Mailing List flyrotary@lancaironline.net Message #4946
From: Ed Anderson <eanderson@carolina.rr.com>
Subject: Re: [FlyRotary] Re: Streamline Vs Parabolic Ducts/Diffusers
Date: Wed, 24 Dec 2003 14:29:01 -0500
To: Rotary motors in aircraft <flyrotary@lancaironline.net>
 
Sent: Wednesday, December 24, 2003 1:20 PM
Subject: [FlyRotary] Re: Streamline Vs Parabolic Ducts/Diffusers

Not sure I follow this correctly.  It sounds like you are saying the the performance of the parabolic is infearior to the streamlined.  From my perspective, the one that results in the maximum pressure at the face of the heat exchanger,  wins. 
  Isn't Pd more on the parabolic?  Who cares if it is a linear increase or not?   Or I may have missed something........
 
Tracy
 
 
Sorry, my fault, Tracy.  The scale for the dynamic pressure is on the right hand side of the charts and I used two unequal scales for dynamic pressure which made it appear that the parabolic was a bit on the better side.  The values for dynamic pressure were correct on both charts, its just that the different Y axis scales on the two different charts gave an erroneous impression.  I have made the scale the same on this set of charts and the difference is readily apparently - in favor of the streamline duct.
 
However, I am finding that there are other factors that apparently are even more significant than the type of duct.  Ignoring the wall curves for the moment, it appears that the ratio between inlet and core areas can be extremely crucial.  Also if the exit area is smaller than the core then that also has an important impact.  But, assuming the exit area is at least as large as the core, then there is a critical area ratio which if your intake/core area ratio is above that limit, losses are minimized, but if they go below this critical ratio then losses go up very quick and dramatically.  Unfortunately, that critical ratio is dependent on the pressure drop coefficient  of the core, so it is not as easy to come by as you would like.  I am trying to figure it out for the GM cores.
 
What also becomes clearer is that given sufficient air mass flow and surface area, just about any configuration will cool your engine.  The problem is that it will be larger and heavier than an optimum system design - perhaps much larger {:>).
 
Going to have to be more cautious when I protray something as the context makes all the difference in interpretation.
 
Ed
 
Ed Anderson
RV-6A N494BW Rotary Powered
Matthews, NC
eanderson@carolina.rr.com
 
Subscribe (FEED) Subscribe (DIGEST) Subscribe (INDEX) Unsubscribe Mail to Listmaster