Valutazione della resistenza aerodinamica di un veicolo all'implementazione di diverse configurazioni geometriche del sistema air curtain = Assessment of the aerodynamic drag of a vehicle by implementing different geometric configurations of the air curtain system

The development of modern CFD simulation codes has had a significant impact on reducing costs for testing and modeling. In addition, the use of software allows unlimited and relatively short time changes to any component or part of a vehicle model to meet the requirements and constraints imposed by the manufacturer and the needs of buyers. During this thesis we will focus on the modeling and optimization of the geometry of the air curtain system on Alfa Romeo Tonale 965 using the modeling software Ansa Beta Cae and the fluid dynamics simulation code Star-CCM+. The air curtain is an innovative technology used in several modern cars to ensure improved aerodynamic efficiency: this channeling system is a technology mainly adopted on sports class cars with the aim of reducing aerodynamic drag, but it is also adopted on cars sold to the public, achieving significant benefits in terms of consumption and emissions. The objective of this activity is to find some significant parameters and configurations of such system that will allow to improve the aerodynamic efficiency compared to the model currently on the market. After a brief introduction on the historical evolution of car aerodynamics, the physical principles and techniques used for determining the final product will be described, paying particular attention to the distinction between modern calculation codes used in CFD and wind tunnel testing. The sensitivity phase on the air curtain system will be described next, with the definition of the parameters useful for determining a configuration that guarantees an improvement in the aerodynamic coefficient (Cx) associated with the definition of aerodynamic drag.