Aerodynamic Drag

How Aerodynamic Drag affects vehicle performance?

 | 3 minutes read

What is Aerodynamic Drag?

Aerodynamic Drag is a force which the oncoming air applies on a moving body. It is the resistance offered by the air to the movement of the body. So, when a car is moving; it displaces the air. However, it affects the car’s speed and performance. Technically, it is the aerodynamic drag or the friction offered by the air to a vehicle.

Aerodynamic Drag
Aerodynamic Drag

Ideal Drag:

Manufacturers always try to keep the Aerodynamic Drag to the minimum possible. This is because it has a negative effect on the vehicle’s performance and efficiency. The upright stance of some vehicles gives it a drag coefficient of 1.30 while a raindrop design has the least amount of drag.

Nowadays, cars have an average drag coefficient of 0.40 and some car have as low as 0.26. Such vehicles are said to have the best aerodynamic design. Also, the power you need while moving a body through the air goes up with the speed. So, above 60 km/h, you need a lot of power to push the car to overcome the aerodynamic drag.

The reduction in drag can help to decrease the wind/air resistance of a vehicle. Thus, it helps to increase fuel efficiency to some extent. It also improves other performance characteristics os the car such as handling and acceleration. The vehicle’s frontal area and the drag coefficient are the two main factors which have an impact on the overall drag effect.

How to reduce the Aerodynamic Drag?

Firstly, you can lower the drag coefficient by streamlining the exterior body of the vehicle. Streamlining the body requires the use of character lines and precise calculation of the surrounding airspeed. In some high-speed cars, the manufacturers install a rear spoiler onto the boot to reduce the drag to a great extent.

To reduce the aerodynamic drag further, the manufacturers use character lines on the exteriors of the car's body right from its concept stage. These lines help the air to pass smoothly over the body and thus, reducing the air resistance.

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