Quote:
Originally Posted by aerohead
The bummer was that the power requirements to run the pump exceeded the power reduction attributed to the drag reduction.Is this germain to the issue of thrust? Has there been a breakthrough in pump design? Or is it a function of where the air is harvested? Help?
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I'm not familiar with that book or that project. It makes me wonder what their goal was and what the geometry looked like.
Without a concave structure downstream of the suction inlet, no aerodynamic thrust will be created & if you're going to spend the energy anyway, why not get some thrust as return on that investment?
As for the suction pump, the first flight test was in the 1940s. They proved over a 40% increase in efficiency using a centrifugal compressor as the suction pump. I'm sure current pumps/fans are better.
Are "sucker cars" like the Chaparral 2J and/or Brabham BT46B in that book? I sometimes tell people this works kindof like they did only instead of powered downforce it's powered pressure recovery.
-Dave B