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Old 05-03-2011, 08:07 PM   #42 (permalink)
winkosmosis
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A year or two ago I was arguing with somebody here about internal grill blocks. I said that engine bay resistance is equivalent to a mesh, because it partially restricts flow... So if the resistance is that great, it would have a similar effect to a hidden grill block.

Once the air is inside the engine bay, its speed drops drastically and its direction changes to go around the components. The only thing the outside flow of air knows is that it's going into a hole, and that hole has somewhere between 0% and 100% resistance to flow.

That would mean that a mesh mounted behind the grill wouldn't have any benefit. It would only add resistance to what already exists.

If X is engine bay resistance, Y is grill mesh resistance, and 100% is the resistance from a total block... You either have X, X + Y, or X - X + 100%.... None of which necessarily would reduce drag.

IMO, a mesh would have to be external and shaped in such a way that it smooths out airflow.
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