Value proposition development of early stage computational fluid dynamics analysis in automotive product development

Abstract

Concurrent engineering initiatives and the closely related principle of front-loading development processes - identifying and solving problems early rather than waiting for traditional development and test processes to uncover them - have been shown to be highly effective in improving product development performance. This often means shifting to new experimentation technologies that can be used much earlier in the development process than traditional technologies, delivering performance assessments much faster. Thus problems within new design ideas are exposed much sooner, allowing for cost-effective problem solving techniques without having to rewind significant parts of the development process. Front-loading accelerates innovation by permitting new ideas to be tested and refined faster than traditional techniques, allowing them to be incorporated into products without the risks often associated with the use of unproven ideas. Traditional methods might still be needed for fine-tuning a design, but new rapid-feedback technologies have demonstrated their value when used within their limitations. Front-loading has gained acceptance in many vehicle product development organizations, but one field in which it has not yet been introduced for early-stage design assessments and problem solving is air flow analysis. The earliest stages of design for a new vehicle focus largely on the shape and character of the vehicle's surfaces, which in turn have a significant influence on many aspects of the vehicle's performance.

(cont.) Thus the introduction of new experimentation technologies like Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) requires a great deal more consideration due to their impact on these critical early stages of product development, but the value of these methods and changes can be demonstrated. The resulting changes required in the development organization to support these methods - including preservation of important creative processes and a pragmatic view of the complexities of process change - are found to be complex but approachable given suitable motivation, realistic mindset and a holistic view.