The influence of different aerodynamic setups on enhancing a sports car's braking

This paper presents an analysis of several different aerodynamic setups that can be utilized to improve the braking performance of a sports car. The coefficients of aerodynamic forces and the flow properties of a targa top car body were investigated with the use of wind tunnel data as well as the results of CFD calculations. The influence of a car body's rear wing utilized as an air brake was presented at a low angle of attack and at a high angle of attack. The balance of the car body was investigated and it was shown how the load on the front and rear axles of the car can be affected by an air brake placed in different locations. An alternative method for the increase of the download force was also studied which included the use of small movable elements that are easy to hide within the silhouette of the car body. Due to the increase of the car's drag coefficient by 0.58 and the decrease of the lift coefficient by 1.1, the braking distance can be reduced up to 31%, depending on the vehicle's speed and driving conditions, which proves that active aerodynamics utilized in braking mode can contribute to the improvement of driving safety.