Here is some interesting info.

http://www.mitsubishi-motors.com/corporate/about_us/technology/review/e/pdf/2004/16E_03.pdf

Very interesting but the mug shots at the end look like they should be hanging in the post office on the "Most Wanted" list. [rofl]

Moved to Ford Focus and General Car Chat. Technical Chat is for technical discussions relating to general maintenance, electrical issues, engine trouble, and recalls.

Thanks for posting!

Vortex Generators have been used on airplanes for decades now, its amazing what a little "fin" can do. At least on an airplane they increase fuel efficiency, create more lift, less drag, lower stall speeds, reduce takeoff distance, increase rate of climb, increase max takeoff weight. and the ones on the plane I fly the help reduce the accumulation of ice over the wing.

Lately Ive been seeing people add these to their cars and trucks, and while the idea is there, there has to be a bit of engineering on the proper placement of the generators so i wonder if they help or hurt aerodynamics when they are placed in random places.

To me they are right up there with clear tail lamps and big muffler tips....On my car?...Oh Hell NO! I would doubt many streetcars go fast enough to have much, if any effect. They say the shaker on my mach 1 doesn't have much effect until 90+ mph. (And of course I would never even consider going near that fast...LOL)

Do they produce AC or DC?

Maybe I need to read all the way through it first but... I didn't think they created electricity.

It's just an old airline Boeing training course joke!

So my Sedan needs a giant wing and little triangles of the roof if I want to go fast?
and here I thought I was cool for not having a rear wing, I guess Im only fooling myself!

Good info though, thanks
Bob

Very interesting but the mug shots at the end look like they should be hanging in the post office on the "Most Wanted" list. [rofl]

They're Japanese, you don't smile for the company photo. Serious occasion.

Excellent information. The VG's reduce drag by delaying flow seperation. It also looks like they increase the effectiveness of the rear wing by increasing airflow velocity undearneath the bottom surface.

Now we just need a paper from FHI on the vane spoiler on the STi :D

My layman's understanding is that these work similarly to the way the dimples in a golf ball work. That is, they create turbulence. Turbulent airflow is less desirable than laminar airflow, all things being equal, however turbulent airflow tends to "stick" to a surface better and prevent separation, so it's viewed as the lesser of two evils. Separated airflow means you're carrying around a pocket of air that makes the apparent size of your object (a vehicle in this case) larger, increasing your coefficient of drag and making downstream airflow devices (e.g. wings) less effective.

Because racecar!!! That's all you need to know.

My layman's understanding is that these work similarly to the way the dimples in a golf ball work. That is, they create turbulence. Turbulent airflow is less desirable than laminar airflow, all things being equal, however turbulent airflow tends to "stick" to a surface better and prevent separation, so it's viewed as the lesser of two evils. Separated airflow means you're carrying around a pocket of air that makes the apparent size of your object (a vehicle in this case) larger, increasing your coefficient of drag and making downstream airflow devices (e.g. wings) less effective.

Uh, no, way off in this case. They generate vortices (hence the name), which delay flow seperation from the body of the vehicle. Flow seperation is bad, especially when you have a big wing that you would like to have providing downforce on your rally car.

In the paper, you read from the findings that the generators reduce drag and increase downforce, by delaying flow seperation, and increasing the velocity profile over the wing. The CFD profile plot on page 5 really says it all.

The VG's were sized specifically for this unique application (evo 8) and are most effective with the rear wing.

It's just an old airline Boeing training course joke!

I should have known lol.

If anything it would create AC lol

Found a vortex generator on a Kia Forte Koup today. Things freakin' clean. I lurve it...apart from the vortex generators...

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz95/lyonsroar91/d7f3102d.jpg

^those were added by the owner.

^those were added by the owner.

Yes? And?

And it makes them lame, but I believe you already stated you liked the car MINUS the stick on doodads. [:D]

Oh god, please tell me Pep Boys isn't selling those things in chrome with 3M tape application. I'm afraid to even look online...

EDIT: too late, I caved into my curiosity. Link (http://www.rotaryfx.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=EXT1100).

Damn, and I always thought it was so the Evo 8 could double as a salad shooter at high speed, just hit the gas and toss a head of lettuce on your roof!

Good paper link!

Another cool example of vortex generation is the intake on the Mazda Furai concept car. It had a spike sticking up off the roof which generated vortices and funneled them directly into the intake!

http://www.roadandtrack.com/auto-shows/detroit/mazda-furai-concept
"The sharp element you see protruding from the roof is called an Air Fang, and was designed by the guys at Swift to optimize ram air induction. The air split by the Air Fang creates vortices which force air down into the intake. "

http://gadgettechnotrans.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/best-modification-cars.jpg?w=549&h=366

I wonder if Mazda removed the unicorn vortex spike thingy from the 2010 happyface Mazda3 due to cost cutting measures...