rear air vent, the one between the front wheel and the door. So I guess the impact is probably even less?

 

[Wouter Remmerie]

Actually, the motorized charge port only blocks the rear air vent, the one between the front wheel and the door. So I guess the impact is probably even less?

That indeed makes things different:
I'm guessing the "rear" air vent is mainly there to evacuate some high pressure air from the wheel well and perhaps create a better attached flow on the side flank. I'm guessing (again, haven't done a sim with & without that) the order of magnitude of effect would be similar (1% or so). I think the car we tested had that vent closed, but I'm not sure (we'll discuss tufts in that area in the next video!)

 

[Wouter Remmerie]

Hi everyone,

part 2 of the Porsche Taycan Aerodynamics has just been released!


Hope you like this one as well

 

[JimBob]

Do you know what changes if any occur under the two cases where the front cooling vents are open or closed.

 

[Wouter Remmerie]

Do you know what changes if any occur under the two cases where the front cooling vents are open or closed.

Hi Jim,

no, we don't have 3D models with the vents both open and closed.

I would guess an open vent helps to evacuate some of the high pressure from inside the wheel well and feed it into the turbulent area behind the wheel. And perhaps the grid/maze/... structure inside such vent can help make the flow a bit more laminar again, facilitating a more attached flow at the flanks?

 

[JimBob]

Hi Jim,

no, we don't have 3D models with the vents both open and closed.

I would guess an open vent helps to evacuate some of the high pressure from inside the wheel well and feed it into the turbulent area behind the wheel. And perhaps the grid/maze/... structure inside such vent can help make the flow a bit more laminar again, facilitating a more attached flow at the flanks?

Actually referring to the front cooling vents above the splitter. Used for cooling the batteries. When closed the Cd is .22 when open higher.

 

[Wouter Remmerie]

Actually referring to the front cooling vents above the splitter. Used for cooling the batteries. When closed the Cd is .22 when open higher.

Oh my bad, misunderstood your question!

The answer is the same in terms of 3D model:
we'd need one with open & closed vents.

On top of that, the internal modelling of the cooler is quite complex. Often, this is done using a "porous" block, which features a uniform flow resistance (rather than modelling the flow through the thousands of small openings in the cooler). This would be essential to assess the true difference!

Many other manufacturers apply this "trick" of closing the vents, so I'm guessing it's at least worth the extra weight & cost & development effort of the mechanism to do this.

 

[rs38]

Hi @Wouter Remmerie , I'd like to pick up the question with the open/closed air vents below the A pillar.
Wouldn't it quite easily possible to modify the 3D model and create a hole according to a picture of the inlet? And to make it even more interesting, check with a different set of rims (more closed or open).

 

[Wouter Remmerie]

Hi @Wouter Remmerie , I'd like to pick up the question with the open/closed air vents below the A pillar.
Wouldn't it quite easily possible to modify the 3D model and create a hole according to a picture of the inlet? And to make it even more interesting, check with a different set of rims (more closed or open).

Yes, technically that would certainly be possible.

The challenge is that it requires very detailed simulations to capture these effects. For us, that means our 2.500 USD Advanced simulation with 50-100 million cells. We can run some cases on the house for media purposes, but this would be beyond that scope, unfortunately...

 

[rs38]

? okay...

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