|
A spoiler is an aerodynamic device attached to an automobile whose intended design function is to 'spoil' unfavorable air movement across a body of a vehicle of some kind in motion. This can result in improved vehicle stability by decreasing lift or decreasing drag that may cause unpredictable handling in a car at speed. Spoilers are often fitted to race and high-performance sports cars, although they have become common on passenger vehicles, as well. Some spoilers are added to cars primarily for styling purposes and have either little aerodynamic benefit or even make the aerodynamics worse. Image File history File linksMetadata F-150_with_a_spoiler. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata F-150_with_a_spoiler. ...
The F-Series is a series of full-size pickup trucks from Ford Motor Company sold for over 5 decades. ...
Mazda compact Pickup truck with extended cabin and homebuilt lumber rack. ...
A roof tiled in imitation of thatch at Croyde, north Devon, England Rooftops in Vietnam Snow on the roof The roof, the top covering of a building, is one of the universal structures found on all buildings. ...
The tailgate is a door that can be moved up or down on a vehicle, such as a pick-up truck. ...
This article does not cite its references or sources. ...
Karl Benzs Velo (vélo means bicycle in French) model (1894) - entered into the first automobile race 2005 MINI Cooper S. An automobile (also motor car or simply car) is a wheeled passenger vehicle that carries its own motor. ...
The lift force, lifting force or simply lift consists of the sum of all the fluid dynamic forces on a body perpendicular to the direction of the external flow approaching that body. ...
In physics, the drag equation gives the drag experienced by an object moving through a fluid. ...
Auto racing (also known as automobile racing or autosport) is a sport involving racing automobiles. ...
A Honda NSX sports car A TVR Tuscan sports car A sports car is a car designed for sporting performance above utility. ...
Spoilers for automobiles are often incorrectly confused with, or even used interchangeably with wings. Automotive wings are devices whose intended design is to actually generate downforce as air passes around them, not simply disrupt existing airflow patterns. The term downforce describes the downward pressure created by the aerodynamic characteristics of a racing car that allow it to travel faster through a corner by holding the car to the track or road surface. ...
Operation
Spoilers generally work by disrupting the airflow going over a moving vehicle. This disruption's primary purpose is to reduce the amount of lift or turbulence naturally generated by the shape of the vehicle while it is moving.
In cars, the result is increasing the contact between the tire and the road surface, thereby increasing traction. This increase in traction allows a vehicle in motion to brake, turn, and accelerate with more stability. Additionally, this is accompanied by an increase in aerodynamic drag.
In nearly all cases, drag increases as the speed of the vehicle increases. Thus, some spoilers that are effective at very low speeds often generate excessive drag at high speeds, and spoilers that work well at high speeds are often ineffective while moving slowly.
Racing Spoilers are almost always ignored in racing applications in favor of wings. Wings create a directed and deliberate effect on handling and downforce, and typically by design can be adjusted to suit the needs of the vehicle. A notable exception is in NASCAR where the vehicles have a roof spoiler that deploys in the event of air flowing backwards across the car. This was added in recent years as a safety component to keep the vehicle from leaving the surface of the track if it spun out at high speed. This was likely to happen because the body of a NASCAR is designed to generate downforce, but if air flows in the opposite direction across something that generates downforce normally, it instead creates lift. Spinouts would typically result in the car facing backwards for a brief moment before lift took the car off the ground & sent it flying or rolling. A similar device is also adopted for drag racing funny cars. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...
Passenger vehicles Spoilers have become increasingly popular on all types of consumer vehicles mainly for styling reasons. However, modern passenger vehicles, which are mostly front-wheel drive, have debatable gains from any theoretical increase in traction that might be provided by a rear spoiler simply because of the low speeds the vehicle reaches on public roads. Some spoilers are of a purely cosmetic design & are used only to enhance the vehicles appearance. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x569, 226 KB) A 1991 SW20 (second generation) Toyota MR2 Turbo with aftermarket components. ...
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x569, 226 KB) A 1991 SW20 (second generation) Toyota MR2 Turbo with aftermarket components. ...
The Toyota MR2 is a two-seat, mid-engined, rear wheel drive sports car produced by Toyota from 1984 until July 2007 when production stops in Japan, in three different design series. ...
To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...
Front-wheel drive is the most common form of engine/transmission layout used in modern passenger cars, where the engine drives the front wheels. ...
Newer light trucks can sometimes be seen with spoilers affixed to either the roof of the cab, or the back of the bed near the tailgate.
Sports cars are most commonly seen with spoilers, such as the Ford Mustang, Subaru Impreza WRX, or Chevrolet Corvette. Even though these vehicles typically have a more rigid chassis and a stiffer suspension to aid in high speed maneuverability, a spoiler can still be beneficial. This is because, at high speed, the airflow over the top of the car tends to create a low pressure area towards the rear which destabilises the back end of the car, reducing traction and increasing instability (see Bernoulli effect). The spoilers on what are viewed as "serious" sports cars, designed to different requirements than more pedestrian cars, are designed to reduce lift and in a few cases even providing a modest amount of downforce. The Ford Mustang is an automobile produced by the Ford Motor Company, originally based on the Ford Falcon compact. ...
For the high-performance version of the Impreza WRX, see the Subaru Impreza WRX STI The Subaru Impreza WRX, also colloquially known as a WRX (Rex) is a turbocharged version of the Subaru Impreza, an all-wheel drive automobile. ...
The Chevrolet Corvette is the sports car that has been manufactured by Chevrolet since 1953. ...
Bernoullis principle states that in fluid flow, an increase in velocity happens simultaneously with decrease in Dutch/Swiss mathematician/scientist Daniel Bernoulli, though it was previously understood by Leonhard Euler and others. ...
Another design goal of a spoiler is to reduce drag and increase fuel efficiency. Many vehicles have a fairly steep downward angle going from the rear edge of the roof down to the trunk or tail of the car. Air flowing across the roof tumbles over this edge at higher speeds, causing flow separation. The flow of air becomes turbulent and a low-pressure zone is created, increasing drag. Adding a spoiler at the very rear of the vehicle makes the air "see" a longer, gentler slope from the roof to the spoiler, which helps to eliminate flow separation. This decreases drag, increases fuel economy, and helps keep the rear window clear. The Toyota Prius has this type of spoiler, as well as some SUVs (especially hybrids) and minivans.
Other Vehicles Heavy trucks, like long haul tractors, may also have a spoiler dome on the top of the cab in order to eliminate drag cause from air resistance from the trailer it's towing, which may be taller than the cab and provide a very non-aerodynamic effect. These spoilers primarily increase fuel economy instead of improve handling, however.
Trains may use spoilers, both as a way to reduce or induce drag (like an air brake). A new prototype Japanese commuting train, the FASTECH 360 is designed to reach speeds of 250 mph. Its nose is specifically designed to spoil a wind effect associated with passing through tunnels, and it can deploy 'ears' which act to slow the train in case of emergency by increasing its drag. A FASTECH 360 S at Sendai station. ...
Related terms |
Feeds |
Contact