Backdraft: Does drilling a hole in a convertible's windshield alleviate buffeting? [w/VIDEO]
It's amazing how something you can't see, such as the air around you, can have so much of an effect on what goes on while you're driving. Consider the impact of that invisible air when it wraps itself around the windshield when you're driving top-down in a convertible (honestly, is there any other way?).We've all been there: sun shining, cloudless skies, let's drop the lid and go for a ride. Now, if your noggin has a bowling-ball smooth finish, this isn't an issue; just smear on some sunscreen and go. But if you have, you know, hair, the air curling around behind you whips it around into a chaotic mess. Sure, you could wear a hat, but then you get hat head and need to sport that lid all day to keep it hidden and generally avoid ridicule.
Back in the 1980s, wind-blockers were developed, but these were often a pain in the neck to put in place. Plus, they look goofy. A team of Stanford engineering students has collaborated with their counterparts at the Technical University of Munich to develop a potential solution something they call OpenRoad. Essentially, it's a hole in the windshield. The idea in play here is quite simple: the air flowing through the center of the windshield creates a stream that prevents the air at the sides of the cockpit from curling back around.
Obviously a production version could be better integrated and actually route air from the front of the car rather than through the windshield, but the concept is beautifully simple and seems to work in the video. Check it out after the jump. Hat tip to Sarah
[Source: Stanford University]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Soccer Mom 3:02PM (7/26/2009)
Wind-blockers look goofy, but that thing on the dash adds some class to the vehicle!
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Protzenegger 3:48PM (7/26/2009)
Not to mention improves visibility!
Ligor 8:20PM (7/26/2009)
and all this time I though getting the wind in your hair and face was one of the reasons people liked convertible
Osprey 7:02AM (7/27/2009)
You mean that giant thing on the dash improves visibility? =)
Bird 7:32AM (7/27/2009)
Osprey:
I think that was sarcasm.
Osprey 7:59AM (7/27/2009)
Bird:
I thought he was talking about wind blockers..
SimbaDogg 8:40PM (7/27/2009)
sorry...the cute chick, being shot at night (seriously wtf) and that wild madonna like music got me thinking of things other than buffeting. be back later....
Farris 3:08PM (7/26/2009)
Um, the first 30 seconds of this made me think it was a porno. What's with that funky music? :D
I don't think drilling a hole in the windshield would be a good idea. Any kind of weak point like that would make it completely lose rigidity, and it wouldn't hold up at all in an accident.
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urdaddy 3:59PM (7/26/2009)
Yeah because nothing screams safety and rigidity like chopping the top half of your car off to make a convertible to begin with. . It won't make a difference in an accident other than first responders being distracted trying to figure out wth it is while you lay dying in your car.
Farris 4:08PM (7/26/2009)
Wow, the negativity was really needed there, thanks.
The windshield adds a significant amount of structural rigidity to a vehicle, which comes into play if there is any kind of accident (convertible or not). That's why it's so important to get it replaced if you have a crack that is spider-webbing.
why not the LS2LS7? 4:17PM (7/26/2009)
Only a fool gets in a moving vehicle anyway. Those things are dangerous! Obviously getting in a moving vehicle is just the first step to getting in a moving vehicle accident.
That's why I spend all my time at home in my parents' basement. Not going to get in any rollover accidents here. In fact if there is a tornado everyone will be running to room to be safe!
Mike P. 5:15PM (7/26/2009)
This is just a proof-of-concept prototype. A similar effect could probably be achieved by intake venting just below the windshield, or at the front of the car, ducted out through the center console--or even better (if it works), ducted out just behind the passenger seats.
Kyle 5:44PM (7/26/2009)
They couldnt have filmed that during the day right?
Redline 8:42PM (7/26/2009)
Firstly the video was REALLY corny, ugh. And secondly, I don't think it completely loses rigidity.
paul34 11:24PM (7/26/2009)
Just as a random FYI, the music is actually Madonna's "What It Feels Like For a Girl."
Hopefully this tidbit does not result in my mancard being revoked.
Ryan 11:29PM (7/26/2009)
My uncle has an SLK230 and its a convertible but there's no wind problems at all so why do u need to have some sort of venting through the windshield?
Mike P. 12:05AM (7/27/2009)
@Ryan
The SLK is a two seater and has a wind buffer right behind the driver and passenger headrest that prevents the wind from buffeting into the seating area. Can't do that in a four-seater, due to the back seats being there behind the front seats.
Jason 3:10PM (7/26/2009)
Can't the manufacturers of convertibles just figure out some way to vent the air through the center vents? Maybe a pop-up cowl vent or something? Wouldn't this be easier than blasting a large (and rather unsightly) vent on top of the dash and throught the windshield? That think looks terrible!
Seems like an even better answer IMHO.
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jpm100 4:48PM (7/26/2009)
My guess is that the problem isn't what the venting blows on. Its where the venting comes from that makes the difference.
Thunderdome 3:31PM (7/26/2009)
I would imagine that it's all about the volume of the air(i.e. air pressure) within the cabin area and not necessarily it's velocity. In the same way that the homer dome stays inflated even though you don't really FEEL the pressure when you're inside, this concept could be used to create a lil high pressure bubble in the cabin, but without the harsh velocity of a basic pass-thru.
Maybe something that channels air upward from under the seats and/or under the dash? Imagine about 2 dozen air hoses at strategic locations down around the floor. Each hose is blowing at the perfect PSI so that it's not bothersome, but it provides enough air to keep outside air from rushing in too quickly. A small air pump could suck in the air and regulate the PSI depending on speed and other factors like whether or not the windows are still up. Even ambient air pressure could be factored in.
But hey...ya know...a hole in the windshield works for as an aftermarket fix.
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