Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 17, 2025
14:57
Structural Design and Manufacturing of a Cruiser Class Solar Vehicle
Published on: January 30, 2019
14.0K
CFD-based aerodynamic optimization of the fairing for a high-speed elevator
Xiawei Shen1,2, Aimin Wang1, Wanbing Liu3
1Huzhou Vocational and Technical College, Huzhou, 313000, China.
Scientific Reports
|July 2, 2025
Summary
Researchers improved high-speed elevator car aerodynamics using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and a novel fairing design. This optimization significantly reduced aerodynamic resistance, enhancing energy efficiency and performance.
Area of Science:
- Engineering
- Aerodynamics
- Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
Background:
- High-speed elevator cars generate significant aerodynamic drag.
- External flow fields impact energy consumption and performance.
- Novel aerodynamic designs are needed to mitigate drag.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze and improve the external aerodynamics of a high-speed elevator car.
- To design and optimize a fairing to reduce aerodynamic resistance.
- To investigate the impact of structural parameters on aerodynamic performance.
Main Methods:
- Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis of external flow fields.
- Parametric optimization combining fairing design and CFD.
- Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline (NURBS) curves for fairing parameterization.
- Latin experimental design and response surface model approximation.
- Multi-island genetic algorithm for global optimization.
Main Results:
- Empirical addition of the fairing reduced aerodynamic resistance by 36.6%.
- Optimized fairing design further reduced aerodynamic resistance by 39.3% compared to the original model.
- Fairing structural parameters significantly influence aerodynamic performance.
Conclusions:
- A designed fairing effectively reduces aerodynamic resistance in high-speed elevator cars.
- Advanced optimization techniques yield substantial improvements in aerodynamic efficiency.
- Aerodynamic considerations are critical for high-speed elevator design.
Related Concept Videos
01:23Lift
248
Lift is a fundamental aerodynamic force that acts perpendicular to the direction of airflow. It plays a central role in achieving and sustaining flight and in stabilizing various vehicles. Lift primarily originates from pressure differences created across surfaces, such as an airfoil. A lower pressure region forms above the wing, while a higher pressure region forms below it, generating an upward force. This differential results from the shape and orientation of the airfoil, enabling the wing...
248
01:17Accelerating Fluids
1.5K
When a fluid is in constant acceleration, the pressure and buoyant force equations are modified. Suppose a beaker is placed in an elevator accelerating upward with a constant acceleration, a. In the beaker, assume there is a thin cylinder of height h with an infinitesimal cross-sectional area, ΔS.
The motion of the liquid within this infinitesimal cylinder is considered to obtain the pressure difference. Three vertical forces act on this liquid:
The motion of the liquid within this infinitesimal cylinder is considered to obtain the pressure difference. Three vertical forces act on this liquid:
1.5K
01:17Dynamics Of Circular Motion: Applications
8.1K
Suppose a car moves on flat ground and turns to the left. The centripetal force causing the car to turn in a circular path is due to friction between the tires and the road. For this, a minimum coefficient of friction is needed, or the car will move in a larger-radius curve and leave the roadway. Let's now consider banked curves, where the slope of the road helps in negotiating the curve. The greater the angle of the curve, the faster one can take the curve. It is common for race tracks for...
8.1K
01:17Bernoulli's Principle: Applications
4.6K
There are many devices and situations in which fluid flows at a constant height and so can be analyzed using Bernoulli's principle. These devices include, but are not limited to, entrainment devices and fluid flow measuring devices.
Entrainment devices use a high fluid speed to create low pressures and, thus, entrain one fluid into another. Some examples of these devices are given below:
Entrainment devices use a high fluid speed to create low pressures and, thus, entrain one fluid into another. Some examples of these devices are given below:
4.6K
01:16Bernoulli's Equation for Flow Normal to a Streamline
952
Bernoulli's equation for flow normal to a streamline explains how pressure varies across curved streamlines due to the outward centrifugal forces induced by the fluid's curvature. The pressure is higher on the inner side of the curve, near the center of curvature, and decreases outward to balance these centrifugal forces.
The pressure difference depends on the fluid's velocity and radius of curvature. The pressure variation is minimal in flows with nearly straight streamlines.
The pressure difference depends on the fluid's velocity and radius of curvature. The pressure variation is minimal in flows with nearly straight streamlines.
952
01:26General External Flow Characteristics
284
The study of external flow is essential for creating structures and objects that interact efficiently and safely with moving fluids, such as air or water. When a body is immersed in a flowing fluid, it experiences two primary forces: drag, which opposes motion along the flow direction, and lift, which acts perpendicular to the flow. The shape, size, and orientation of the object influence these forces.Streamlined and Blunt Bodies in External FlowObjects in fluid flow are classified as...
284