Closed-loop control of the wake of a road vehicle
Closed-loop control of the wake of a road vehicle
Three-dimensional bluff-body wakes are of key importance due to their relevance to the automotive industry. Such wakes contribute to consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Drastic European Union limitations concerning these two mechanisms conduct the car industry to think about efficient vehicles.
In this project, we propose robust drag and fuel reduction solutions for road-vehicles by closed-loop control of turbulent flows working efficiently for a range of operating conditions including changing oncoming velocity and transient side winds. To achieve this goal, we combine passive, active control and closed-loop strategies by using compliant deflectors, unsteady micro-jets and Machine Learning techniques. This project aims to prove a feasibility of the control from laboratory scale up to a full-scale industrial demonstrator. The main repercussions of the project will be on the reduction of the environmental impacts of transport industry and the gain of competitiveness and employment.