Numerical study of aerodynamics for a sport utility vehicle model.

The ability to study a flow field to improve efficiency or performance is one of the leading areas of research for many scientists and engineers in fluid mechanics. Through CFD simulations around a 2D sport utility vehicle model, this research highlights the impact of the airflow around the side contour of the vehicle. Attention is given only to the external design of the car, while the interior is not modeled. The goal is to simulate the air flow around the vehicle and obtain an accurate value of its drag and lift coefficient. The next step would be to make modifications to the vehicle geometry which could improve its lift and drag characteristics making the vehicle handle better at cruise speeds and also improve its fuel efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]