Bernouilli's principle and downforces

[OCCxlr8ed]

Ok need some help here with downforce:

So far what i understand is that due to the different areas which air have to cover, when it goes over a surface with a larger area at the same time where the otherside has a smaller area the top will have a greater velocity and due to Bernoullis Principle it will have a decrease in pressure.

Vice-versa for the bottom side.

What i don't understand is how the force is applied?

From Wikipedia.org i found this image here:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/math/6/5/b/65b94fadeb8c96552b6242d37ed84efb.png

Which is the equation for determining Lift. Would downforce just be negative lift? Another two things which i don't understand in that equation is the "frontier of the domain? and the last three terms.

Is there a simple way of explaining downforce using Bernoulli's Principle and say the equation for Pressure; P=F/A ?

There is also the variable of "angle of attack" which i understand to be the angle at which the air "hits" the object.

Thanks.

 

[Nate810]

Downforce is created by the difference in air pressure above and below an object. The air pressure below the object is greater than the air pressure above the object, resulting in a net downward force. This effect is achieved by increasing the area of the surface exposed to the air on the bottom of the object, creating a larger surface area for the air to pass over. As the air passes over the object and encounters the larger surface area, it is forced to slow down and therefore experiences a decrease in pressure. This decrease in pressure below the object creates a relative increase in pressure above the object, resulting in a net downward force. The angle of attack affects the magnitude of the downforce generated, as the angle of attack increases, the area of the bottom surface exposed to the air increases, resulting in a greater difference in air pressure and thus greater downforce.

 

[kyle8921]

Dear reader,

Thank you for your interest in Bernoulli's principle and its application to downforce. I can provide some clarification and explanation on this topic.

Firstly, let's define Bernoulli's principle. It states that in an ideal fluid (a fluid with no viscosity or internal friction), an increase in the speed of the fluid results in a decrease in pressure. This means that when air flows over a surface, the faster-moving air on top will have lower pressure compared to the slower-moving air on the bottom.

Now, let's apply this concept to downforce. Downforce is a downward force that is created by the air flowing over a surface, such as a car or an airplane wing. As you correctly mentioned, this is due to the difference in air velocity and pressure between the top and bottom surfaces.

To understand how this force is applied, let's look at the equation you mentioned for determining lift. Lift is the force that is created when air flows over a surface and is directed perpendicular to the direction of the airflow. Downforce, on the other hand, is a negative lift force that is directed opposite to the lift force. So, yes, downforce can be considered as negative lift.

Now, let's break down the equation for lift. The first term, (ρ/2) v^2, represents the dynamic pressure of the air, where ρ is the density of the air and v is the velocity of the air. The next term, S, is the surface area of the object. The last three terms, C_L, α, and A, represent the lift coefficient, angle of attack, and aspect ratio, respectively. These are all factors that affect the generation of lift and can be calculated based on the shape and orientation of the object.

To explain downforce using the equation for pressure (P=F/A), we can say that the decrease in pressure on the top surface of the object creates a pressure difference between the top and bottom surfaces, resulting in a net downward force (downforce). This force is then divided by the surface area to get the pressure.

Lastly, the angle of attack is indeed the angle at which the air hits the object. This angle can be adjusted to control the amount of lift or downforce generated.

I hope this explanation has helped you understand Bernoulli's principle and its application to downforce. Keep exploring and learning about this fascinating topic!