Evaluation of adjoint-based optimization methods for racecar aerodynamic design

The aim of this thesis is to assess the effectiveness and practical applicability of adjoint-based optimization methods in the aerodynamic design and development of a racing car, considering the limitations of their current implementation in commercial software. STAR-CCM+ is employed as the primary computational tool. The investigation is conducted in two stages: initially, the method is applied to a simplified geometry that captures the key aerodynamic features of competition vehicles, in order to evaluate its potential and limitations; subsequently, the adjoint approach is applied to a complete model of a racing car, specifically the SGe-05 of the Race UP Team of the University of Padova, to explore its performance in a realistic, high-complexity design scenario.