In the Department Ground Vehicles fundamental and applied research projects are conducted to solve flow problems using both experimental and numerical methods. The investigated topics include the air and water supply systems in airplanes and trains, cooling and injection systems in engines of automobiles as well as the aerodynamics in airplane cabins and passenger compartments of vehicles and trains. To solve these flow problems sophisticated measurement techniques, highly accurate and validated numerical methods and reliable physical models are required. In order to approach industrial problems regarding train aerodynamics, internal flows, ventilation and spray distribution, commercial and in-house DLR methods of „Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)” are available. For investigations of turbulent flows in generic and complex geometries with more fundamental objectives, numerical methods suitable for Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) and LargeEddy Simulations (LES) are used. Additionally, conventional and optical measurement techniques are developed to validate the computed results by determining unsteady and three-dimensional temperature and velocity fields. The application of these sophisticated measurement techniques in several test facilities and in flight tests for the recording of large scale, time-dependent and three-dimensional velocity and temperature fields is another focus of the department.
The department's fields of activity: