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

Reply  Post New Thread
 
Submit Tools LinkBack Thread Tools
Old 10-05-2009, 09:30 PM   #1 (permalink)
EcoModding Apprentice
 
JackMcCornack's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Southern Oregon
Posts: 179
Thanks: 5
Thanked 39 Times in 23 Posts
I want to make a portable smoke generator

I like how well smoke trails work for visualizing air flow in wind tunnels. Why not do the same thing on a moving car?

(note: the above is not a rhetorical question--if there's some reason it won't work I'd sure like to hear it)

How do smoke generators generate smoke, exactly? Are they available off the shelf...and if so, where are the shelves? Like most ecomodders I'd be happy to make my own (if I knew how) to save a few bucks, but if they're available from Crazy Eddie's Aerodynamic Emporium, factory seconds for $39.95, I'll just buy one.

The idea is, fix the wand to the car, drive with a chase car alongside, turn on the smoke generator, have a passenger in the chase car take pix and vids, mount the wand somewhere else and repeat as needed. Technical advice/assistance will be greatly appreciated.

__________________
Modding MAX, a Kubota-powered classic sports car
http://www.kineticvehicles.com
  Reply With Quote
Alt Today
Popular topics

Other popular topics in this forum...

   
Old 10-05-2009, 09:36 PM   #2 (permalink)
(:
 
Frank Lee's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: up north
Posts: 12,762

Blue - '93 Ford Tempo
Last 3: 27.29 mpg (US)

F150 - '94 Ford F150 XLT 4x4
90 day: 18.5 mpg (US)

Sport Coupe - '92 Ford Tempo GL
Last 3: 69.62 mpg (US)

ShWing! - '82 honda gold wing Interstate
90 day: 33.65 mpg (US)

Moon Unit - '98 Mercury Sable LX Wagon
90 day: 21.24 mpg (US)
Thanks: 1,585
Thanked 3,555 Times in 2,218 Posts
I think you'd need a guy to run the wand too- move it around like you often seem em do in wind tunnels.
__________________


  Reply With Quote
Old 10-05-2009, 09:47 PM   #3 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Posts: 356

Silver Turtle - '02 Ford Focus Zx3
90 day: 38.83 mpg (US)
Thanks: 4
Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Get a fog machine and a hose running to the front grill of the car poking out a bit... then run it off a 12v dc to ac converter plugged in your cig lighter!

Wow that would be an epic sight to see hahahaha
  Reply With Quote
Old 10-05-2009, 10:02 PM   #4 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 5,927
Thanks: 877
Thanked 2,024 Times in 1,304 Posts
I love the idea, but got a snap vision of the fire truck racing up behind you to save you from incineration .

You may actually br able to get smoke in a bottle, or just light up a big cigar and blow it through a hose (just kidding) .

Maybe tap off the exhaust and use the heat to generate smoke.

regards
Mech
  Reply With Quote
Old 10-05-2009, 10:03 PM   #5 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Phoenix
Posts: 593
Thanks: 106
Thanked 114 Times in 72 Posts
I was thinking about this a while ago, not so much a portable smoke machine for aero while driving, but rather find a windy day and a flat place to park, try to face the wind's general direction to the best of your ability, and then mount your tuft on the end of a wand and try to look for patterns while moving the tuft around from outside the car.

But then I got tired of thinking about that and went back to my usual thinking about burritos, and about the anatomic features of women and so forth
__________________
Work From Home mod has saved more fuel than everything else put together.
  Reply With Quote
Old 10-05-2009, 10:09 PM   #6 (permalink)
Hi-Tech Redneck
 
Johnny Mullet's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Ashtabula, Ohio
Posts: 1,436
Thanks: 6
Thanked 49 Times in 42 Posts
Send a message via AIM to Johnny Mullet Send a message via MSN to Johnny Mullet
All you need to do is follow a Chrysler product and you got yer smoke machine.
__________________

GeoMetroforum.com - got mpg?
  Reply With Quote
The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Johnny Mullet For This Useful Post:
Cd (10-06-2009), CoastRider (10-06-2009), shovel (10-05-2009)
Old 10-05-2009, 10:47 PM   #7 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Maui, Hawaii
Posts: 813
Thanks: 5
Thanked 34 Times in 26 Posts
Spraying mist might be a better idea.
  Reply With Quote
Old 10-06-2009, 12:16 AM   #8 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
metroschultz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Norfolk, Va. USA
Posts: 869

CPT SLO - '93 GEO Metro plainjane
90 day: 53.91 mpg (US)

SilverHairBeauty - '01 Toyota Avalon XL
90 day: 24.06 mpg (US)
Thanks: 14
Thanked 33 Times in 28 Posts
Send a message via AIM to metroschultz
A little oil in the intake will produce a lot of smoke at the tailpipe.
Put the smoke producing car in front of the subject car and watch and learn.
__________________


When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder a second seems like an hour. That's relativity.
Albert Einstein
  Reply With Quote
Old 10-06-2009, 12:55 AM   #9 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
mwebb's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: New York
Posts: 513

no nickname , it's just a car - '04 volkswagen golf tdi
Thanks: 2
Thanked 101 Times in 74 Posts
didja ever drive beside another car in very heavy rain at about 60mph ?
smoke is not required
but you will need a way to record what you see
  Reply With Quote
Old 10-06-2009, 02:14 AM   #10 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: belgium
Posts: 663

vectra a - '95 Opel Vectra GLS
90 day: 37.51 mpg (US)
Thanks: 14
Thanked 61 Times in 44 Posts
it's a little messy but sailplanes sometimes use oil on the wings wich than produces streaks and patters, this will tell them things like flow sepparation etc and the best place to put turbulators. it might not apply to cars because of the different airflow over a car but it's worth a try

__________________
aer·o·dy·nam·ics: the science of passing gass

*i can coast for miles and miles and miles*
  Reply With Quote
Reply  Post New Thread


Thread Tools


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Hydrogen Generator Experiment willy57 DIY / How-to 601 08-23-2016 05:53 AM
Longtime Lurker Looking for Miles ZX40 Electric Micro van mods & information rmay635703 Fossil Fuel Free 49 07-06-2014 10:27 PM
Project! Pedal power bicycle generator, ghetto style MetroMPG Saving@Home 23 09-09-2013 03:28 PM
Can I use a GENERATOR to power an Electric car directly? Nerys Fossil Fuel Free 128 10-01-2012 01:24 AM
Signal Generator dcb OpenGauge / MPGuino FE computer 26 06-27-2008 10:29 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