Roof Box Shape Streamline Adaptation and the Impact towards Fuel Consumption

Abstract

Abstract. The fuel price hike is currently a sensational national issue in Malaysia. Since the rationalization of fuel subsidies many were affected especially the middle income family. Vehicle aerodynamic were directly related to the fuel consumption, were extra frontal area result a higher drag force hence higher fuel consumption. Roof box were among the largest contributor to the extra drag, thus the roof box shape rationalization were prominent to reduce the extra drag. The idea of adopting water drop shape to the roof box design shows prominent result. The roof box has been simulated using MIRA virtual wind tunnel modelling via commercial computational fluid dynamic (CFD) package. This streamline shape drastically reduce the drag force by 34% resulting to a 1.7% fuel saving compare to the conventional boxy roof box. This is an effort to reduce the carbon foot print for a sustainable green world.

Design and Aerodynamic Characteristics Analysis of an Electric Racecar Body Based on CFD

“…J. 2024, 15,192 3 of 15 bodies due to its low cost, high precision, and the ability to visually represent post-processing effects [12]. The design process of an electric racecar based on CFD is illustrated in Figure 1.…”

“…On the other hand, external forms found in nature, such as dolphins and whales, not only meet aesthetic requirements but also favor aerodynamic efficiency due to their streamlined shapes [13]. Among these, the water drop shape has the lowest drag coefficient known to date [14], a result that is shown in Table 1, which compares the approximate drag coefficients of various shapes [15]. Water-drop-shaped bodies can avoid the problems associated with the first category of bodies, but designing a water drop shape is more challenging.…”