Crucial_Xtreme wrote:Nando wrote:Maybe like this?
So in a way it nullifies the Coanda theory pushing the exhaust gases down to the floor due to the minimal angle of the exhaust housing.
It doesn't nullify anything. To the best of my knowledge you nor Brian, nor myself has a degree in Aeronautical Engineering and we're not privy the the McLaren exhaust specification details. It's your opinion. Same as ours is our opinion. Neither opinion proves or disproves the other. Whats more is people (Scarbs- Mark Hughes- Gary Anderson) who have access to inside information from the teams and are more familiar with the particulars with the latter actually having worked in Formula One say the Coanda effect is in play here. I think I'll go with the opinion of someone who has worked in F1 & those that have direct access to the teams.
You dont need any of that stuff if you have a good enough general grasp of physics, especially in the general terms we are speaking.
The coanda effect is in play, but the majority of it is from downwash.
The MAJORITY of the exhaust plume would not be affected by the floor of the exit tunnel.
It's like having a wide stream water jet pushing water out at high pressure. The water closest to the nearest surface intended to create the coanda effect will indeed be affected, but the rest will just shoot straight out due to the pressue and velocity being more of a factor in direction.
As others have explained, the exhaust gases expand outwards when they exit the exhaust, but just as much, if not more of the exhaust will be unaffected by the floor when stationary.
At the velocities the gases come out at, you'd get some downward pull, but nowhere near enough to accomplish any kind of solid or consistant effect.
The downwash when the car is in motion acts like a lid over the top of the exhaust tunnel and focuses the gases into a lower/tighter stream that then helps to bring the gases downwards towards the tunnel floor at the end of the exhuast tunnel, which then helps the gases get closer to the floor of the car.