Skin friction impacts on fuel consumption. (24th December 2014) - Harun, Zambri
National fuel use in Malaysia is on the rise, so are its subsidies, which take a large chunk of national annual budgets. This study concerns drag reduction efforts, which are related to vehicle efficiencies by way of aerodynamics effects. The study supports the national agenda of reducing fuel use. By using the computational fluid dynamic (CFD) method, we found that the total fuel consumption contributed by the wind resistance with regard to engine thermal efficiency is 14.22% and the skin friction has minimal impact on the fuel consumption. We also found a certain boundary layer that develops over the complex surface of the car. This study benefits the local automotive industry by way of sharing the information of aerodynamic effects of a sport car.