Mean and fluctuating pressures on an automotive external rear view mirror

The primary function of an automobile rear View Mirror is to provide the driver with a clear vision interpretation of all objects to the rear and side of the vehicle. The rear View Mirror is a bluff body and there are several problems associated with the rear View Mirror. These include buffeting, image distortion (due to aerodynamically induced and structural vibration), aerodynamically induced noise (due to cavities and gaps) and water and dirt accumulation on Mirror glass Surface. Due to excessive glass vibration, the rear View Mirror may not provide a clear image. Thus, vibrations of Mirror can severely impair the driver's vision and safety of the vehicle and its occupants. The rear View Mirrors are generally located close to the A-pillar region on the side window. A conical vortex forms on the side window close to A-pillar due to A-pillar geometry and the presence of side rear View Mirror and flow separation from it makes the airflow even more complex. The primary objective of this work is to study the aerodynamic pressures on Mirror Surface at Various speeds to determine the effects of aerodynamics on to Mirror vibration. Additionally, the Mirror was modified by Shrouding around the external periphery to determine the possibility of minimisation of aerodynamic pressure fluctuations and thereby vibration. The Shrouding length used for the analysis was of 24mm, 34mm and 44mm length. The mean and fluctuating pressures were measured using a production rear side View Mirror fitted to a ¼ quarter production passenger car in RMIT Industrial Wind Tunnel. The tests were also conducted in semi-isolation condition to understand influence of the A-pillar geometry. The mean and fluctuating pressures were converted into non-dimensional pressure coefficients (Cp and Cprms) and the frequency content of the fluctuating pressure was analysed. The results show that the fluctuating aerodynamic pressures are not uniformly distributed over an automobile Mirror Surface. The highest magnitude of fluctuating pressure for the standard Mirror was found at the central bottom part of the Mirror Surface. The highest magnitude of fluctuating pressure for the modified Mirror was found at the central top part of the Mirror Surface. As expected, the modification has significant effect on the magnitude of fluctuating pressure. The results show that an increase of Shrouding length reduces the magnitude of the fluctuating pressure. The frequency-based analysis was done to understand the energy characteristics of the flow, particularly to its phase, since it is the out of phase components that usually cause Mirror rotational vibration. The spectral analysis showed that the magnitude of the energy distribution reduces with increase of shrouding length throughout the frequency range. Flow visualisation was also used to supplement the pressure data. The effects of yaw angles were not included in this study, however, are thought to be worthy of further investigation. On road testing and the variation of mirror locations might have some effects on the fluctuating pressures. These need to be investigated in the future work. The quarter model used in this study was a car specific. However, for more generic results, a simplified model with variable geometry can be used in future study