Kansei engineering-based multidisciplinary integration of aesthetic preference and aerodynamic performance for Y-shaped wheel spokes

Abstract Traditional wheel styling design faces a major technical challenge, particularly the difficulty of simultaneously optimizing aesthetics and aerodynamic performance. This study proposes a multidisciplinary fusion optimization strategy that integrates Kansei engineering with parametric aerodynamic design. A parametric characteristic-curve model for Y-shaped spokes is constructed, and triangular fuzzy numbers are combined with a logistic regression algorithm to establish a quantitative mapping between users’ perceptual preferences and styling parameters. This approach addresses the limitations of traditional design methods that rely on empirical parameter tuning. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation scheme is validated using a DrivAer notchback model. The results show that spoke offset distance suppresses the formation of wheel-shoulder separation vortices, whereas the spoke node position and bifurcation angle improve airflow permeability in the wheel cavity and weaken large-scale vortex structures. The optimization results demonstrate that the optimal solution for achieving an integrated balance of styling aesthetics, aerodynamic performance, and thermal efficiency is achieved with a 2.86% reduction in aerodynamic drag coefficient and a 5% decrease in maximum brake disc temperature, while maintaining high user aesthetic satisfaction levels. By establishing a Kansei-driven and parametrically decomposed interdisciplinary wheel optimization framework, this study enables the coordinated improvement of styling design and brake-disc thermal management and provides a useful reference for related research and product development.