McLaren have chosen some interesting design routes on their new competitor. In addition to our own technical analysis, McLaren's Tim Goss and Paddy Lowe explain why some decisions have been made in light of the regulation changes.
A place to discuss the characteristics of the cars in Formula One, both current as well as historical. Laptimes, driver worshipping and team chatter do not belong here.
Pierce89 wrote:
Dude Please!!! Increasing energy under the wing(with a stream of air) to decrease seperation would give increase in effiency. More benefit over entire lap and much more plausible because it doesn't require near as much air as eliminating the low pressure zone would.
Unfortunately it seems it is too difficult to argue with people who are unwilling to listen.
You are somewhat correct. Increasing the energy along the suction surface of a wing will help its performance. This is what McLaren and BMW were doing last year. This year McLaren are trying to stall the wing. It's the opposite effect.
richard_leeds wrote:
Sources?
My phd in ground vehicle aerodynamics and my copious years designing F1 cars.
SLC does it give any laptime advantage, as i am thinking this concept is not used by many cars at all. Sorry i am not a techical person like you guys, so dnt pretend to either
The only problem I have with the stalling idea is this:
And please note SLC I'm not flaming you or attacking you, I'm simply stating wat I know and would like to be enlightened if possible.
I've got a BEng(hons) in Aerospace Engineering, so I do know about aerodynamics, tho I DO NOT have the knowledge that SLC has.
But it is my understanding that a blown flap will delay the onset of stall. It's as simple as that. How can a blown flap enduce stall (unless the direction of the blow is opposite to the direction of flow? lol)
Furthermore, fundamentally, if I wing is stalling it increases drag, simple as.
Obviously there could be far more complex things going on here than I understand, hence my asking. (For example imagine my suprise when I first learn of compressible flow, when a divergent nozzle actually INCREASES flow velocity lol)
But to my knowledge those two point I make, make the whole concept of deliberatly stalling a wing seem not only pointless to an F1 team but also counter-productive.
Silence is golden when you don't know a good answer.
Surely in the very simplest terms.
Stalling any lift surface increases drag but channeling a reasonable volume of air to a different area can be used to reduce drag?
dont know if its already said, but i saw those slits from another view(on the sidepods) And i came to an conclusion, it keeps the flow attached to the sidepod(dunno if such an object can stall though).
It was some sort of wing in front of the wing wich allowed it to be run at larger angles to stall, i think that is what it does on the sidepod.