Design and manufacture of an automotive diffuser

Abstract

A method for the design and manufacturing of an automotive diffuser is outlined. A reverse engineering process is followed to reconstruct the CAD model of a Chevrolet Corvette C6 rear fender. The CAD model is re-designed and subjected to several CAE analyses including structural behaviour and CFD. A suitable OOA manufacturing process is described in order to fabricate the component with the introduction of composite materials in the form of prepregs. A final cost budget is estimated for the production process and the possible infrastructure which is required. The re-design diffuser shows to be beneficial for the vehicle from a structural and aerodynamical perspective.