volarchico wrote:raymondu999 wrote:How do you figure with more pressure on top?
I think he means because the air has less of an airfoil shape to pass over than normal sidepods. Normal sidepods are more wing-shaped which would create a pressure drop on top (create lift), whereas the L-pods wouldn't cause as big a pressure drop. ringo, correct me if I'm misinterpreting what you meant!
That's what i meant. It's in fact a good solution; if they can magically shrink the side pods. That may take a complete revolution in radiator design. Maybe 3D radiators instead of the flat panel ones?
I have a little clarification, it should have a better pressure distribution, and create much less drag, but it doesn't account for some other things.
The L side pod has less down-force compared to the typical designs for some reason, Assuming all have the same coke bottle shape in plan view.
I am not quite sure why, (this sounds cliche) but i think the interaction with the diffuser is the reason behind getting better down force with the other taller side pods.
Looking on the picture, the L side pod in fact has much less drag,and better centre of pressure, due to the distribution, Maybe that's why the car feels good to the drivers?
But looking near the tail of the floor, we can see that the other side pod is creating more pressure on it. This is where most of the force is, and it is compounded by the fact that this is the region above where the lowest pressure is under the floor.
At the front, L side pod has smaller high pressure region, so it help explain the lower drag as well.
I did a few models of different side pod curves. All the same with only a difference with the top surface. The L pod is pretty good for the low drag benefit, because these other designs aren't far away in raw down-force. It's just one design that has a huge difference, i wont say what that curve is
The lift to drag ratio is actually very good. Better than 2 other designs bar the 1 special one. But for raw down force it has slightly less than the 2 typical designs.
The L side pod also has another benefit, it has better flow to the beam wing, ie the velocities are slight higher.
Mclaren's solution is not equally as tight round the back as the others, so it may not see this benefit? but overall i think the L side pod is a good design if they can trim it down.
If it is super refined it wont have the most raw down-force, but it will have the least drag by far.
An taking the beam wing into account it can allow better down-force to be created elsewhere on the car.
this may have to go in another thread for further analysis, but it relates to this car specially.
