View Single Post
Old 07-09-2016, 04:29 PM   #1 (permalink)
aerohead
Master EcoModder
 
aerohead's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Sanger,Texas,U.S.A.
Posts: 15,908
Thanks: 23,993
Thanked 7,227 Times in 4,654 Posts
Texas: Speed limit 100 mph

My jaunts out to west Texas have led to an observation.
(1) It's really windy there (i.e. wind farms).
(2) The posted speed limit is 75-mph.
On any given day,traffic may be driving 75-mph into a 25-mph headwind.
Below is a road load horsepower I extrapolated for a 1991 Honda Accord sedan.
It's a little womper-jawed but the data in accurate.( I could use a drafting table)

If you look at,say,the horsepower required at 100-km/hr vs 100-mph,you get an idea of the energy penalty from the geometric growth of aerodynamic drag (the area in yellow).
If we can legally drive in 100-mph air,we might want to reconsider the importance of body shape.Especially when you see American Quarter Horse Association Members pulling their horse trailers,with hay bales on the roof, at 100-mph.

__________________
Photobucket album: http://s1271.photobucket.com/albums/jj622/aerohead2/

Last edited by aerohead; 07-11-2016 at 04:23 PM.. Reason: spelling
  Reply With Quote
The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to aerohead For This Useful Post:
BamZipPow (07-11-2016), elhigh (07-14-2016), niky (07-11-2016), Xist (07-11-2016)