View Single Post
Old 08-18-2008, 08:32 PM   #26 (permalink)
MetroMPG
Batman Junior
 
MetroMPG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 22,530

Blackfly - '98 Geo Metro
Team Metro
Last 3: 70.09 mpg (US)

MPGiata - '90 Mazda Miata
90 day: 54.46 mpg (US)

Even Fancier Metro - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage top spec
90 day: 70.75 mpg (US)

Appliance car Mirage - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage ES (base)
90 day: 62.14 mpg (US)
Thanks: 4,078
Thanked 6,978 Times in 3,613 Posts
Hi Donee -

Mitsubishi measured the boundary layer thickness at the trailing edge of the Evo roof at 30 mm - just over 1 inch, which is close to the height of the AirTabs (1 inch = 25.4 mm).

In testing different VG heights, Mistubishi says:

Quote:
...the drag reduction effects for the VGs of three different heights (15 mm, 20 mm and 25 mm) were all equivalent to –0.006.
That's not to say the AirTab is the ideal shape though. Again going back to the Mitsu example, they specifically chose a VG style (delta-wing shape) because it had a small frontal area. The AirTabs seem to have quite a large frontal area (even considering they create a pair of vortices), and that may be part of the reason why they didn't reduce overall drag & show any fuel economy improvement.

chuckm - an AirTabs distributor sent some to me.
__________________
Project MPGiata! Mods for getting 50+ MPG from a 1990 Miata
Honda mods: Ecomodding my $800 Honda Fit 5-speed beater
Mitsu mods: 70 MPG in my ecomodded, dirt cheap, 3-cylinder Mirage.
Ecodriving test: Manual vs. automatic transmission MPG showdown



EcoModder
has launched a forum for the efficient new Mitsubishi Mirage
www.MetroMPG.com - fuel efficiency info for Geo Metro owners
www.ForkenSwift.com - electric car conversion on a beer budget
  Reply With Quote