My MV Modifying a Dodge Caravan

[MetroMPG]

32 is pretty good!

You've seen this thread, right?

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...-6-a-6069.html

[bteck]

yeah, I saw that one, I didn't do the Kammback to the bumper because I 1 didn't want to cover my tail lights, and 2 didn't think it would make my mileage significantly better than the way I did do it.

[hypermiler01]

Originally Posted by bteck

didn't think it would make my mileage significantly better than the way I did do it.

That is wrong. Why do you think tapering the air off the roof will help, but not the sides? Especially considering that the sides have more than twice as much trailing edge as the roof does.

[bteck]

okay, so I was saying that it would not make it significantly better, I don't actually know this, but it is my general sense, and given that I have an ultimately limited supply of Polycarbonate, I don't really see the point in testing one that is bigger than I have the material for. You make a really good point that the sides are accounting for a huge amount of my trailing edge, perhaps I will think of another way to help taper them, in addition to the kammback heretofore designed. It can't hurt really.

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by bteck

Can you shoot me a link to a picture of this? Maybe some info about it?

bteck,go to the top of the forum page to the Search EcoModder and do a search for "aerodynamic archives."-------- When you get there,go to page 2,and scroll down to# 444",Phil Knox aerodynamics photos album" and click on that.When you get there,click on,I think the 3rd group down,it's the textbook stuff.Go to page 2 of that,go down 5 rows,and over to the 3rd photo,and it has the table and diagram from the 1922 research showing the Cd 0.22 minivan.

[hypermiler01]

The air molecules don't know the difference between a horizontal or vertical taper, so tapering both sides as well as the top should be about three times as effective as tapering the top alone on a vehicle that is taller than it is wide.

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by aerohead

bteck,go to the top of the forum page to the Search EcoModder and do a search for "aerodynamic archives."-------- When you get there,go to page 2,and scroll down to# 444",Phil Knox aerodynamics photos album" and click on that.When you get there,click on,I think the 3rd group down,it's the textbook stuff.Go to page 2 of that,go down 5 rows,and over to the 3rd photo,and it has the table and diagram from the 1922 research showing the Cd 0.22 minivan.

I meant Cd 0.16.Whoops!

[malibuguy]

i used to have a '94 GC 3.3 that i would beat all the time (no not abusing it, just flooring it alot, 3.3s love to run), i loved that thing, it would average 21-23mpg running 93octane...i'm sure if i drove like i did now...probably could have gotten upper 20s without a question, & maybe 30's with some tricks

i miss my old van, i sure hope to get another one, i have some unfinished business with modifying a 3.3

heres a pic of mine;


yes, those are numbers on it from running it at the dragstrip

/end of thread hijack

[MetroMPG]

Here's the Cd 0.16 van shape by Jaray (2nd from the top):

[Daox]

Looks like we need to come up with a mod to delete wheels!