Aerodynamic panels, questions/ideas for improving CD and mpg of 6g Options

[ricochet1490]

unless no plastic covers are creating a parachute effect somewhere.... in which case you maybe also losing acceleration. lets face it, you could lose a 1/2 lb on the car based on whether or not you are wearing jeans or shorts....

Long story short, without wind-tunnel or advanced flow software modeling, it's going to be hard to quantify improvement or problems caused by not having plastic underpanels, and for the purpose of this topic, adding panels to improve (reducing) your coefficient of drag (CD).

The simple F=ma is what you are looking at because the F is actually summation(F), where all of the forces acting on the body, in this case the car, are added up. So if your Fd(force drag) is increased, that means your forward force vector is smaller. With that being smaller, acceleration drops.... but it likely only becomes a problem at highway speeds. 0-45 difference is negligible with or without plastic under covers.....

[199celica]

i know this might be a little off topic of what you guys may be talking about but what about the proper use of a vortex generator i haven't seen one 6gc with one or a weekend warrior track car with a proper vortex generator from what i understand this helps create more downforce on the rear end but gets rid of drag due to air moving around air pushing the car down i'm not sure if im close to the proper theory behind it but i don't know just a thought i had twittling in my mind.

[delusionz]

so in other words, my best run on the day i got 13.26 i may have gotten 13.25?

[ricochet1490]

on the track... yeah... there is more variation in driver input than the plastic underpanels provide. However extended DD work would likely yield results... assuming you keep it out of WOT


What is this vortex generator you speak of?

If it does what I think it does it makes sense. If you could counteract the eddy currents and vortexes caused by the low pressure formed behind the car, you could really increase fuel economy for sure.

Any links?

[199celica]

this is the vortex generator i speak of it directs the current to swirl around the back of the vehicle to push down on the rear of the car if placed property and if faced in the correct direction most people put them on straight it is supposed to go / / / \ \ \ or something of that sort i don't remember correctly it was in my class at UTI haha shows how much i learned but anyways its supposed to cause a swirling effect as a truck bed adds but to push down on the back of the car for added traction and stability.

[ricochet1490]

hmmm....

In other news, yellowchinamans front splitter is done, but I might rob his design #2 because of the 1/2 the drag number AND it still increased downforce....

get it broke and welded out of aluminum... ugh yeah!

[ricochet1490]

front headlamp covers will only increase fuel economy by about 0.2 mpg. this was tested on a Renault LeCar back in the 70s. (Source) If you read the article, they also test the same car with sideskirts, with and without an air dam, as well as adding an air dam on top of another (double air dam lol!). they concluded that a single air dam (4" in height) gained an extra 1.0 mpg and the double air dam an extra 0.8 mpg more. i've created a slideshow for a small presentation i did last year on this same topic if you want to have a read (link - password: 6gc).

just re-read the source in popular mechanics. Very interesting.

Your link to that file is broken though I would be interested in reading your paper on the matter.... fluid mechanics excite me lol

[azian_advanced]

i keep forgetting to send you that file.. i happen to be at work each time i remember.

[azian_advanced]

front headlamp covers will only increase fuel economy by about 0.2 mpg. this was tested on a Renault LeCar back in the 70s. (Source) If you read the article, they also test the same car with sideskirts, with and without an air dam, as well as adding an air dam on top of another (double air dam lol!). they concluded that a single air dam (4" in height) gained an extra 1.0 mpg and the double air dam an extra 0.8 mpg more. i've created a slideshow for a small presentation i did last year on this same topic if you want to have a read (link - password: 6gc).

link fixed

[ricochet1490]

This is what I see on my screen when I click the link from my computer