STUDY ON THE INFLUENCE OF THE REAR DIFFUSER ON SUVs' AERODYNAMIC CHARACTERISTICS

Abstract

The rear diffuser is one of the devices that alters the airflow speed beneath
the vehicle, simultaneously affecting the aerodynamic characteristics of an
automobile. This paper presents a numerical simulation study on the effects of the
rear diffuser on an SUV's aerodynamics. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
software is implemented to simulate the aerodynamic characteristics with and
without the rear diffuser installed. The results are presented through images and
calculated drag coefficients and lift coefficients. For the case without the rear
diffuser, the coefficients are Cd1 = 0.447 and Cl1 = 0.107, while with the rear
diffuser, the values are Cd2 = 0.473 and Cl2 = -0.181. The SUV equipped with the
rear diffuser demonstrates better road grip and stability than the one without the
rear diffuser. This study contributes to a deeper comprehension of the rear
diffuser's impact on the SUV's aerodynamic characteristics and serves as a basis for
improving the design of the rear diffuser.