[coyoteX]

The winter of '09- '10 I started looking into how the NASCAR and F1 guys were using Computational Fluid Dynamics in their designs. After studying alot of computer generated model airflow analysis and real time wind tunnel test pictures, it started to become obvious how the air moves around things. An air dam forces the air to go around or over the vehicle. An air dam with a forward facing splitter creates a more concentrated area of recirculating air to form just behind it under the front end creating more down force. I believe it does this two ways, first by creating a lower pressure area and second by catching the air in front and above the splitter. As the speed increases, the mass of air, in that area just ahead of and above increases, exponentially. By properly designing the splitter and dam to transfer the load to the chassis, you now have down force without the drag of a wing. I never tested my design with the forward facing splitter because my operating speed range is right at the bottom of where air pressure begins to increase fuel consumption. Double the speed, air pressure increases 4 times and fuel consumption increases pretty linear with air pressure change. Although the design does increase down force because you can feel the cars handling behavior change after you hit 80 mph. My next post will include a simple materials list for those interested and I will need to get out and shoot some new pictures, as I seem to have lost all of the ones I had, including the ones with the boat tail that really did nothing but draw attention. Yes, the first test run with it, earned me a ticket because the license plate was covered up.