Lai L.

Experience of using a CFD code for estimating the noise generated by gusts along the sun-roof of a car L.S. Lai, G.S. Djambazov, C.-H. Lai, K.A. Pericleous School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences University of Greenwich, UK The problem to be examined in this paper is the fluctuating pressure distribution along the open cavity of the sun-roof at the top of a car compartment due to gusts passing over the sun-roof. The aim of this paper is to investigate the capability of a typical commercial CFD package, PHOENICS, in recognising pressure fluctuation occurring in an important automotive industrial problem. In particular the authors are interested to examine the accuracy of transporting pulsatory gusts travelling along the main flow through the use of finite volume methods with higher order schemes in the numerical solutions of the unsteady Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes equations. Numerical experiments include car configurations and solid blocks cruising at a speed of 25m/s. Various numerical schemes, including Upwind, Central Differencing, Hybrid, QUICK, SMART, and some other higher order methods, are used to provide a better understanding of the various advantages and disadvantages of these schemes.