anyway... I've brought this topic up already in one of the first technical race updates this season, you should check them out.
The point is that air at the sides of the car is a lot more 'clean', for which the rear wing can generate the same amount of downfore with less wing. The sides of the rear wing are close to an optimal efficency, while the center needs a little more wing because air is more or less disturbed by front runners and the engine bonnet / airbox
Location: Covilhã, Portugal (and sometimes in Évora)
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Hummm.....well...that is true for the Renault rear wing that has a small peace cut away....in this case....the idea of this rear wing is to puic up the air in a lower part of the car which previously was not used....this idea was first seen at the Australian GP this year on the Mclarens.
I remember to saw it first on CART.... then with Mclaren at gp of Spain 2001... and now here with Williams. But, obiousli it is posible that another cars have used this sepcial shape.
I think that maybe used in order to increase the vortices (vortex). It produces more downforce, but has a drag penalty.
The Williams wing is a classic example of two new (‘ish) aero solutions.
Complex 3D wings
Williams ran a complex 3D wing with shorter chords on the outer sections of the wing, this works to a different philosophy to the simpler wings we’re used to seeing on racecars.
The complex 3D shaped wings work on three basic factors,
1) the outer sections run in clearer air, unobstructed by the airbox\roll structure, this makes them more efficient
2) the shorter outer chords produce smaller trailing vortices, these trails often seen in damp weather, show where the flows form over and under the wing and to the side of the endplate, meet, sending a spiral outwards, effectively making the wings frontal area larger this produces drag. (quote: Gary Anderson)
3) the two contra rotating trailing vortices tend to pull the airflow behind the car upwards, this adversely affects the main flow through the wing and the wake from the underwing. (quote: Sauber Aerodynamicist)
Hence, although 3D wings may have had a deeper central section, the more efficient design of outer section results in less drag compensating for the more draggy centre. i.e. same dowforce same drag from two very different wings
Many teams use these wings in some form, Ferrari have simply reshaped the wing profile just before it meets the endplate to reduce the vortices. Renault, BAR and Mac have seriously shaped version, as later in the season have Jag, Toyo, Sauber.
The sawtooth (serated) gurney
These work to reduce an aerodynamic effect at the trailing edge of the wing, where the two flows around the wing meet and struggle to mix cleanly creating turbulence and drag. It is thought the tiny vortices shedding from the teeth mix the flows cutting the drag in the process.
These have been used by McLaren on their front wing in the past, but I have yet to se them on other F1 car (sorry not on a Ferrari FW)
I saw an article about the sawtooth (serated) gurney in Racetech 12 to 18 months ago. If I remember correctly the artical described thier effect as very simmilar to that of a regular gurney, interms of downforce generation, but with a useful reduction in drag.
Question: What do you guys think about rear endplates with cutouts that follow the upper surface of the chord. I believe this helps as when the wing is in yaw but there is a penaly. Has anyone seen any interesting info on them or tried modelling them to see what is happening?
I understand the notched endplate has more to do with vortex management than yaw performance. Just as front wings have a notch on their top edge to energise the flow over the wing close to the endplate.
So do the rear wings, but more to speed up the flow to more closely match that passing under the wing to reduce vortices. Renault ran the bizarre remote rear flap set up in Monaco (plus other races) which needed larger notch to reduce the trailing vortices created by such a steep rear flap.
Just to let you know I have asked is Russell Harrison - CFDRuss - if there is any chance he could model what really goes on with serated gurneys and rear wing end plate cutouts. You should see his work in the 'CAD Drawings - CFD' topic, really excellent, but be patient it takes a little while to download.
