2017 F150 has front wheel air curtains

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by Shepherd777

Does anyone have an opinion regarding using vortex generators on the outside of the leading edge of the wheel well, in lieu of air curtains?

I had coffee with an aerodynamicists couple of days ago.

I would hate to misquote my new friend, but this very idea was proposed as a substitution for wheel spats in a conversation I had with this freelance aerodynamicists. That was one topic on the underside, we also talked about the sides.

Something akin to vortex generators can be used just before a front wheel opening to trip up the air into a smoother air flow over the wheel opening - at least that's what I think he implied.

He showed me some of his work, one example was of an CFD video of a wheel he was hired to examine and determine it's aerodynamic behavior.

He has past experience with several major automobile manufacturers, but has been on his own for a few months now.

SIMSPADE LLC

I trust you can work something out if you want specific answers to your specific design questions.

EDIT:
There was also a recent forum discussion on a similar topic, some opinions expressed.

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...a-34854-2.html

[freebeard]

I'd forgotten that example. The difference to the dive planes is that they aren't canted as you'd expect a vortex generator to be.

I guess it's like fences on a diverter, channeliizing the air so one large vortex doesn't form, which would carry energy further away from the surface.

[freebeard]

OP's pic:



I was driving in the rain on a two-lane road a few days ago. I saw a Ford truck with this sort of stance and the spray off the face of the wheel was minimal, but there was a decided jet coming out of the open top. This would suppress that.

Also, where most of the big rigs punched a small hole in the air, I met one that had spray three lanes wide — his, mine and the ditch. It was past by the time I wondered what sort of setup it was.