Ford’s Electric Wind Technology: Revolutionizing Automotive Aerodynamics
Automobile manufacturer Ford is working on a cutting-edge aerodynamic technology known as electric wind, with the intention of making automobiles more aerodynamically efficient. Through the utilization of electrodes, voltage, and air, this technology is capable of managing and accelerating air. According to a patent that was found at the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Ford has the intention of utilizing this electrohydrodynamic phenomenon in order to maximize the aerodynamic efficiency of automobiles.
The Science Behind Electric Wind
The science behind electric wind involves using a sharp point as an electrode, which results in the creation of a stronger electric field that can ionize the air around the tip, resulting in the formation of a faint purple jet of plasma on the electrode tip. The process generates ionized air molecules that have the same polarity as the charged tip, which causes the cloud to be repelled and results in the formation of a wind that is emanating from the electrode’s highest point.
Ford Achieves Superior Air Manipulation Efficiency
Ford suggests a number of potential applications around the vehicle, including the acceleration of air into an S-duct or under a splitter, the spitting of air out the back of the underside of the vehicle, and the enhancement of the aerodynamic efficiency of wing mirrors, wheelhouses, brake ducts, intakes, vents, and active aero systems that are already in place. Ford was able to manipulate air in a manner that was even more efficient than Gordon Murray’s T.50, in spite of the absence of obvious flaps, vents, or wings. This was accomplished by carefully applying this electric wind to key areas of the vehicle.
Future Electric Wind Technology Adoption
Despite the fact that there are a few drawbacks, such as the difficulty of controlling the cost of such an innovative technology, it is possible that steps have already been taken in the form of a low-volume supercar. There is a possibility that the Mustang GTD incorporates ionic and electric wind, but the Blue Oval has not disclosed all of the aerodynamic tricks that are at play in the vehicle. The system could be speed-activated in order to prevent excessive noise; however, taking into consideration the reduction in weight, the absence of vibrations, and the packaging requirements of fans, this technology might eventually find its way into family cars, trucks, delivery vans, and other vehicles, among other things.
