Barge board drag reduction device

[PlatinumZealot]

Step 1

Translate the passive F-duct design to the barge boards.

Step 2
Tune them to kill vortices after reaching a determined speed down the straights.

Step 3
Win the championship!



Fun aside, this design was rumoured to be released on the McLaren this year. Wondering if it was cancelled? Seems my source was lying or he is being waterboarded in a secret lair under the pool at MTC since he leaked the info to me. Poor guy.

Anyway, I think the design is possible. The question is, does the floor vortices increase drag when they do their thing to seal the floor? If they do then shouldn't be hard to kill them if you get the DRD right.

[godlameroso]

The bargeboards are a source of drag at the moment for McLaren, both directly and indirectly. Hopefully they fix the directly part next weekend.

[Thunder]

Well we still don't know where the S-Duct Air goes at the MCL33don't we.....?

[holeindalip]

Step 1

Translate the passive F-duct design to the barge boards.

Step 2
Tune them to kill vortices after reaching a determined speed down the straights.

Step 3
Win the championship!



Fun aside, this design was rumoured to be released on the McLaren this year. Wondering if it was cancelled? Seems my source was lying or he is being waterboarded in a secret lair under the pool at MTC since he leaked the info to me. Poor guy.

Anyway, I think the design is possible. The question is, does the floor vortices increase drag when they do their thing to seal the floor? If they do then shouldn't be hard to kill them if you get the DRD right.

I wonder if this is what Ferrari have done this year with the sudden bump in power output, presumably they just got it tweaked just right within the last few races??

[PlatinumZealot]

That is actually more possible than the rumored 38 horsepower in software tweaks alone.

[Just_a_fan]

The bargeboards are a source of drag at the moment for McLaren

They're a source of drag for every team.

[godlameroso]

The bargeboards are a source of drag at the moment for McLaren

They're a source of drag for every team.

True, they are indeed, and they also create downforce and condition airflow downstream, McLaren just has to catch up on that last bit to make the drag worth it.

[zac510]

I've wondered similar things - ie could a coanda effect or vortex (that switches at x speed) be used to block the exit, or bypass the entrance of a radiator duct (hence reducing drag).

[Just_a_fan]

I would think that as the rear of the bodywork is open, blocking the entry with some airflow would be difficult / impossible. The car effectively pumps air through the sidepod, it's not just pushed in from the front.

I do wonder whether some clever internal "loose" bodywork could be caused to move at a given airspeed to block flow through the sidepod on a straight. Getting that past the scrutineers could be interesting.

Of course, if you block the flow from going in to the sidepod, you have to then deal with it going around the sidepod. This might be more effort than it's worth.