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SESSION 7 - Integrating CFD modelling with wind tunnel testing

Ms. Nina Tortosa, Aerodynamicist - Co-author Kenneth Karbon, Staff Engineer, General Motors, NA

SESSION 7 - GM - Aerodynamic Development of the Chevy Volt

This paper will present some of the challenges and successful outcomes of developing the Chevy Volt in the wind tunnel with the help of computational fluid dynamic (CFD), focusing more on the wind tunnel and CFD tools used. The Chevy Volt is an electric vehicle with an extended-range capability. While the Volt's propulsion system doesn't directly affect its aerodynamic efficiency, it does make aerodynamics much more important than in tradition vehicles. Aerodynamic efficiency is the second largest contributor to electric range. Therefore, it was critical to reduce aerodynamic drag as much as possible while maintaining the key styling cues from the original concept car. This presented a number of challenges during the development of the Volt, such as evaluating drag due to wheel design, balancing aerodynamics verses wind noise and cooling flow, and interfacing with other engineering requirements. These issues were resolved by spending hundreds of hours in the wind tunnel and running numerous CFD analyses. The end result is an attractive electric vehicle that, at start of production, will have the lowest coefficient of drag of any other GM vehicle currently on the market.

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sp Nina Tortosa

Ms. Nina Tortosa, Aerodynamicist

 

sp Ken Karbon

Co-author:

Kenneth Karbon, Staff Engineer, General Motors, North America

Nina Tortosa has been an Aerodynamicist at General Motors for the past 10 years. In her current role she is responsible for the aerodynamic development and validation of various GM vehicles. Nina is also cross trained in CFD analysis used in cooling flow development. She has alternated between wind tunnel testing and CFD analysis on various GM products including the Buick Rainier and LaCrosse, Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky, and Chevrolet Volt.

Born in Barcelona and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, she has a bachelor’s and master’s from the University of Minnesota in Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics.

Kenneth Karbon is a Staff Engineer in product development at General Motors North America. He has 20 years of experience in applying CAE solutions to GM’s car and truck designs. In his current role, Ken is responsible for cooling airflow and aerodynamic development of the Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle using CFD. He also leads a technology team which directs GM’s global strategy for aerodynamic simulation, with emphasis on fuel economy and emissions improvement. Prior to his current work, he held positions in FEA, structural analysis, and validation testing.

Ken obtained a BSME from the Ohio State University and a MSME from the University of Michigan, with a focus on fluid mechanics and numerical methods. He is certified in Design for Six Sigma and authored several papers in the fields of aero-acoustics, CFD, and automotive design

 

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