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Old 01-30-2013, 05:58 PM   #11 (permalink)
ConnClark
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tesla View Post
This is all related to the golfball dimple effect, boundary layers etc.

A worse front end is acting like a dimpled golf ball, creating more turbulance and a thicker boundary layer although this has an increase in skin/body drag, the thicker layer allows the air to bend tighter around the rear before seperation resulting in a smaller, higher pressure wake and less drag overall.

Smooth out the front, the boundary layer gets thinner, less skin/body drag, bends less, it seperates sooner, the wake is lower pressure and bigger resulting in higher drag overall.
Ummmmm.... this isn't how it works.

Golfball dimples mix are used to mix the faster moving air with the slower moving air of the boundary layer thus thinning it and maintaining dynamic pressure which allows it to follow the corners and bends in the body. A thicker boundary layer tends to form turbulence and thus is more prone to separation and hence more drag.

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