Aerodynamic Development of the Rear Wing for a Formula Opel Lotus Racing Car

This thesis investigates the aerodynamic development of a Formula Opel Lotus rear wing through CFD simulations. A low-Reynolds RANS methodology is adopted to improve near-wall flow resolution and enhance the accuracy of the computed results. The study is structured to reproduce a typical industrial aerodynamic development process, covering the main stages of a professional design workflow. First, the rear wing geometry is digitally reconstructed through CAD modelling and integrated into a full-vehicle configuration. An initial baseline assessment is then conducted to characterize the reference setup and to identify the main flow features and performance limitations that guide the subsequent design development. In parallel, a comparative assessment between a wall-modelled and a wall-resolved RANS methodology is carried out, highlighting differences in predicted aerodynamic loads and flow structures, particularly in regions dominated by separation phenomena. The following design phase adopts a multi-condition strategy, targeting both straight-line operation and yawed inflow. This approach delivers a substantial increase in aerodynamic load with respect to the reference specification. The final car configuration achieves a total lift coefficient CL of -2.17, corresponding to a 76.4% improvement relative to the baseline, while resulting in a drag coefficient CD of 0.90. Finally, the improved geometry is further assessed through a dedicated performance evaluation, including a flap angle-of-attack sweep for a more complete aerodynamic characterization, and a simplified lap-time simulation on a reference circuit. Despite the increased drag, the enhanced cornering capability provided by the developed rear wing leads to a lap-time reduction of 0.71 s, confirming the practical performance benefit of the proposed design.