Design of Fairing for Human Powered Vehicles Considering Aerodynamics & Aesthetics

Abstract

The increasing environmental concerns mostly due to the depletion of fossil fuels and a great deal of airborne pollution have been the prime topics of interest for the researchers. This has led to the development of new transportation alternatives which are in line with the "Go Green" manifesto. One such development is the concept of human powered vehicles (HPVs), transportation machines that use human power as the source of its energy for locomotion. Further development has led to inclusion of ergonomics and aesthetics into their design, which aim at higher value and efficiency. Aerodynamic drag is a major element of obstruction in the efficiency of these vehicles which mostly run by pedalling. The major area of research in this present work will therefore be the optimised design of the fairing, an element of the HPV that contributes heavily to its aerodynamics since it determines the exterior shape of the vehicle. Taking vehicle performance as the major topic of concern, aerodynamic aspects can sometimes turn out to be a greater deciding factor than the mechanical aspects of an HPV because of the immense magnitude of drag experienced by a moving vehicle. This drag reduces the motion to the power transferred ratio, which in turn indicates a drop in efficiency. This raises the requirement of a study which is specially focussed on the aerodynamics of such a vehicle. This would help enhance the comfort for the driver and also aid in pulling up the efficiency of the vehicle. Fairing being the external cover also plays a pivotal role in enhancing its aesthetics. The study conducted was used for fabrication of the vehicles presented in the Human Powered Vehicle Challenge India'14 (HPVC) organised at New Delhi and later the results obtained from the competition were used for the new vehicle, which participated in HPVC East’14 organised at University of Central Florida, USA.