2.8- Discussion- Aerodynamics

How are aerodynamics utilized outside aviation? What aspects of aerodynamics must managers in these fields know?

Aerodynamics plays a key role in many industrial design applications outside of aviation. For instance, even the most unassuming products such as pinewood derby cars, soapbox derby cars, bicycles, motorcycles, helmets, or locomotives have no application in flying, but still go through various aerodynamic tests and optimizations. Companies who design products that are utilized in different applications have employed engineers. The USA Olympic bobsled team, for example, hired engineers from BMW to designing the helmets and bobsleds that are used in training and competition.

Engineers dealing with applicable aerodynamic laws must have an understanding and be able to implement downforce, drag coefficients, thrust coefficients, and lift coefficients for nonflying products. The engineers at BMW that designed and built the USA Olympic bobsleds had an extensive understanding of the most prevalent aerodynamic force drag. Aerodynamic drag is force that is acting against acceleration. During the fabrication of the bobsleds and helmets, a wind tunnel is utilized to simulate different conditions that the bobsleds and helmets may encounter during practice or competition. Another force that engineers had to evaluate and understand with the design of the bobsled is downforce. Downforce is the force that presses an object in the direction of the ground” (George, 2009). “The purpose of downforce is to allow [the bobsled] to travel faster through a corner by increasing the vertical force on the [runners], thus creating more grip” (Downforce, 2014).

Reference

George, P. (2009, March 17). How Aerodynamics Work. Retrieved January 23, 2015, from http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-efficiency/fuel-economy/aerodynamics5.htm

Downforce. (2014, June 14). Retrieved January 23, 2015, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downforce