Characterisation of wake bi-stability for a square-back geometry with rotating wheels

In this paper the effects produced by the wheels on the bi-stable reflectional symmetry breaking (RSB) mode seen for the wake of a square-back geometry (Grandemange et al. [11]) are investigated considering a modified version of the Windsor body already studied in Perry et al. [18]. The contribution of the wheels and their rotation to the changes in the base pressure distribution and the wake topology is characterised by means of pressure tappings and 2D-3C particle image velocimetry. Balance measurements are used to further characterise the changes in the strength of the RSB mode. For the pure square-back configuration, the results show a general increase of the base drag as a consequence of the strengthening of the suction over the lower portion of base, due to the formation of a pair of counter rotating vortices acting close to the bottom trailing edge. At the same time, the RSB mode is weakened, leading to a reduction in the fluctuations recorded for the lateral component of the aerodynamic force. The sensitivity of the RSB mode to small changes in the shape of the model’s trailing edges is characterised by looking at the effects produced by short tapers, with a slant angle of 12° and a chord equal to 4% of the model length, applied to either the horizontal or the vertical trailing edges. The results show that the RSB mode disappears when the effect of the wheels is paired to the upwash generated by the slanted surface (when applied to the bottom trailing edge), although it is still clearly visible when the tapers are applied to the side edges of the base, in contrast with the results reported by Pavia et al. [16] for the same geometry without wheels.