Drag Reduction System with Sliding Variable Rear Wing for Enhanced Racing Car Performance

Rear wings, designed to enhance driving performance and cornering stability, need to generate significant downforce at relatively low speeds. However, a large rear wing angle of attack increases aerodynamic drag at high speeds, reducing overall performance and fuel efficiency. To mitigate this, the goal is to decrease the angle of attack at high speeds, thereby reducing both downforce and drag, which in turn lowers fuel consumption. Conversely, at low speeds, such as during cornering, the angle of attack is increased to produce greater downforce and improve driving stability. To achieve both objectives, a DRS (Drag Reduction System) with a variable rear wing will be developed. The rear wing is designed with a two-stage configuration, where the lower stage slides, utilizing the tail section at the rear of the vehicle. Initially, the system's behavior was validated through both CAE analysis and wind tunnel testing, followed by the construction of a full-scale rear wing, which was tested on a Student Formula SAE vehicle to measure downforce. The results indicated that 80 N of downforce could be generated at a low speed of 30 km/h (8.3 m/s) and 145 N at a high speed of 50 km/h (13.9 m/s).