Aerodynamics Seminar # 8 - by Phil Knox

[MetroMPG]

This post was originally written by Phil Knox (aerohead), and it first appeared on the MaxMPG group. Phil has done a lot of work educating the masses about the critical role aerodynamics play in efficiency, and has spurred many in the DIY crowd to take matters into their own hands.

This is the eigth in a series which I'm reproducing here with permission.

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With the results you get from seminar 6&7, you can calculate the horsepower necessary to propel any real or hypothetical vehicle at any speed.

By varying the frontal area, Cd, weight, speed, you can fairly reliably predict on paper what an actual vehicle will do in the real world.

With BRAKE SPECIFIC FUEL CONSUMPTION (BSFC) data, you can predict how much fuel your real or hypothetical vehicle will use. Also,for E.V.ers, the formulas can help predict current draw on batteries and range to discharge limits.

Major mistakes can be made on paper with the estimations and dollars,yen and Euros conserved for real progress.