Space to organize the design process for MS16.
This table includes any notable iterations made on the aerobody as well as the results given by CFD sims. (V15 and onwards are just arbitrary naming conventions that I’m using)
All CFD sims are ran with air velocity at 20 m/s.
Version | Description/Changes | Notes | Dimensions (LWH) (m) | Cd | CdA | Drag Force (N) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MSXV (for reference) | Wide body (so that other subsystems would 100% fit) Rounded nose Curved bottom and top profiles  | 4.95 x 1.85 x 1.17 m Frontal Area 1.35m^2 | 0.11 | 0.1485 | 17.73 | |
V15 (Liam) | Straight top/bottom profiles Rounded nose ~About 5.75 m^2 for solar array  | Wheelbase length & max steering angle most likely will not comply with ASC 2026 regs (currently 2m and 12 degrees, will need to be around 2.4m and 15 degrees) for a 5.5m car.
Need to increase length to accommodate solar | 5.5 x 1.35 x 1.13 m Frontal Area 0.98 m^2 | 0.13 | 0.1274 | 15.30 |
V16 (Liam) | Straight top/bottom profiles More aggressive, slightly pointed nose ~5.25 m^2 for solar array  | Not enough room for solar, reduction in Cd and FA is minimal. Smaller frontal area = larger protruding canopy = more drag
| 5.5 x 1.29 x 1.13 m Frontal Area 0.96 m^2 | 0.125 | 0.12 | 14.30 |
V17 (Liam) | Rounded top/bottom profiles Less aggressive nose ~5.25 m^2 for solar array Canopy comes to a point at the back instead of an edge  | Still will need more room for solar, was just experimenting with changing the top/bottom profile shape | 5.5 x 1.35 x 1.13 m Frontal Area 1.02 m^2 | 0.117 | 0.119 | 14.32 |
V18 (Liam) | Rounded top/bottom profiles ~5.25 m^2 for solar array Canopy comes to an edge at the back (less flow separation)  | Not achieving significant enough reduction in Cd. Things to try:
| 5.5 x 1.35 x 1.17 m Frontal Area 1.05 m^2 | 0.116 | 0.122 | 14.52 |