Dynamic Wing

This is the site detailing the development of a variable-pitch/camber wing to use in automotive applications.

Often confused with a spoiler, the wing exerts a downwards force on the rear wheels of a car when at speed due to the same aerodynamic effects as the wing on an aeroplane. In fact, it's almost identical, except upside-down.

At slower speeds, however, the wing has very little useful effect and ends up just being a drag (no pun intended) on the vehicle. So, when not going fast, the wing will be retracted into the car body. At a certain speed, it will rise up. After this, the wing's angle of attack (its pitch) will be changed according to inputs from various sources to provide the optimal aerodynamic effect.

This task presented is twofold:

1. Identify the major factors that influence wing design, how the pitch angle changes the aerodynamic effect and see if other concepts, such as a flexible camber, could help. Ultimately, a model will be developed that links windspeed, camber angle and shape to the downward force exerted.
2. Build a scaled model wing and test it in a wind tunnel to simulate real world use. This will also incorperate an electronic control system that will automatically determine the best settings for the wing at the given speed, as defined by the model.
   

 

Members

 

Robert Garford	Civil	R.Garford@warwick.ac.uk	07752519600
Luciano Romano	Manufacturing	L.Romano@warwick.ac.uk
Jamie Newman	Electronics	J.L.Newman@warwick.ac.uk	07759148924
Jon Buck	Mechanical	J.J.Buck@warwick.ac.uk	07749199902
Richard Brember	Mechanical	R.S.Brember@warwick.ac.uk	07834232474
Ken Lo	Mechanical	C.Y.Lo@warwick.ac.uk	07881921613
Alexander Finch	Electronics	A.Finch@warwick.ac.uk	07854137801