Vortices in the wake past adjustable car spoiler in open and closed configuration studied experimentally by PIV

Authors

  • Vojtěch Janský University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Univerzitní 22, 306 14 Pilsen, Czech Republic
  • Zdeněk Hejda Škoda Auto University, Department of Machinery and Electrotechnics, 160 00 Prague, Czech Republic
  • Daniel Duda University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Univerzitní 22, 306 14 Pilsen, Czech Republic
  • Vitalii Yanovych University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Univerzitní 22, 306 14 Pilsen, Czech Republic; Research and Testing Institute Pilsen, Tylova 46, 301 00 Pilsen, Czech Republic https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8152-7124
  • Václav Uruba University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Univerzitní 22, 306 14 Pilsen, Czech Republic; Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Thermomechanics, Dolejškova 15, 180 00 Prague, Czech Republic

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14311/AP.2025.65.0288

Keywords:

car, spoiler, wind tunnel, particle image velocimetry, wake, vortex

Abstract

A complex adjustable car spoiler opens or closes in dependence on ride properties: the closed state increases negative lift (better for curves), while the open state ensures lower drag (better for straight segments of the road). Both these configurations are studied by using Particle Image Velocimetry method in a wind tunnel at model scale. The three measured planes are perpendicular to the main flow. The wake is characterised by upwind (stronger past the closed variant) and by a pair of wing-tip vortices, although the spoiler wing has no end, it is rounded downwards instead. These vortices are stronger past the closed variant, they migrate towards each other, while their positions correlate by about 30 %. The circulations of both vortices are strongly correlated by about 90 % for the closed case, while this correlations is much smaller (∼25 %) for the open case.

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Published

2025-07-09

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How to Cite

Janský, V., Hejda, Z., Duda, D., Yanovych, V., & Uruba, V. (2025). Vortices in the wake past adjustable car spoiler in open and closed configuration studied experimentally by PIV. Acta Polytechnica, 65(3), 288–295. https://doi.org/10.14311/AP.2025.65.0288