Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank Lee
Is that for true laminar flow, which we aren't going to get on the street anyway?
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For real cars the boundary layer will be fully turbulent,but the outer,'inviscid' flow along the fairings will be laminar.
On the solar racers they may have a laminar boundary layer up to the 1st minimum pressure point,then the boundary layer must transition immediately to a turbulent boundary layer,which is good,as without the TBL,they'd have separation right there.The flow may be so clean that the rear fairing face also see's some laminar boundary layer.
The solar teams appear to be obsessed with 'laminar' wing sections.
Honda's 'laminar wing'-based solar racer had higher drag than their 'flattened-torpedo'-based cars.
Delft is also using 'laminar' profiles with the thickened portion well aft on the body,and zero transverse cut lines on the body until after the 'bulge',which moves the separation point ridiculously far back on the body.If they get any crosswind it kills the 'laminar' ability of the shape.NASA calls it crosswind contamination,or transverse contamination to the boundary layer.