CFD-based aerodynamic optimization of the fairing for a high-speed elevator

This paper presents a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of the external flow field of a high-speed elevator car. A fairing with a varying cross-section is designed to improve the aerodynamics of the high-speed elevator car. An optimization study of the fairing is performed by combining the parametric optimization method and CFD. The cross-section of the fairing is parameterized by NURBS curves; then, the Latin experimental design method is used to generate test sample points, a mathematical model is formulated utilizing the response surface model approximation, and global optimization is conducted through the application of a multi-island genetic algorithm. The results show that by empirically adding the fairing, the aerodynamic resistance of the high-speed elevator car can be significantly reduced by 36.6% compared to that of the original model; moreover, by optimizing the designed fairing through modern optimization methods, the aerodynamic resistance of the high-speed elevator car can be further reduced by 39.3% compared to that of the original model. The structural parameters of the fairing have a significant impact on the aerodynamic performance of the high-speed elevator.