Ever Wondered How the W-Duct Works?

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Bob Bobbinz

Bob Bobbinz

Member
Feb 28, 2011
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Wonder no more

[video=youtube;GJ9cFis55xM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJ9cFis55xM&feature=g-vrec&context=G204df22RVAAAAAAAAAQ[/video]
 
Don't worry about that, it happens a lot. I just found this demo video and the whole concept really interesting and innovative and nobody else had anything to say about it. If your post gets some activity, all the better.

As I say, though, given how much it must be affected by cross winds and how little effect could be achieved by those tiny tubes, a lot of people think it's not real, at least not in that form. There's been an inordinate amount of speculation about front wing F-ducts with the inlet at the bases of supporting pillars and about rear wing F-ducts supported by apparently illegal slots in the rear wing.
 
The concept amazes me, and being passive much require a huge amount of tuning. I can see lots of things effecting it, especially following another car and being in the dirty air. It makes me think that it may not be an actual concept in use on cars but a cover story for the ride height system as you've said before. Not quite sure why when cornering you wold want to stall one side of the wing, surely that would unbalance the car?
 
Bob Bobbinz said:
Not quite sure why when cornering you wold want to stall one side of the wing, surely that would unbalance the car?
Click to expand...

I don't think it does. I think stalling (the air being pushed out under the wing) only occurs on a straight when the air's going in head on. In corners the left and right channels push the air out onto the top of the wing but only one side of it, to push the inside unloaded wheel into the ground.
 
Either way, I imagine increasing or decreasing downforce on once side or corner of the car mid turn would be the hardest aspect of the design to tune or for the drivers to adapt to. If it works it could be genius, but it looks like theres a lot of room for error. Do you think it's a genuine design or a cover story for something else?
 
Sadly, if it's real, I think think that particular system is probably an explanation of what Mercedes ran last October, to which, as you point out, the drivers found it very difficult to adapt. All these other front wing rumours are probably either smokescreens or a simple misunderstanding of what any apparent holes or inlets are meant to achieve.

The rear wing stalling mechanisms are more realistic, especially Red Bull's nose slot.
 
I find it a bit weird that any team would give thier opponents informatin on what they've done prior to the season (even then they'd try and keep it secret). We heard about the W-duct from Mercedes a month or so before the first testing, that makes me believe it either existed and didn't work, or doesn't exist at all.
 
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