Development of computational fluid dynamics has now reached a state of maturity, which enables it to stimulate the flow of past practical car design configurations. It can thus play a very useful role in car design and development. CFD codes can be used to determine different loads on car and thus provide necessary input for the structural design. They can also be used to study and optimize the flow patterns and thus help to design car in efficient shape. CFD has emerged as an additional basic CAE tool which addresses all the issues related to automobile. CFD can simulate accurate full scale flows to achieve geometric and dynamic similarity. It can more or less complement wind tunnel testing. Subsequently, predictions of relevant variables, pressure distribution, Reynold’s stress, temperature gradients, velocity vectors etc. can be done to arrive at optimum designs. Thus the weight of systems can be optimized, efficiency of engine can be improved by streamlining flows and drag can be reduced by designing an optimum profile. CFD capability provides us the means of modeling various critical flows. Simulation of fluid flow on a computer means solving series of well-known equations that are used to compute at any specific point near the object, the pressure and velocity of fluid flowing around that object.Keywords: CFD, grid generation, finite difference method, finite element method, finite volume method, discretizationPrashant Sudhiranjan Rade. Applications of CFD in Car Design. Recent Trends in Fluid Mechanics. 2015; 1(3): 6–10p.
