[MVRC] Mantium Virtual Racecar Challenge 2016

[variante]

Ok guys, I think it's working. Thank you very, very much.

A couple of notes:
1 - I could not open the command window (Windows PowerShell) with the "shift - right click" trick. So I had to open it manually, and then making it run using Matteo's path, BUT to activate the WFlow program I had to use the command ".\", which was not specified.
2 - Then I switched to what Ric was suggesting about openFOAM and it started to run. The strange thing is that I had to run that "runCase.sh" that is not present in the Car_Monaco_01 folder (it was, however, present in the testcase...so i thought it HAD to be in the new folder as well... Weird)

(I'm writing this in case someone decides to make a guide for noobs like me)

[RicME85]

MantiumWFlow_MVRCed_win.exe should create runCase in the directory.

[LVDH]

It is good that you are helping each other out. The instructions from RicME should work. The only thing that confuses me is that the runCase file is not written for Variante. This could have two reasons. Either there are no permissions to write a file in the specified location or MantiumWFlow aborts for some reason. Please make sure to read what it says.

[LVDH]

Hi guys,
you should all have received an email about the next race. Please complain if not.
The main point is that I included a forum section to the Challenge page. This is to report issues using the software. It will make sure that we can use F1Technical for technical discussions about the cars and aerodynamics. Also after solving an issue it will be easily available to everyone else without having to dig through all of the pages here.

[RicME85]

Have you got a timeframe on when the post processing stuff will be implemented LVDH?
Im having issues with Paraview throwing up errors when trying to do anything with the .foam file. It starts with the issue mentioned by another user a few pages back with the body, wings, etc not visible in the selection on the left panel until after selecting the internal volume and moving the timestamp then for some reason they appear.
I cant get a slice or streamlines to work either. I have always followed the steps that Julien showed in his Khamsin Kart video on Youtube but cant get it to work with the current results in the latest Paraview and get less luck going back to version 3.98.
Anyone else having issues or know how to fix things?

[LVDH]

Hi RicME I have answered your question in the new forum on the Challenge page. I made it for these kind of questions about OF and so on. This way we can discuss things about MVRC and the cars here on F1Technical without getting these CFD and Software questions messing up this thread. Also this way these kind of questions are stored in a better way for the others who might have a similar issue.

[Alonso Fan]

Just started university this week again, therefore I have very little time to work on my car. I will submit a car with an ugly 'hacked on' wing to deal somewhat with my cop issue, not sure why I have so little engine power, but I've adjusted the suspension covers to hopefully allow more air to the cooling ducts, and am currently enlarging the exhaust inlet.

A full car redesign will take place for next season if I have the time.

Hopefully ill be a bit closer to the next car this race

[CAEdevice]

A full car redesign will take place for next season if I have the time.

I am still using the same SolidWorks parametric file from the 2015 KVRC season, I am not sure that a completely new car will be used this year when (if) the cooling inlet/outlet surface would be less rules. My advice is to avoid revolutions and to look for a costant and detailed development, unless you have much time and huge hardware resources to dedicate to MVRC.

[Alonso Fan]

With solid works, its not that hard to make fundamental changes to a car. All it is is editing curves and cross sections. Totally different story in Sketchup. Sometimes its easier starting over than cleaning up and changing a current model.

But I see your point

[LVDH]

As your car's performance and the presentation were quite far apart there is probably no way around a complete redesign. I would however redesign it for the faster tracks that will come after the Nürburgring. My suggestion for a quick fix for the next race would be to have a good look at older KVRC posts. You should be able to find some images of good front wings / diffusers and rear wings. The front and rear wings are responsible for about 65% of the down force. So fixing those two should improve your car drastically. I was always a big fan of JJR's front wing.

[CAEdevice]

Hi, I am sorry to bore you with questions about the rules. I completed my car for the next race (just some small tweaks, I have been quite busy) and I have to decide if designing a new car or not in the next weeks.

My doubts are about the minimum areas for cooling inlets/outlets outlets and for the heat exchanger. I think that they are too big and that once the required flow is obtained and the heat exchanger has a minimum area (smaller then 180000mm2, maybe 100000-120000mm2) realism is assured. Also the minimum distance (1200mm) from inlets to outlets is a bit limiting the design.

With the present rules, my car had about 4m3/s of cooling flow (2x2m3/s): I reduced it a bit gaining a small part of the drag, but I am still over the minimum.

I read about plans to reduce some of the cooling rules before running into the fast tracks: it would be great to have a confirmation about that and more precise details (or, on the contrary, to know if nothing will change).

Honestly I have not many hardware resources available in this period and I have to optimize them

[etsmc]

Just submitted my car for the next race.. not confident on moving up the order unless my cooling issues have been solved.

[LVDH]

Hi Matteo, the cooling inlet and outlet rules will for sure be removed after the high downforce races, so very soon. The minimum size of the heat exchangers will most likely stay. But I will review the flow resistance they create.

Everyone please keep in mind that the virtual stop watch was updated a while ago. In case you missed that here is the link once more:
http://www.competition-car-engineering. ... Timing.htm

[CAEdevice]

Thanks, which is the last high downforce race? Nurburgring or Sepang? Ok for the inlet/outlet areas, but also the heat exchanger area and the distance from inlet to outlet are limiting (es. it is not possible to open the sidepods just rearward the heat exchanger.

I would also measure the flow on the heat exchanger for the same reason: imagine a car with a complicated cooling outlet (it happens in real cars, when there is not a defined outlet cooling duct).

Thanks for the VSW update too.
I was wondering if it would be possible to add to VSW (and to the results table) some interesting data that I think it computes anyway:

- maximum theoretical speed (from max power and cd.A)
- effective max speed in the specific track
- max speed in a specific curve of the track (es. the slower curve)

[LVDH]

Just submitted my car for the next race.. not confident on moving up the order unless my cooling issues have been solved.

Your car is definitely very unique. I wonder what Chris will say to your exhaust arrangement. This time I will get all the renders out very quickly. Lets see if the others have such interesting solutions.