Features

Aug 1, 1997

New directions in computational aerodynamics

In their never-ending quest for quieter, leaner and more aerodynamic vehicles, car companies are turning to "virtual-reality wind tunnels". The idea is simple and appealing. Instead of building a test car and measuring its performance in a real wind tunne l - a costly and laborious process - a "virtual car" is generated by computer-aided design and special software then figures out the flow of air over the car in a "virtual wind tunnel". The problem is that the calculations are hard to do and easily go wro ng. However, researchers at Ford have recently found that "lattice-gas" models, originally devised by physicists, are faster and easier than traditional calculations. Gary Strumolo and Viswanathan Babu have already used the models to study the flow of air over America's best-selling car - the Ford Taurus.