Fan Wheels?

[JackHammer]

Random thought popped into my head a few days ago at 2am (I think of strange things while attempting sleep...)

Basically, shape and angle the wheel spokes like fan blades to (hopefully) blow air into the brakes, meaning the ducts could be smaller, or removed completely

Would that even work?

[ajdavison2]

I believe the wheels on the lamborghini reventon do just that.

[Giblet]

Would the gains in cooling outweigh the fact that every wheel is adding quite a bit of resistance to it's rolling.

I think top speed would be seriously reduced, and the cars would have to be redesigned around the fact that most of the aero is to direct the air as far from he wheels as possible as they are the one thing that the teams can do very little with aero wise.

If a car is going 100MPH, is it not more efficient to direct air already at high velocity into a brake duct that is jut an open hole, or to have more mechanical and aero losses by resisting every inch those wheels turn?

One a road car, maybe it makes more sense where ultimate performance is not paramount. They are more about compromises than F1 cars.

Don't let me stop more ideas from flowing out thogh

[HampusA]

I would think it´s more effecient to create rims that transport air out instead of in.
I think Ferraris ´10 rims did just that and i´m sure many teams have similar solutions on the front rims.

[wesley123]

Random thought popped into my head a few days ago at 2am (I think of strange things while attempting sleep...)

Basically, shape and angle the wheel spokes like fan blades to (hopefully) blow air into the brakes, meaning the ducts could be smaller, or removed completely

Would that even work?

The idea sounds good, although you have one problem, the heat has to get out of it. You can regenerate energy by brake heat, but i do not know how much energy that would be

[JackHammer]

I would think it´s more effecient to create rims that transport air out instead of in.
I think Ferraris ´10 rims did just that and i´m sure many teams have similar solutions on the front rims.

Well then angle the spokes the other way so they blow air out

Some interesting replies though, didn't think of any of those, but it was 2am, so I'm glad I didn't!

[PlatinumZealot]

Random thought popped into my head a few days ago at 2am (I think of strange things while attempting sleep...)

Basically, shape and angle the wheel spokes like fan blades to (hopefully) blow air into the brakes, meaning the ducts could be smaller, or removed completely

Would that even work?

EUREKA!! YOU GAVE ME AN IDEA!! I will draw a diagram and get back.

[speedsense]

Brake fans on the 917-30, pulled air through the brakes and out.

[mep]

The brake disc itself already is a pump.

[Ciro Pabón]

Well, sure the disk works as a Tesla Turbine.

However, the idea is good. It is so good that aerodynamic covers, already banned, used the same idea.

Ferrari started with them. They are better than fans, because the shape of the funnel (it's shaped like a funnel inside, seen from the front) expels the air without that much drag as a fan.

[Shrek]

i think this was Toyota's rear wheel covers from way back when (don't know exactly) and i would think it would be pretty easy just form a ring for where the wheel gun goes and attach the blades unless you wanted to do it from the wheel spokes.

[mep]

Well, sure the disk works as a Tesla Turbine.

No thats not what I meant because Tesla Turbine works by surface friction.
I mean that the disc itself is a radial pump wheel or fan however you call it in english. It has holes runing trough the disc radially from the inner smaller diameter to the outer bigger diameter. When the disc is rotating the air moves outwards and cools the disc from inside.

[xpensive]

Well, sure the disk works as a Tesla Turbine.

No thats not what I meant because Tesla Turbine works by surface friction.
I mean that the disc itself is a radial pump wheel or fan however you call it in english. It has holes runing trough the disc radially from the inner smaller diameter to the outer bigger diameter. When the disc is rotating the air moves outwards and cools the disc from inside.

mep is absolutely correct, the disc itself is designed xactly like a modern centrifugal fan with enclosed channels within, building a pressure differential through the centripetal accelleration of the control-volume inside said channels.

Even with a small diameter, at 2000-2500 Rpm, it becomes a rather efficient fan.

[PlatinumZealot]

Just a question.. How much air flow can be drawn through a wheel fan?
And how much horsepower is required?

[Ciro Pabón]

Thanks, mep, X.