Date: Sun, 29 Jul 2007 15:44:24 -0400
Reply-To: mathew Bennett <matsuwesty@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: mathew Bennett <matsuwesty@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject: Re: Van aerodynamics and high output alternators
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That could work and if the enclosure of your trailer (not the tongue, the
storage part) were close enough, you wouldn't need any type of winglets.
The air would just flow off the top/sides of the van and continue
over/around the trailer (shades of racecar drafting techniques).
Matt
Matsuwesty Adventures website: http://home.earthlink.net/~matsuwesty
FAVOR website: http://home.earthlink.net/~clubvanagon
Yahoo FAVOR website: http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/vanagon_club
> [Original Message]
> From: Sudhir Desai <sudhir.desai@gmail.com>
> To: mathew Bennett <matsuwesty@earthlink.net>
> Cc: <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
> Date: 7/29/2007 3:22:52 PM
> Subject: Re: Van aerodynamics and high output alternators
>
> I remember some time ago, there were links to trailers with winglets
> on their rear side/top surfaces. Somewhat like what the "new" mitsu
> evo-9 has on the trailing edge of its roof.
>
> On 7/29/07, mathew Bennett <matsuwesty@earthlink.net> wrote:
> > I have been reading the info about van aerodynamics with great
interest, as
> > I have been doing some brainstorming of my own in this regard. The
idea of
> > an under body pan under the engine is intriguing. Also, the idea of
> > rounding the rear of the van has been something I've thought about and
the
> > best idea I can some up with that won't look odd and will provide some
> > manner of practical use would be a trailer. The trailer can have a
rounded
> > rear, it can be as long as you want it to be, it can be removed when you
> > don't need it, and you can even attach a "bellows" between the trailer
and
> > the rear of the van to not allow air to become trapped between the van
and
> > the trailer. It won't help our rear vision issue, but you could use a
lower
> > trailer that would allow some rear vision (with no bellows) and make it
long
> > enough to allow the air flow to smooth out off the back of the van. I
have
> > a tandem kayak on the roof-rack of my Westy frequently and when it's
> > inverted with most of the kayak off the back of the van (compared to the
> > front), it makes the van much more stable in crosswinds and my gas
mileage
> > increases by about 1-2 mpg. It is acting like the tail of an airplane
to
> > stabilize the van and it also allows the air over the roof to smoothly
go
> > over the roof instead of creating turbulence.
> > Regarding high-output alternators: make sure you find out what the rpm
range
> > (of your motor, not the alternator) is for charging. Many of these
> > high-output alternators will put out tons of amps at higher rpms, but
when
> > you are idling they actually discharge your battery. Also, many of
these
> > high-output alternators can damage your electronics in your vehicle.
They
> > can come on with a large current pulse that will damage ECU's, radios,
> > relays, etc, they can actually create more problems than they fix.
Many do
> > not have "ramp-style" voltage regulators that will protect your
electronics.
> > By ramp-style, I mean that the alternator output comes on gradually,
not
> > suddenly. It's generally less than a second, but enough time to allow
your
> > sensitive electronics to take the increase in input and not be fried by
a
> > large pulse of energy.
> > Just my 4 cents (adjusted inflation),
> >
> > Matt
> >
> >
> > Matsuwesty Adventures website: http://home.earthlink.net/~matsuwesty
> > FAVOR website: http://home.earthlink.net/~clubvanagon
> > Yahoo FAVOR website: http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/vanagon_club
> >
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