The dynamics of a 3D bimodal turbulent wake downstream a square-back Ahmed body are experimentally studied in a wind-tunnel through high-frequency wall pressure probes mapping the rear of the model and a horizontal 2D velocity field. The barycenters of the pressure distribution over the rear part of the model and the intensity recirculation are found highly correlated. Both described the most energetic large-scale structures dynamics, confirming the relation between the large-scale recirculation bubble and its wall pressure foot-print. Focusing on the pressure, its barycenter trajectory has a stochastic behavior but its low frequencies dynamics exhibit the same characteristics as a weak strange chaotic attractor system, with two well defined attractors. The low frequencies dynamics associated to the large-scale structures are then analyzed. The largest Lyapunov exponent is first estimated, leading to a low positive value characteristic of strange attractors and weak chaotic systems. Afterwards, analyzing the autocorrelation function of the time-series, we compute the correlation dimension, larger than two. The signal is finally transformed and analyzed as a telegraph signal showing that its dynamics correspond to a quasi-random telegraph signal. This is the first demonstration that the low frequencies dynamics of a turbulent 3D wake are not a purely stochastic process but rather a weak chaotic process exhibiting strange attractors. From the flowcontrol point of view, it also opens the path to more simple closed-loop flow control strategies aiming at the stabilization of the wake and the control of the dynamics of the wake barycenter.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present numerical investigations of the flow dynamic characteristics of a 47° Ahmed Body to identify wake flow control strategy leading to drag coefficient reduction, which could be tested later on sport utility vehicles. Design/methodology/approach This study begins with a mean flow topology description owing to dynamic and spectral analysis of the aerodynamic tensor. Then, the sparse promoting dynamic modal decomposition method is discussed and compared to other modal approaches. This method is then applied on the wall and wake pressure to determine frequencies of the highest energy pressure modes and their transfers to other frequency modes. This analysis is then used to design appropriated feedback flow control strategies. Findings This dynamic modal decomposition highlights a reduced number of modes at low frequency which drive the flow dynamics. The authors especially notice that the pressure mode at a Strouhal number of 0.22, based on the width between feet, induces aerodynamic losses close to the rear end. Strategy of the proposed control loop enables to dampen the energy of this mode, but it has been transferred to lower frequency mode outside of the selected region of interest. Originality/value This analysis and methodology of feedback control shows potential drag reduction with appropriated modal energy transfer management.

In this study we focus on the control of the dynamics of 3D turbulent wake downstream a square-back Ahmed body (Re H = 3.9 × 10 5 ). The peculiar dynamics of such a wake are first characterized through the trajectories of the pressure barycenter over the rear part of the model as well as the recirculation barycenter in the wake. In particular it is shown that these dynamics allow the definition of three different states: the two so-called reflectional symmetry-breaking (RSB) modes and the transient symmetric (TS) mode. It was shown recently that the time-fluctuations of the pressure barycenter could be characterized as a weak chaotic system with a well-defined attractor (Varon et al, 2017). We show that the dynamics of the bimodal wake can then be forced into a stable asymmetric or symmetric state in open loop control, using tangential continuous or pulsed blowing in three different regions along the upper edge of the rear part of the model. Finally, a simple closed-loop opposition control, based on real-time identification of the wake barycenter in the PIV fields, is used to force the chaotic dynamics of the wake into a regular oscillatory motion at a well-controlled frequency. Depending on the actuation parameters, the wake dynamics can also be switched from bimodal to a new multimodal behavior. We show that this new mode also exhibits a peculiar dynamics with an up-down instead of left-right chaotic oscillations. Interestingly, the recirculation area (size of the recirculation bubble) is much

The research on the external aerodynamics of ground vehicles can nowadays be related to sustainable development strategies, confirmed by the worldwide CO2 regulation target. Automotive manufacturers estimate that a drag reduction of 30% contributes to 10g/km of CO2 reduction. However, this drag reduction should be obtained without constraints on the design, the safety, comfort and habitability of the passengers. Thus, it is interesting to find flow control solutions, which will remove or remote recirculation zones due to separation edges with appropriate control techniques. In automotive sales, the SUV, 4x4 and compact cars represent a large part of the market share and the study of control approaches for this geometry is practically useful. In this work, appropriate control techniques are designed to decrease the drag forces around a reduced scale SUV car benchmark called POSUV. The control techniques are based on the DMD (Dynamic Mode Decomposition) algorithms generating an optimized drag reduction procedure. It involves independent transient inflow boundary conditions for flow control actuation in the vicinity of the separation zones and time resolved pressure sensor output signals on the rear end surface of the mockup. This study, that exploits dominant flow features behind the tailgate and the rear bumper, is performed using Large Eddy Simulations on a sufficient run time scale, in order to minimize a cost function dealing with the time and space average pressure coefficient. The resulting dynamic modal decomposition obtained by these LES simulations and by wind tunnel measurements has been compared for the reference case, in order to select the most appropriate run time scale. Analysis of the numerical results shows a significant pressure increase on the tailgate, for independent flow control frequencies. Similar decomposition performed in the wake with and without numerical flow control help understanding the flow modifications in the detachment zones.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study pressure measurement correlations, as the location of the pressure sensors should enable to capture variation of the drag force depending on the yaw angle and some geometrical modifications. Design/methodology/approach The present aerodynamical study, performed on a reduced scale mock-up representing a sport utility vehicle, involves both numerical and experimental investigations. Experiments performed in a wind tunnel facility deal with drag and pressure measurements related to the side wind variation. The pressure sensor locations are deduced from wall streamlines computed from large eddy simulation results on the external surfaces of the mock-up. Findings After validation of the drag coefficient (Cd) values computed with an aerodynamic balance, measurements should only imply pressure tap mounted on the vehicle to perform real driving emission (RDE) tests. Originality/value Relation presented in this paper between pressure coefficients measured on a side sensor and the drag coefficient data must enable to better quantify the drag force contribution of a ground vehicle in RDE tests.