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Old 01-18-2011, 06:49 PM   #18 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CigaR007 View Post
Thanks for the input.

The mechanism is far from being final. Still debating whether or not it will be an electronic or mechanical system too. I have a background in avionics, so the electronic part of the system is the least of my worries.

I was wondering if an opening that small could be a source of drag due to the high pressure entrance of the relative wind. Could the "tear drop" flaps (as per the drawing) provide a significant decrease of such drag ?
I like the sketch. I think the idea is to divert as much air around the car as possible so the small opening is a good thing. The AeroCivic and AeroHead's T100 have very small manually adjustable grill openings. IIRC I read on here that the opening only needs to be 1/5th the area of the radiator if it is ducted, which it appears to be in your sketch. IMHO if the adjustable blockers are teardrop shaped I don't think you have to worry about drag behind your grill opening. All cars sold in cold climates should come with automatic grill blocks.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by freebeard View Post
The power needed to push an object through a fluid increases as the cube of the velocity. Mechanical friction increases as the square, so increasing speed requires progressively more power.
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