Powering Prediction of an Autonomous Campus Shuttle using CFD

Universities and colleges worldwide are being equipped with campus shuttles due to their large campus size. These generally are 6-to-8-seater vehicles to transport students around the campus. Academic spaces around the world are built as safe places for the academia of the institution. Due to high safety advantages, many universities are considering utilizing autonomous vehicles instead of manual driving. These autonomous vehicles require various LiDAR, Radar, ultrasonic sensors, and cameras to sense their surroundings. These sensors need to be placed externally due to a larger area to detect any incoming dangers. These sensors, due to their placement, may impact the airflow around the vehicle. The present paper discusses the change in flow characteristics of the vehicle, such as pressure, velocity, drag coefficient, and lift coefficient. The vehicle’s drag coefficient is expected to reduce by 2.2%, and the lift coefficient is likely to decline by 23.7% compared to the case without the sensors.