Front Wheel Induced Self-Contamination

Purpose and goal

The aim and objective of the project were to understand, through measurements and calculations, how water is released from the front wheels of a vehicle (car or truck) when driving on wet roads. This understanding was then used to develop a methodology for calculating the optimal placement of sensors. Within the project, necessary measurements and calculations have been carried out to generate these boundary conditions, allowing for calculations to be performed in early project phases, before any vehicle prototypes are available.

Expected results and effects

Several methods for simulating multiphase flows were evaluated in the project, and the method that was chosen was Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH), which proved to have reasonable computational cost and accuracy. From the simulations, droplet size, velocity, and distribution were evaluated, and they matched well with measurements. These data were then used to create boundary conditions for water release from the front wheels, which in turn allows for early calculations in vehicle projects to ensure that sensors are placed in optimal positions.

Planned approach and implementation

The project started with an extensive literature review to understand the current state of the art in the field, as well as to identify the numerical methods most suitable for the simulations required in the project. The numerical calculations were carried out by a Post-Doc from Linköping University, in collaboration primarily with Volvo Cars, Chalmers, Scania, and CEVT. Experimental work was conducted throughout the project, involving RiSE, Vidix, Post-Doc, Volvo Cars, CEVT, and Scania. Regular meetings were held throughout the project to discuss methods and results.