Front Wing
Owen McDade
Project Timeline
Feb 2025 - Current
OVERVIEW
What? Designed, tested, and manufactured an aerodynamic front wing. Validated performance through CFD, tuft testing, and wind tunnel. How? Ran 100+ CFD simulations in Ansys Fluent, created custom airfoils to reduce drag on the main element, developed horizontal airfoils to improve full car downforce, and added loft to the main element to improve airflow to the undertray and the rest of the car's performance. Results? Improved front wing downforce by 15% and undertray performance by 3%, 95% CFD–wind tunnel correlation, and decreased manufacturing time by 20%.
HighlightS
- Achieved 15% increase in front wing performance and 3% rest of the car performance with a 3-element front wing.
- Delivered 20% decrease in manufacturing time and 40% increase in drive time through front wing design that simplified the manufacturing process, utilizing DFMA and GD&T.
- Reduced mass by 12% and, halved setup time, and increased serviceability of front wing mounting structure by using ANSYS Mechanical FEA modeling and physical testing.
- Qualified ANSYS Fluent CFD through wind tunnel testing and pressure rakes to ensure performance of aerodynamic package and accuracy of simulation methodology.
- Integrated front wing design and mounting with a variety of sub teams to allow for reliable operation of the car with tailored experience for drivers, as a result Improving individual driver lap times by 3%.
SKILLS
SolidWorksDFMCFDComposite Manufacturing
ADDITIONAL CONTENTS
Owen McDade
Aerospace Engineer & FSAE Designer
I'm a student at the University of Washington studying aeronautics and astronautics engineering with hands-on experience designing and manufacturing high-performance structures and aerodynamic parts for the Formula SAE competition as a member of the University of Washington FSAE team. Proficient in SolidWorks, ANSYS CFD/FEA, DFM, GD&T, structural testing, and composite manufacturing processes. I've designed the front impact structure, reducing mass by 52% while maintaining impact and energy absorption. I have also designed the front wing and mounting structures, improving front wing performance by 15% and downstream performance by 3%, done so with a reduction in front wing mass by 5% and mounting structure mass by 10% while improving structural performance under high load.
I'm a student at the University of Washington studying aeronautics and astronautics engineering with hands-on experience designing and manufacturing high-performance structures and aerodynamic parts for the Formula SAE competition as a member of the University of Washington FSAE team. Proficient in SolidWorks, ANSYS CFD/FEA, DFM, GD&T, structural testing, and composite manufacturing processes. I've designed the front impact structure, reducing mass by 52% while maintaining impact and energy absorption. I have also designed the front wing and mounting structures, improving front wing performance by 15% and downstream performance by 3%, done so with a reduction in front wing mass by 5% and mounting structure mass by 10% while improving structural performance under high load.