RCU Forums - View Single Post - Golf ball dimples
View Single Post
Old 11-02-2009 | 09:19 PM
  #103  
BMatthews's Avatar
BMatthews
 
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 12,432
Likes: 0
Received 28 Likes on 24 Posts
From: Chilliwack, BC, CANADA
Default RE: Golf ball dimples

Exactly as banktoturn says. There's nothing at all magical about dimples. They are just ONE form of turbulator that happesn to work on golf balls. Raised pimples would work just as well but the clubs would beat them inward so dimples are used to avoid being damaged by the impact with the clubs.

In airplanes a wide number of variations on turbulators or invigorators are used. They all work just fine.

Topspeed, instead of the shape you show what you should be doing is running the upper surface shape through something like Xfoil and design it to avoid any sudden pressure transitions that would lead to the need for turbulators. Some fudging on the car would be needed due to the extremely small aspect ratio. Also it's been shown in a number of other efficiency cars that cowling in the wheel wells is highly benificial to better mileage. Or if that isn't practical as on the front then smooth wheel hubs and a curled in rear edge to the wheel well to aid the trapped air to get back out onto the outer side skin could be benificial. Also by far the more aerodynamic design is the long tail that extends well back and tapers off to nothing. This was proven very ably by the old Porsche long tail LeMans racers. They swept the field and within a year or two an overall length or maximum overhang length rule was introduced. But since those sort of tails are not practical the Kamm cut off tail is the best compromise. And best of all it helps pull up air from below the car and thus aids traction at higher speeds.

Your wheel wells will also need blisters above them. As shown you do not have a realistic clearance for suspension travel.

Otherwise it's a highly interesting doodle though. Nicely done.