SDM23 UNVEIL EVENT
Formula SAE Competition – Michigan International Speedway
Tilt Test
Acceleration
Skidpad
SDM23 Design
SDM23 Manufacturing
Rear Wing Structure Failure
Testing
Aerodynamic Tufts
Aerodynamic tufts are flexible strings or ribbons that are attached to the surface of an aerodynamic body, such as a Formula SAE car, to visualize and analyze the airflow patterns. They served as a simple yet effective tool for understanding the behavior of the air as it flows over the car’s aerodynamic surfaces. By carefully positioning tufts at strategic locations, the team was able to observe the direction and behavior of the airflow represented by the tufts in real-time during on-track testing. The tufts responded to changes in airflow, bending or aligning themselves accordingly, providing valuable visual feedback about the airflow separation, boundary layer control, and the overall aerodynamic performance of the car. This qualitative analysis helped identify areas of flow separation or turbulence, enabling the data to be recorded for optimization of future cars’ aerodynamic design.
Flow Visualization Paint
Flow visualization paint is a special type of paint that is used to analyze the flow over the aerodynamic surfaces of a car, particularly those surfaces that cannot be easily observed during testing. The paint used contains small particles of fluorescent dye that were suspended in a transparent base of paraffin lamp oil. When applied to the car’s surfaces, the paint formed a thin layer and as the air flowed over the car, it interacted with the paint, causing it to deform, streak, or show patterns in response to the airflow. This provided a visual representation of the flow behavior, even on surfaces that are not directly visible. By carefully analyzing the patterns and changes in the flow visualization paint, insight can be gained into the airflow characteristics, such as boundary layer separation, vortices, or areas of turbulence. This was the first time on record that flow visualization paint was attempted to be used during testing to analyze the flow. The results are shown below.
