airdam vs screen bellypan - Page 2 - Fuelly Forums

Click here to see important news regarding the aCar App

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 02-15-2008, 02:58 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 446
Country: United States
Location: Charlotte nc
the air dam hopefully will not increase the frontal area at all. I used the screen to see if a uniform but not smooth (golfball esque) surface would make for improved underbody aerodynamics. 2 months with the underbody VS 2 months with airdams is the experiment. My postulate is the airdams will outperform the screen however I think possibly the difference will fall in the noise of tank to tank variances.
__________________

Philip1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-16-2008, 04:21 PM   #12
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 446
Country: United States
Location: Charlotte nc
well the air dams are installed but in a bout of laziness I left the bellypan. I will keep logging my milage and see if there is an improvement in milage. The immediate thing I noticed is that with the dams in place the car is eerily devoid of wind noise, Similar to when drafting a big rig.
__________________

Philip1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-17-2008, 06:21 AM   #13
Registered Member
 
Snax's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 758
Country: United States
That doesn't sound surprising to me. Ever heard a screen whistle in a high wind storm? No doubt, it's not the quietest under body material one could use.
__________________
LiberalImage.com

I think, therefore I doubt.
Snax is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-17-2008, 09:25 AM   #14
|V3|2D
 
thisisntjared's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,186
Country: United States
Send a message via AIM to thisisntjared
yea i was going to say that air passing through screens is ridiculously turbulent, but i was uncertain of the behavior of air passing over the screen. so is there any empirical data supporting the belly screen?
__________________
don't waste your time or time will waste you
thisisntjared is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-17-2008, 11:39 AM   #15
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 446
Country: United States
Location: Charlotte nc
well without the screen the best I ever got milage wise was 25 and change this tank is looking like an easy 30+mpg
Philip1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-17-2008, 02:18 PM   #16
Registered Member
 
Snax's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 758
Country: United States
I think the screen idea is a very valid one logically. While it has a high degree of permeability, the turbulence and eddys that can pass through it are minor compared to the normal rough contour of car underbodies. I'm also thinking that it could work better in terms of not requiring as smooth a belly pan, as the perforations create a very active boundary layer from airflow that is laminar, allowing it to better follow transitions.
__________________
LiberalImage.com

I think, therefore I doubt.
Snax is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-17-2008, 02:44 PM   #17
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 446
Country: United States
Location: Charlotte nc
my main problem with the screen is being aluminum it tears quite easily and has torn free about three times now. quite annoying really. now the wind noise there was a significant drop from no screen to screen then it dropped to almost none with the dams.
Philip1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-18-2008, 07:07 AM   #18
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 211
Country: United States
Belly Pan Ideas

With my new coming vehicle I plan on using a belly pan. What do you do with the exhaust? Do you cover the exhaust system with a pan and wrap it in heat wrap? Will it make the floor pan so hot the carpet will melt? Or do you build the belly pan up to it and leave it exposed? I also thought about puting cone shaped pieces like you would find at a Home Depot for chimney vents around the muffler for the aerodynamic bullet effect.

I plan on a full under body belly pan and maybe cut out the middle section of the rear bumper to aim and let the air out from underneath to merge with the air over the top of the vehicle. Either that or cut some 3 inch holes in the back bumper to release the air trapped by the rear wheel wells and the lower lip of the rear bumper.

I also plan on sealing up the front, panning the lower part of the front chin and making sure the front wheel wells are sealed and rounded to make corners as aerodynamic as possible. Also taking the side of the vehicle and rolling the pan to meet the edges next to the doors. Essentially as aerodynamic underneath as the top of the vehicle.

I just read somewhere that a Hummer has 5 times more drag than the average vehicle. Aside from the fact that the Hummer is a box, the underside has differentials hanging down, a transfer case, and all sorts of open frame work. Unlike the Aptera which is a Jelly Bean or rain drop, it kind of reminds me of a Cessna without wings, but if I can get one for under 20 grand, I feel a hole in my pocket forming. Before the Aptera I know I will have to buy a regular car and transform it, honestly I can wait to put the car on 4 ramps and start cutting belly panels. You ideas?
GasSavers_Scott is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-18-2008, 12:37 PM   #19
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 446
Country: United States
Location: Charlotte nc
with a metal screen belly pan the exhaust heat can escape unfettered if you go for an enclosed pan you will need some venting to let the heat out.
Philip1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-18-2008, 01:45 PM   #20
|V3|2D
 
thisisntjared's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,186
Country: United States
Send a message via AIM to thisisntjared
heat wrap + dd = rust.
__________________

__________________
don't waste your time or time will waste you
thisisntjared is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Peakster's Gloria Thread Peakster General Discussion (Off-Topic) 12 08-29-2007 02:46 PM
CL 1993 Geo Metro XFi GasSavers_Red For Sale 2 08-06-2007 04:30 PM
Air Pressure at the rear of the car lca13 Aerodynamics 2 05-13-2007 08:05 PM
Love this place! brelandt Introduce Yourself - New member Welcome 7 01-01-2007 09:02 AM
DIY: Installing a Front Camber Kit (CRX but applicable to most Hondas) SVOboy Experiments, Modifications and DIY 3 03-13-2006 10:12 AM

» Fuelly iOS Apps
Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 04:40 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.