Front end design with wing regs

[gcdugas]

With the center section on the front wing producing no down force due to a prescribed FIA section profile, I was wondering if it may be worth looking at dropping the nose back all the way to the ground again. Whatever gain there is between the front wheels must certainly be lost by the time the air reaches the drivers bum and has to be forced to go around the sides of the car with the turning vanes and undercut sidepods working overtime to keep the flow somewhat sanitary along side the rest of the car. You will have a lower CG also.

I know the regs spec a max height for the body work but it there a min height in the area of the silly plate? Just some practical thoughts because of the zero DF center section seems to negate former gains of the raised nose design.

[marcush.]

the whole idea of the raised nose has to do with the crosssection between the front wheels open for airflow.the air is entering the section between the front wheels and has nowhere to go ,you have the tub low and you completely divide the airflow in two small streams -most of the air is just deflected ...when raising the monocoque in this crucial area you suddenly have a huge area of open flow to the flat bottom and the sidepods.

[gcdugas]

And then this massive airflow has to divide R&L at the driver's bum and squirt out the sides. All you are doing is postponing the inevitable. Why not deal with it in a controlled manner early when the problem arises?

[marcush.]

And then this massive airflow has to divide R&L at the driver's bum and squirt out the sides. All you are doing is postponing the inevitable. Why not deal with it in a controlled manner early when the problem arises?

you need to creat downforce preferably in the centre of the car ...shoveling the air around the car is creating drag and this is air not being used for creating downforce....I think.

[gcdugas]

you need to creat downforce preferably in the centre of the car ...shoveling the air around the car is creating drag and this is air not being used for creating downforce....I think.

That is my point... with the center section 60cm wide being of a spec'd profile producing negligible DF... you may want to consider a low nose again. The frontal area of the nose at the front axle is largely determined by the need to accommodate the driver's feet and pedals. This being a constant in the low and high nose designs... what is the advantage of the raised nose anymore? It makes the air much sloppier around the entry to the sidepods.

[rjsa]

The high nose is there to feed air to the floor and the diffuser in the back. Nothing to do with the front wing.



An old CDGW image, pressure distribution:


Another one with velocities:

[MIKEY_!]

actually the way a high nose slopes downward above the FIA regulated FW center section is important. Low noses were good pre-2009 partly because they didn't impede air much above the front wing. You'll find the underside of the nose and the wing were (very) roughly parallel. Similar story with high noses but less so because the nose and wing are further apart. the extra air going to the floor is more important however.