Aerodynamic Interaction of Minivan Vehicles During an Overtaking Maneuver

The minivan has the largest usable volume compared to other passenger car body layouts with the same dimensions. Therefore, it is most advisable to use it in commercial transportation. At the same time, they have the largest lateral surface area, so they experience the greatest wind loads. In the modern era, vehicles are focused on automation to make driving a comfortable experience for the driver. The most important task is control during various maneuvers. Aerodynamic forces significantly affect vehicle control during maneuvers. They must be taken into account when self-driving. The overtaking maneuver of one vehicle by another is a complex, non-stationary process in which complex transient aerodynamic forces arise. The close proximity of two vehicles is characterized by the mutual influence of the aerodynamic structures generated by the vehicles. Improving methods for mathematical modeling of the aerodynamic characteristics of minivan-type vehicles is an actual task and determines the direction of research. The problem of numerical modeling of air flow around vehicles is formulated. A numerical experiment technique has been developed for modeling external flows around vehicles in a non-stationary setting. A study of the flow around vehicles during overtaking made it possible to calculate aerodynamic forces. The dependences of aerodynamic forces on the relative position of vehicles have been established. The lateral aerodynamic forces acting on cars during overtaking are of the same order as the aerodynamic drag forces. These forces must be taken into account in automatic vehicle control systems.