Opel and its active deflector system to reduce fuel consumption

Fuel saving is one of the main challenges when developing more efficient engines or elaborate aerodynamic designs to reduce air resistance and achieve a low drag coefficient.

Leaving aside hybrid cars and pure electric vehicles, “Downsizing” is one of the trends in this area of consumption reduction. Broadly speaking, it consists of small-displacement engines that deliver acceptable performance without affecting power output. The 1.0 EcoBoost engine from Ford is an example of this technology.

However, Opel wants to go further in its models with other added elements that allow a significant reduction in aerodynamic drag through active deflectors, a system that also reduces CO2 emissions.

It was presented at the Aachen Colloquium (Germany), the largest automotive and engine technology congress in Europe.

These active deflectors, placed in the front air intakes, improve energy efficiency by closing when air cooling is not needed. When closed, the deflector system improves aerodynamic performance by redirecting airflow towards the upper part of the bonnet and along the sides.

The deflector closes or opens depending on the speed at which the car is travelling and also on the temperature of the engine coolant. For example, it opens when driving in town or on mountain roads, and on the contrary closes at high speeds, since the engine needs less cooling.

Opel had already fitted the ecoFLEX version of the Astra in 2010 with a partially active aerodynamic deflector. This reduced CO2 emissions to 99 g/km. Other vehicles such as the Insignia and the Zafira also benefited from this technology.

Combining aerodynamic, thermal and electrical factors, the intelligent control allows the upper and lower parts of the grille to open or close together or even independently. All this means that aerodynamic drag is reduced by 10%, lowering fuel consumption by 2% on the NEDC (New European Driving Cycle) or by 5% when driving at 130 km/h.

Although it may seem a simple and logical solution, it is a real headache for engineers developing this front active deflector system, as they have to take many factors into account.

The intention of Opel is to fit its first front active deflector system to a completely new model in a short time.

Source | Opel