Aerodynamics Fundamentals: Aerodynamic Forces & Effects
Watch This Course
$199 USD $99.50 USD
-OR-
Or
8 easy payments of only $12.44
Instant access. Easy checkout. No fees.
Aerodynamic Forces & Effects
02.09
| 00:00 | The first question that any track racer should start their aerodynamic journey with is why do aerodynamics matter? In this section of the course we're going to comprehensively answer this question in order to give you a clear understanding of aerodynamics and how it can be of benefit to you out on the circuit. |
| 00:17 | In its most basic sense the study of aerodynamics relates to effects of air flowing over a body. |
| 00:23 | In the case of a car what we are looking at is the relative wind blowing over the car as a result of the car which is traveling at some speed moving through the air which is stationary. |
| 00:35 | From the perspective of the car it's easy to observe this effect. |
| 00:38 | Stick your hand out of the car window at speed and you'll feel the air rushing past it. |
| 00:44 | As this air flows around the car it will produce forces on the various components of the car that are exposed to the external air stream. |
| 00:52 | Going back to the hand example, drive at a high enough speed and you will feel your hand being pushed back with quite a lot of force. |
| 01:00 | Changing the airflow will change the amount of force we generate and the location of the forces we generate. |
| 01:06 | Put your hand vertically, perpendicular to the airflow and you'll feel a lot of force backwards. |
| 01:12 | Put it horizontally, aligned with the airflow and you'll feel much less force. |
| 01:16 | Angle it slightly up and you'll feel a force pushing it up. |
| 01:19 | Angle it slightly down and you'll feel a force pushing it down. |
| 01:23 | These are all aerodynamic forces generated by manipulating the airflow. |
| 01:28 | All external surfaces of a car will generate aerodynamic forces when the car is at speed, and by changing the shape of these external surfaces we are able to control those forces, and that is essentially what the study of aerodynamics on a race car is all about. |
| 01:43 | Let's quickly summarize this short module before moving on. |
| 01:47 | Aerodynamics is crucial in racing, because it involves understanding and controlling the forces generated by air flowing over the car at speed. |
| 01:55 | By manipulating the shape of the car's external surfaces, car designers and engineers can optimize these aerodynamic forces to enhance performance on the track. |
