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Old 03-01-2008, 12:21 PM   #7 (permalink)
MetroMPG
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The meat of the matter...

Getting to the meat, now.

The aero cap construction differs from the style Phil Knox and Brett Herndon produced for their trucks. Where they set up either a continuous straight line, or gentle arc from the top of the cab to tailgate level, the report author used a "compound" design to maximize storage space under the cap:

From Construction of Test Apparatus - Miscellaneous (p.11)

Quote:
Two main alternative cap profiles were established.

Design #1 is a design with two main angles, alpha & beta: alpha remains constant at 15 degrees with the horizontal, since covered volume was desired to be a maximum. Thes particular angle was chosen because it is the largest turning angle that can exists without [flow] separation. This is as stated by Dr. Walter M. Presz Jr., Western New England College.

Beta angle is the controlling factor in Design #1. This angle can vary between 0 and 12 degrees with the horizontal.


Design 1, fixed 15 degree alpha angle, variable beta angles




Design 2, fixed 8 degree beta angle, rounded termination
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