Formula SAE · Finley Bate-Smith

My work on the aerodynamics package for the Q26 Formula SAE car.

Sidepod / Side Diffuser

The team moved the radiator to the rear of the car, cooled by an electric fan instead of air from the sidepod. Freed from its cooling duty, the sidepod could be redesigned purely to generate downforce.

CATIA model of the Q26 sidepod bodywork — Sidepod bodywork modeled in CATIA

The new sidepod, designed in CATIA, is essentially a side diffuser exploiting the ground effect: the curved underside narrows, accelerating the air and dropping its pressure to generate downforce, then expands gradually at the rear to recover pressure without flow separation. Edge plates contain the airflow and reduce vortices by separating the low- and high-pressure air along the sides of the car.

Because this was designed early in the year, the model is fully parametric: variables such as ground clearance and front and rear lengths can be adjusted when integrating with the final chassis. The surface model was verified watertight in ANSA: every edge shared by exactly two surfaces, with no gaps or overlaps.

ANSA watertight check of the sidepod surface model — Watertight check performed in ANSA

Mounting Rib

Swan Neck

Swan necks were designed to mount and support the rear wing. The swan neck design was chosen to keep the wing’s suction side clean. This was designed using SolidWorks, using FEA to confirm the part will be suffice under loads.