Aerodynamics at the Service
With over 40 years of experience, Dallara’s aerodynamics department has carried out research and testing on all vehicle types, gaining technical experience and service capacities unique even at the world level.
The department’s real strength lies in its people: a team of over 100 specialized professionals, including experts in experimental and product development, CFD methodology, designers, modelers and operational technicians.
Development phases
The department incorporates all phases of aerodynamic development internally, with cutting-edge infrastructure. This choice responds not only to operational efficiency requirements, but embodies our vision of technical excellence by applying a peerless database of technical solutions, with total control over the quality and speed of execution, all with the maximum confidentiality guaranteed.
Compute cluster
Wind tunnel
Rapid prototyping systems
Modeling and dedicated offices
The core nature of aerodynamics in motorsport, like energy efficiency in the automotive sector, makes Dallara the ideal partner for applying the expertise gained through projects in sectors ranging from racing to automotive and beyond.
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) allows for virtual testing which starts off with pure architectural exploration and finishes with the detailed development of the vehicle.
Physics equations combined with High Performance Computing (HPC) are used to analyze the behavior of the aerodynamic flows around the vehicle to precisely predict its performance./p>
Internally developed process automation tools represent the key to extensive and efficient use of numerical simulation on all projects, with constant correlation and integration of new capabilities to ensure their quality and ability to adapt to the specific needs of every customer.
The virtual environment also allows complex studies to be performed, such as analysis of the vehicle in the slipstreaming and overtaking phases, or under conditions of instability (going airborne, spin-outs etc.), further strengthening Dallara’s commitment to the highest levels of safety.
In the virtual context, it becomes possible to perform thermal simulations of components, comfort assessments, aeroacoustic analysis and aerodynamic simulations integrated with other physical ones.
Wind-tunnel testing of scale models
Dallara has an advanced closed-circuit wind tunnel with moving belt for scale models.
This system allows aerodynamic performance to be measured in a completely automated and efficient manner, reproducing various maneuvers through a continuous movement envelope which accurately reproduces the conditions encountered on the road or track.
Specific techniques also allow for additional measurements to be taken inside the flow in order to investigate the field of motion or for correlation studies.
Our internally developed data analysis software is continuously updated in order to ensure the highest level of efficiency and flexibility in real-time data processing, at the same time allowing for a high level of product customization.
Experimental testing on real vehicles
In order to validate and correlate the results obtained through the development tools (CFD and WT), aerodynamic tests are performed on real cars, with testing both on the track and in the full-scale wind tunnel, using specific dedicated instrumentation.
What makes us unique is not our technology, but the expertise of the people who use and develop it every day.
In the last 40 years, everything that moves at high speed in the air has passed by here at some point.
Our Aerodynamic Team
Our team of specialist technicians is organized into three strategic groups (Aerodynamics, Aero Design and Aero Operation), who work in constant synergy:
AERODYNAMICS
Our aerodynamics experts are dedicated to product development (Aero Development) and process development (CFD Methodology for virtual testing and Experimental Aero for physical testing).
Aero Development
This is the group responsible for the aerodynamic performance development of the vehicle and achieving the project targets. The incredible variety of products dealt with, as well as the cross-cutting development approach required today represent the challenge for Dallara’s aerodynamics development.
Cfd Methodology
this is the group responsible for developing the hardware and software for numerical simulation. These specialists keep our calculation tools at the cutting edge at all times, developing proprietary methodologies to optimize the accuracy and efficiency of the virtual simulations.
Experimental aerodynamics
this is the group responsible for aerodynamic measurements, from the development phases in the wind tunnel through to validation on actual cars. The group’s expertise also guarantees the continuous evolutions of the experimental testing methodologies and the reliability of the results.
Aero design
The Aero Design team is made up of specialists who combine in-depth knowledge of CAD tools applied to the range of Dallara products with an equally deep knowledge of the virtual and physical models involved in the aerodynamic development.
The group’s specialization is based on a continuous training pathway focused on learning CAD methods and processes, allowing complex aerodynamic concepts to be transformed into precise and efficient geometries.
Operations
The Operations division manages all the department’s operational activities, in particular rapid prototyping and modeling.
Modeling
a group of expert model builders are responsible for assembling the wind tunnel models, preparing the components for aerodynamic development and thorough dimensional checks using advanced laser measurement techniques.
Rapid prototyping
with a department which has been working in the company for 25 years producing prototype components for the wind tunnel, specialist technicians manage and monitor the production of over ten stereolithography machines 24/7, guaranteeing an exceptional level of flexibility and reactivity to customer requirements.