Learning Futures Transcription
Cloud Concept Exemplar: Aerodynamics
To camera:
The aerodynamic properties of a race car are critical to its performance. They influence
everything from braking, handling, top speed, acceleration and even stability and safety.
Voiceover:
There are 3 main aspects of a race car that produce downforce:
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The front wing, this produces 25% of the cars downforce. It also channels air towards
the cooling ducts and radiators.
The rear wing, this produces 35% of the total downforce.
And the rear diffuser. This part is generally unseen but produces 40% of the downforce.
As the front of the car hits the surrounding air, it is forced to travel either over the entire car,
over the front wing or under the car.
As with the wings, air traveling over the car creates high pressure, this pushes the car to the road.
Air that travels over the front wing creates a high pressure zone. This pushes the car to the road,
the front wing also directs the air to the cars cooling ducts and radiators. It then directs the air to
the rear wing of the car, where it is pushed under the rear wing. As this air travels under the rear
wing it speeds up, creating a low pressure zone, this low pressure zone, combined with the high
pressure zone of the wind above the car pushes the car to the road.
Air that travels under the car first travels under the front wing, creating a low pressure zone.
This low pressure zone creates a suction effect, as the air traveling under the car travels quicker
than the air above the car it creates a low-pressure zone. This low pressure zone acts as a suction
and pulls the car towards the ground. As the air hits the rear of the car it’s passed through the
rear diffuser.
The fast moving, low pressure air directed from below the car by the diffuser towards the rear
wing creates a massive suction effect, further pulling the car to the road. This illustrates how the
front wing, the rear wing and the diffuser all work together to create massive amounts of
downforce for the car.
A race car produces enough downforce that traveling at 170 miles per hour it could
mathematically drive upside-down.