[shoberrysho]

Hi guys,
im a college student and i need some advice on a project which requires me to study the airflow in a regular passenger car cabin. my prof is willing to spend USD30,000 on sensors by dantec which takes down RH,temp and velocity of air. A system will then provide the CFD simulation based on the readings. On top of that, we are purchasing a vehicle to conduct this experiment.

The objective of this experiment is to study the airflow in a car cabin and try as much as possible to segregate the air flow of passengers seated at the back. i.e. provide individual "air space" for passengers.

It is my first time encountering CFD and I was wondering if everything can be simulated on computer, since simulation softwares are so powerful these days.

Please advise and comment!

[Aeronautics El. K.]

I believe that since you already have all this equipment you just need to visualise the airflow in the cabin using smoke perhaps. The problem can indeed be simulated on a computer but I guess it will take much time to mesh such a complex geometry. Moreover, in case you make changes in the cabin you'll need to re-mesh and re-run your simulation. Since you have the sensors and an actual car, it will be easier and more accurate for the given car, to visualise the flow and gather data from the sensors, make changes in the cabin and conduct the experiment again.
I think that the project is rather an experimental one than a computational one but I'm not really sure if I have got it right.

[Totalsim]

That should be doable. The hardest thing will be determining you boundary conditions and generating your mesh. But by the sound of it you will have some good experimental data to set you boundary conditions.

Best of luck with it.

[venkateshaero]

http://www.eresearchsa.edu.au/sites/...rt_2012Cai.pdf

check this .....