Size of DDD?

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raymondu999
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Joined: 04 Feb 2010, 07:31

Size of DDD?

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Hey all. There's a few questions regarding the benefits/disadvantages of a ddd size that I would love to have clarified that I really am quite confused.

With the DDD, I know it's not always bigger = more downforce, but if there were two DDDs, with the same "level," as it were, of efficiency, would the larger one proportionally (or proportionally to the square, etc) create more downforce?
Next, would a large DDD be more air-hungry and harder to feed at higher ride heights, kind of like starving? In essence becoming more ride-height-sensitive, which forced McLaren to stiffly spring their car to set a low ride height?

My understanding re: the 1st question above is that I am correct, and bigger = better, IF both diffusers achieve an identical (or at least similar) level of efficiency. But reading the latest issue of F1 Racing magazine, Pat Symonds says that the Ferrari F10 had a very aggressive diffuser, and the MP4-25 had a very conservative one ( :o )

While I understand that the size of the diffuser will affect many more things such as the CoG (with a bigger diffuser, as the diffuser is mostly channels of air and relatively light, the CoG will undoubtedly be higher) I'm purely asking from an aero perspective, ignoring the CoG etc for a while.

This one isn't quite related to the size, but I felt it was a waste to start a new thread on one question alone: Would it ever be possible to achieve the level of traction provided by soft rear suspension by using stiff springs and a downforce? Out of a slow corner? I mean, while usually in slower corners downforce is negligible in terms of apex speed, we often hear how cars put on downforce for Monaco etc for traction, so it's got to have SOME effect on traction even in the slow fiddly corners :s

Thanks :mrgreen:
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