Go Back   EcoModder Forum > EcoModding > Aerodynamics
Register Now
 Register Now
 

Reply  Post New Thread
 
Submit Tools LinkBack Thread Tools
Old 12-14-2007, 03:19 PM   #11 (permalink)
nut
 
Coyote X's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Southen West Virginia
Posts: 654

Metro XFi - '93 Geo Metro XFi Convertible
90 day: 62.17 mpg (US)

DR650SE - '07 Suzuki DR650SE
90 day: 55.26 mpg (US)
Thanks: 0
Thanked 37 Times in 26 Posts
Send a message via MSN to Coyote X
After you swap out to LED park lights if you want to reduce the headlight load you can wire up some relays to switch them to series load instead of parallel. That will make them dimmer but not really dark. It will cut the load in half though

The other thing would be using some relays to switch them out you can add several silicon diodes in line. You get a .7V drop across a diode so add 5 of them in series will drop you 3.5V. Just make sure to pick big enough diodes to handle the load.

__________________


  Reply With Quote
Alt Today
Popular topics

Other popular topics in this forum...

   
Old 12-14-2007, 03:20 PM   #12 (permalink)
Batman Junior
 
MetroMPG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 22,513

Blackfly - '98 Geo Metro
Team Metro
Last 3: 70.09 mpg (US)

MPGiata - '90 Mazda Miata
90 day: 52.71 mpg (US)

Even Fancier Metro - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage top spec
90 day: 70.75 mpg (US)

Appliance car - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage ES (base)
90 day: 60.16 mpg (US)
Thanks: 4,058
Thanked 6,957 Times in 3,602 Posts
I've heard of an instance where a university team solar car was forced off the road due to rubbernecking. Ended up catching a culvert and flipping the solar car. Fortunately nobody was hurt.

EDIT: the comparison of your Civic to a solar car (in terms of aero optimization) isn't that much of a stretch either either.
__________________
Project MPGiata! Mods for getting 50+ MPG from a 1990 Miata
Honda mods: Ecomodding my $800 Honda Fit 5-speed beater
Mitsu mods: 70 MPG in my ecomodded, dirt cheap, 3-cylinder Mirage.
Ecodriving test: Manual vs. automatic transmission MPG showdown



EcoModder
has launched a forum for the efficient new Mitsubishi Mirage
www.MetroMPG.com - fuel efficiency info for Geo Metro owners
www.ForkenSwift.com - electric car conversion on a beer budget
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-14-2007, 04:31 PM   #13 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
Peakster's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Regina SK Canada
Posts: 407

Red Jeep Patriot - '07 Jeep Patriot
90 day: 25.14 mpg (US)

Beige Ford Ranger - '95 Ford Ranger XLE
Thanks: 0
Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Whatever happened to your additional 'wind screen' :

Click image for larger version

Name:	aero20.jpg
Views:	856
Size:	87.8 KB
ID:	40
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-14-2007, 04:33 PM   #14 (permalink)
Dartmouth 2010
 
SVOboy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Hanover, NH
Posts: 6,447

Vegan Powa! - '91 Honda CRX DX
Team Honda
90 day: 66.52 mpg (US)
Thanks: 92
Thanked 122 Times in 90 Posts
Send a message via AIM to SVOboy Send a message via MSN to SVOboy Send a message via Yahoo to SVOboy
Rain?
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-14-2007, 04:41 PM   #15 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
Peakster's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Regina SK Canada
Posts: 407

Red Jeep Patriot - '07 Jeep Patriot
90 day: 25.14 mpg (US)

Beige Ford Ranger - '95 Ford Ranger XLE
Thanks: 0
Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by SVOboy View Post
Rain?
Mmm. I don't think so. Not according to this previous post by basjoos:

Quote:
The second windshield added about 4mph to my terminal velocity on the "calibrated" downhills on my drive. I drove through some light rain and didn't even notice it on the vinyl other than the occasional drop running back along the vinyl. Most of th rain (and bugs) follows the smooth airflow over the vehicle. And best of all, no evidence of the "A" pillar vortex based on the behavior of the water droplets on the front side windows.
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-16-2007, 07:44 PM   #16 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
basjoos's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Upstate SC
Posts: 1,088

Aerocivic - '92 Honda Civic CX
Last 3: 70.54 mpg (US)

AerocivicLB - '92 Honda Civic CX
Team Honda
90 day: 55.14 mpg (US)

Camryglide - '20 Toyota Camry hybrid LE
90 day: 62.77 mpg (US)
Thanks: 16
Thanked 676 Times in 302 Posts
Coyote X, good idea about using series connecting the headlights and also using doides to customize the voltage drop.

The aero benefits of the "second windshield" (by eliminating the "A" pillar vortex and smoothing the airflow over the front of the car) were undeniable, but I had some operational problems with it when operating in cold rainy weather. I'm in the process of replacing the clear vinyl on the "windscreen" with Lexan. The vinyl was clear enough when looked at straight through (90 degrees), but was hazy when viewed through at an angle (30 degrees) as it is near the bottom of the windscreen. It also had a tendancy to overwealm the Fog-X and fog up on the inner surface when driving in cold, wet conditions. The Lexan should take care of the low angle visibility problem and I need to get a good watertight seal along the front and sides of the "windshield" so water can't find its way onto the hot hood and end up condensing on the cold inner surfaces of the "windshield". Also considering adding a windshield wiper to the "windshield" to placate any cops that might freak out at a car driving in the rain without wipers, even if I don't really need them.
__________________
aerocivic.com
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-16-2007, 09:28 PM   #17 (permalink)
EcoModding Apprentice
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 152

The Mighty Mira - '92 Daihatsu Mira
90 day: 61.32 mpg (US)
Thanks: 0
Thanked 7 Times in 7 Posts
Basjoos, you might want to stick a sock full of crystalline kitty litter (it's silica gel, the cheapest source you can find) somewhere in that space to get rid of any lingering moisture that finds its way in there.
__________________
"Every body perseveres in its state of being at rest or of moving uniformly straight forward, except insofar as it is compelled to change its state by force impressed." - Isaac Newton
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-26-2007, 07:20 AM   #18 (permalink)
EcoModding Lurker
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Richmond, VA
Posts: 1
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I read this and was so impressed I had to write about it on my blog.

You can read my thoughts at http://www.energyrefuge.com/blog/caf...-be-that-hard/
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-27-2007, 07:26 PM   #19 (permalink)
EcoModding Lurker
 
Darxus's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: NH, USA
Posts: 19
Thanks: 0
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
Nice.

I was recently thinking about wheel spoilers and I thought of something I think is relevant.

Your front wheel spoiler mostly pushes air down, where it will end up hitting the tire (or ground) still anyway. I believe that won't help you any, and that it would be more efficient to just push the air directly to both sides of the wheel. Possibly more to the outside of the car than under the car due to the rest of your aerodynamics. So you would have a wedge where the leading edge is a vertical line.

And I would expect you to benefit from putting another set of spoilers behind the rear wheels (working well with your dual layer side skirts).

Of course I have no idea if these would give you enough benefit to be worth you doing.
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-27-2007, 07:33 PM   #20 (permalink)
Batman Junior
 
MetroMPG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 22,513

Blackfly - '98 Geo Metro
Team Metro
Last 3: 70.09 mpg (US)

MPGiata - '90 Mazda Miata
90 day: 52.71 mpg (US)

Even Fancier Metro - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage top spec
90 day: 70.75 mpg (US)

Appliance car - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage ES (base)
90 day: 60.16 mpg (US)
Thanks: 4,058
Thanked 6,957 Times in 3,602 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by Darxus View Post
And I would expect you to benefit from putting another set of spoilers behind the rear wheels (working well with your dual layer side skirts).
That's a good observation for behind the rear tires. But do you mean to add a "boat tail" rather than "spoiler"?

You'll see wheels/tires effectively boat tailed on this car:
http://www.design-classic-cars.de/auto-union/stuck1.jpg

__________________
Project MPGiata! Mods for getting 50+ MPG from a 1990 Miata
Honda mods: Ecomodding my $800 Honda Fit 5-speed beater
Mitsu mods: 70 MPG in my ecomodded, dirt cheap, 3-cylinder Mirage.
Ecodriving test: Manual vs. automatic transmission MPG showdown



EcoModder
has launched a forum for the efficient new Mitsubishi Mirage
www.MetroMPG.com - fuel efficiency info for Geo Metro owners
www.ForkenSwift.com - electric car conversion on a beer budget
  Reply With Quote
Reply  Post New Thread


Thread Tools


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
aero mods-data-% change or Cd change ( installment # 7-Wheels/Tires/Wheelcovers/etc. aerohead Aerodynamics 5 06-04-2014 12:14 PM
[aero-mods(aft-body streamlining/boat-tails)Part-3 History/Timeline cont'd aerohead Aerodynamics 10 08-13-2010 12:50 AM
mods-data-% change or Cd change( installment#5-roofline data) aerohead Aerodynamics 3 09-26-2009 02:01 PM
Build Thread Key Postings Index Experiment. TestDrive Forum News & Feedback 7 02-15-2009 08:53 PM
Drafting and Cd reduction basjoos Aerodynamics 5 12-06-2008 10:45 PM



Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.5.2
All content copyright EcoModder.com