CFD Investigation of Flap Deflection Angle Effects on the Downforce of a Two-Element FSAE Front Wing

Abstract

Formula SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) vehicles usually operate under low-speed cornering conditions, where the front wing is required to generate stable downforce to improve tire grip and handling performance.This paper investigates the effect of flap deflection angle on the downforce of a simplified two-element FSAE front wing using computational fluid dynamics. The simulations were conducted in STAR-CCM+ at a freestream velocity of 60 km/h with a steady incompressible RANS (Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes) approach with the k-ε turbulence model. The main element angle, slot gap, and overlap were kept constant, while four flap deflection angles of 0°, 20°, 40°, and 60° were analyzed. The results show that the downforce first increases and then decreases as the flap angle rises. The maximum downforce is achieved at 40°, while a further increase to 60° causes significant flow separation on the flap suction surface and reduces the aerodynamic performance. Therefore, the flap angle of a two-element FSAE front wing should be designed to balance downforce generation against stall prevention.