Characterisation of the wake of the DrivAer estate vehicle

To date, little information has been published on the time-averaged wake of the estate variant of the DrivAer vehicle type. In recent years, this generic automobile geometry has been put forward as a more realistic alternative to investigate vehicle aerodynamics than considerably more idealised geometries, such as the Ahmed body. In this paper, the time-averaged wake is experimentally investigated through wind-tunnel tests. Velocities maps and profiles, drag-force measurements and base pressure distributions are used to characterise and quantify the flow behind and around the vehicle. In particular, the combination of wake-velocity and base-pressure measurements provide insight into the wake behind an estate vehicle. The results indicate the near wake and base-pressure distribution is dominated by up-wash caused by flow exiting the smooth underbody diffuser.