Topic Title

[Mark F. Madura]

Here's a post #331 on page 22. Where does the link take you?

Here's a post #331 on page 22. Where does the link take you?

This works perfectly!!! The link brings me straight to your post ... the first unread one.

Again, thank you so much, Mark!!!

I'm building a quarter scale model of the CarBEN EV:











I have a little problem: the thinner foam is sold as 1/2" thick, but in reality it is over 9/16", so the horizontal scale of the front and to a lesser extent the back, are longer than intended. You can see the longitudinal section at about the floor height that is the intended length. I'm gonna' be doing some carving, and filling -- I kind of like the extra length, and this model is for aerodynamic testing (I'm going to make a small wind tunnel!) and I'll see how it works, and go from there.

Way cool, Neil! Thanks for sharing the update on your "project car"!

A lot of smoothing has now been done:

Finally, some useful-ish results doing tuft testing with three leaf blowers!



Click on thumbnail for a link to the album. Some photos are with flash, so they freeze the tufts, and some are without, so some of their motion is apparent.

Wanna get serious?
This is where you click
http://www.colruytgroup.be/colruytgroup ... de_e.shtml
Note the driver access.......

There are a lot of large improvements available for large trucks, aero drag reduction is a huge part of it.

Here's some new images of my CarBEN EV:




The roof just above the windshield is much smoother now; and there are two hard chines on the hatch; which I like because along with the "spine" on the hatch, they tie into the three hard chines on the hood and front fenders.

I am really debating whether or not I elongate the hood. like the 1/4 scale model. The foam in the front section was supposed to be 1/2" thick, but was in fact over 9/16", so it "grew". I like the looks of this, but I think the air flow of the shorter hood (in the SketchUp model) will be better -- because it will accelerate the air more quickly out and around the car, it then will close down more quickly, and this will help the air stay attached, and lower the drag, all else being equal I think?

The extraordinary thing about this truck is that the Colruyt Group is a supermaket chain. They assembled their own engineering team to develop the truck they wanted. God knows where they got the battery.......

Nick, I am missing the method of entry you are referring to on the hybrid truck? I'm also interested that it is a serial hybrid; kind of like a train locomotive.

Nick, I am missing the method of entry you are referring to on the hybrid truck?

I'm sure you are not missing anything. It is so obvious, so practical, and so conventional, that it can't even be called a secret in plain sight. Caterpillar are also into diesel-electric, but no battery power.

This the latest / final version of CarBEN EV (which will use the windshield of the Smart ForTwo) that I will be starting to build -- a full size working prototype.

Email me if you are interested in the project, or if you would like a copy of the SketchUp 3D model.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYWGc4GpL7o

I'm buying a 3-axis CNC machine to produce the 2" thick EPS foam sections, that I will glue up (site plan style!) and then smooth out the steps, and then fiberglass inside and outside to form a strong and light and thermally insulated car chassis:

http://www.phlatboyz.com/Phlatprinter-3-Kit_p_9.html

This is going to be a lot of fun! Especially having an electric car that seats 5 people and should be able to go 300-400 miles (or more!) on a single charge.

Neil -

This is so cool - congratulations on being at this point, ready to prove that your theories and planning are dead on!

I think I can speak for everyone on this forum as well as the DBUG forum in wishing you the best of luck as you continue forward with this!!

(remember us when you're famous!)

Thanks for the kind words. I am going to have a bit of a learning curve with the Phlatprinter 3 -- I will need to reimport the 2" sections back into SketchUp (easy with X3) and use a plugin that they provide to generate the gcode (which is the "language" of the Phlatprinter) and then use the PlanetCNC program they provide to drive the printer. This will be 3D output -- so the surfaces that can be shaped on the 3 axis can be smoothed. This will save about half of the manual shaping, which will be a time saver.

Oh, I found out that this Le Mans race car from the 1960's has a Cd of just 0.12! It is the Panhard LM64:




More info and pictures here:

http://www.autodrome-cannes.com/cd_panhard_le_mans_64_english.htm

It has a 2-cylinder 1000cc engine and went 250kph or so in the Le Mans race. A cool class of cars they no longer have; light and very aerodynamic.