aerodynamic car

11.23.09

Improving Cars' Fuel Efficiency with Soap Bubbles

Monitoring helium-filled bubbles with the motion-tracking cameras used in videogame development gives engineers insight into aerodynamics that a wind tunnel can't

By Mike Spinelli Posted 09.01.2009 at 9:19 am 0 Comments

The wind tunnel is an invaluable tool for designing cars that can slice through the air with a minimum of drag. But a team of researchers in the UK are gleaning new aerodynamic insight from a more revealing medium: soap bubbles. Engineers at automotive research consultancy Mira rigged a system of motion-tracking cameras to track the movement of tiny, helium-filled soap bubbles as they swirl around a subject vehicle, capturing its airflow profile in more detail than a wind tunnel ever could.

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READ MORE ABOUT > aerodynamic car, aerodynamics, fuel efficiency, wind tunnel testing

Streamlined Auto Can Almost Fly

Long before aerodynamics became synonymous with a well-made auto, an airplane engineer realized that he could marry land and air design for a more efficient vehicle

Posted 04.26.2007 at 1:00 am 0 Comments

This aerodynamic car, designed by an airship engineer, used a sunken body and sleek back and rear vents to economize on gas and hit speeds of 80 miles an hour.

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READ MORE ABOUT > aerodynamic car, engineer