Publication: Computational Analysis of Pitch Sensitivity for a Concept Race Car

Published as SAE Technical Paper 2022-01-5065, this study investigates the aerodynamic behavior of a concept Le Mans Grand Touring Prototype (LMGTP) race car, specifically analyzing pitch sensitivity and its effect on straight-line stability at high speeds. The research was directly tied to my work on FS Team Uttejit, where understanding aerodynamic forces on race cars was critical to competitive performance. CFD simulations were run across varying pitch angles from −1° to +2.5°, generating steady-state pressure contours, velocity contours, and streamlines for each configuration, with lift and drag coefficients calculated using the k-omega turbulence model. Results were validated against Ahmed Body studies from existing literature, achieving an average error deviation of just 1.013%, confirming that lift force at the front axle increases with pitch angle, reducing pitch stability.