Optimized Fairing Development for ElectricMotorcycle Using CFD Simulation and FiniteElement Analysis (FEA)

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29019/enfoqueute.1173

Keywords:

Electric motorcycle, Finite element, Computational fluid dynamics (CFD), Drag coefficient, lift coefficient, structure

Abstract

The growth of urbanization has generated an increase in the use of motorized transport, which has intensified problems such as road congestion, environmental impact and health and safety risks. Currently, the automotive field is responsible for more than 10% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In response to this problem, manufacturers have developed several solutions, with electric vehicles playing the leading role as a sustainable alternative. Electric motorcycles have shown a growth in sales in recent years in Ecuador; however, their growth is limited by factors such as lack of infrastructure and government regulations. Manufacturers focus on aerodynamics as a key aspect to improve efficiency; to optimize their design, tools such as wind tunnels or computational simulations are used, the latter being a more accessible option. This study proposes the design of a fairing for an electric motorcycle using CAD/CAE software, based on the IDes process. Three proposals were developed, evaluating their aerodynamic performance under the conditions of Loja province. The results indicated that design 3 obtained the best performance, with an average drag coefficient of 0.283 and a lift coefficient of -0.273, subjected to different speeds. From the structural point of view, epoxy resin with unidirectional prepreg S-glass fiber was selected for its balance between mechanical properties and cost. The simulation showed a maximum deformation of 0.35339 mm under various stresses. Furthermore, in the modal analysis, at 78.022 Hz, the fairing presented a deformation of 15.788 mm with a maximum amplitude of 6.5 Hz, validating its ability to withstand the dynamic conditions of the motorcycle without compromising its structure.

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Published

2025-07-01

Issue

Vol. 16 No. 3 (2025)

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Miscellaneous

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Copyright (c) 2025 Cristian Martínez Reategui, Rogelio Santiago León Japa, Francisco Jurado Melguizo

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