Construct · 1 fields · 2 citations

downforce: a standalone construct

One name. One construct. A landmark on the map.

● anchor · one construct, one field Nearest construct by meaning·not indexed
downforce1 CONSTRUCTDownforceKATZ · NEGATIVE LIFT

A single standalone construct; nearby constructs are located against it in the Collider. Tap a field for its definition, unit, and measures.

Motorsport aerodynamics

Airflow is shaped to push the car down for grip

Downforce is the downward aerodynamic force a race car generates by shaping its bodywork, wings, and underbody so that air moving over and under the car produces a net push toward the road rather than lift. That extra vertical load presses the tyres into the surface and raises the grip available for cornering, braking, and traction, which is why it is the central aerodynamic objective of a race car even though it costs some drag. Katz's 2006 review Aerodynamics of race cars and his book Race car aerodynamics set out how inverted wings, diffusers, and ground effect create this negative lift and how designers trade it against drag. The referent is the car's aerodynamically generated vertical load, measured as a (negative) lift coefficient and as added tyre grip, and it is the inverse of the lift that keeps an aircraft aloft.[1][2]

Unit
The downward aerodynamic load on the car, as a negative lift coefficient and added tyre load
Recovery means
Not applicable
Measured by
Measured by the lift (downforce) coefficient from wind-tunnel, CFD, or on-track testing, and by the lift-to-drag ratio of the aerodynamic package

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Nearby constructs

slipstream3 fields · 5 citationsinvariant · one construct, three systemsground effect2 fields · 2 citationsinvariant · one construct, two systemsbook1 fields · 1 citationsanchor · a standalone construct

References

  1. Katz, J. (2006). Aerodynamics of race cars. Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics, 38(1), 27–63. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.fluid.38.050304.092016
  2. Katz, J. (1995). Race car aerodynamics: Designing for speed. Robert Bentley. ISBN 9780837601427

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