Jon Brandt | 2025 I.S. Symposium

Name: Jon Brandt
Title: Streamlining Speed: A Mathematical Analysis of the Aerodynamics of Road Vehicles
Major: Mathematics
Advisors: Cynthia Lester; Michael Bush

This project explores the mathematical foundations, derivations, and applications of some of the most important and foundational aerodynamics and fluid dynamics equations relevant to road vehicles. It also examines the historical development and growing relevance of road vehicle aerodynamics, highlighting the main phases of aerodynamic vehicle design as well as the major breakthroughs and advancements that have shaped modern aerodynamic design. It introduces, explains, and derives some of the most significant equations that govern the behavior of airflow over, around, and through road vehicles. Beyond the background and derivation of these equations, this research paper emphasizes the necessary assumptions and simplifications that apply to these equations and their role in the derivations to make the equations easier to solve without the use of computers. This project also explains how these equations model the behavior of air as it flows around road vehicles, and will discuss various methods that take advantage of these effects to increase fuel efficiency, performance, stability, and other attributes.

Posted in Symposium 2025 on May 1, 2025.