Transportation

CFD simulation applications for transportation

The transportation sector is usually among the first to spring to mind when thinkink of CFD modeling. And with good reason: the study of the aerodynamic behavior of vehicles, whether in the automotive or aeronautical sectors, is a major focus. However, CFD applications in the transportation sector are not limited to vehicle aerodynamics calculations. Other high-stakes issues can also be addressed through modeling.

CFD simulation and automotive

• Reducing aerodynamic drag: CFD can be used to simulate air flows around vehicles, to identify drag-generating equipment and design choices, and to propose improvements. This translates into lower fuel or electrical energy consumption and improves vehicle efficiency.
• Optimized cooling: Thermal management is essential to avoid overheating critical components, such as motors or batteries in electric vehicles. CFD simulation is used to simulate and optimize air flows through cooling systems to maximize their efficiency while minimizing energy consumption.
• Improved passenger comfort: By simulating air flows in a vehicle’s cabin, as you would in a building, CFD can be used to optimize ventilation and air-conditioning systems to ensure even air distribution, thus enhancing passenger comfort.

CFD and aeronautics, an emblematic duo

The aeronautics industry makes extensive use of CFD simulation to design more efficient and energy-saving aircraft.

• Airfoil and fuselage design: CFD is used to optimize airfoil profiles and fuselage shapes to maximize lift while minimizing drag.
• Simulation of supersonic and hypersonic flight: for military aircraft or supersonic civil aviation projects, CFD simulation enables accurate prediction of shock waves, turbulence or heat generated in these extreme flows.
• Improving propulsion systems: Jet engines and aeronautical propulsion systems benefit greatly from CFD modeling to analyze internal and external flows, with the aim of optimizing fuel consumption and reducing pollutant emissions.

Hydrodynamics for marine transportation

In the marine sector, CFD calculation is a key tool for optimizing the performance of ships and submarines.

• Reducing hydrodynamic drag: As with land and air vehicles, ships and submarines move in a fluid medium: water. CFD simulations can be used to analyze water flows around ship hulls, helping to minimize hydrodynamic drag and reduce fuel consumption.
• Optimization of marine propulsion systems: propellers, turbines and ship propulsion systems are optimized using CFD, whether to improve efficiency or reduce underwater noise and vibration.

Rail transport

Rail transport is another field where CFD simulation brings significant added value.

• Optimizing the aerodynamics of high-speed trains: At high speeds, aerodynamic drag accounts for a significant proportion of energy consumption. CFD can be used to optimize the shape of trains to minimize air resistance, thus increasing energy efficiency while improving overall train performance.
• Tunnel safety: High-speed trains entering or leaving tunnels can generate sudden pressures and shock waves. CFD is used to simulate these phenomena and improve tunnel and train design to minimize these effects, ensuring a safer and more comfortable transport experience.
• Simulation of vehicles circulating in vacuum tubes: Numerous projects involving trains running in tunnels maintained at very low pressure, and propelled by magnetic fields, have long been discussed. The best-known is the Hyperloop project. However, given the technical nature of the infrastructure required, it is very difficult to carry out physical tests with prototypes. CFD simulation makes it possible to study a myriad of scenarios, at a much more reasonable cost and time, and to determine the advantages and limitations of these projects (see Professor Patrick Haas’s excellent lecture on this subject).

Conclusion

CFD simulation is an essential tool in the transportation sector, helping to improve the design, performance, safety and environmental impact of land, sea, rail and air vehicles. Thanks to accurate numerical simulations and advanced models, companies can optimize the performance of transport systems, reduce the operating and development costs of new projects, and meet tomorrow’s environmental and technological challenges.