Aerodynamic

Current requirements for vehicles are more pronounced for warm conditions than for cold for many reasons e.g., improved aerodynamics, transversal placement of the motor, generally higher temperatures under the hood, such that the automobile manufacturers prefer a reduction, rather than increase in RVP. 

The functional requirements of the ablative heatshield must be well understood before selection of the proper material can occur. Ablative heatshield materials not only protect a vehicle from excessive heating, they also act as an aerodynamic body and sometimes as a stmctural component (2,3). Intensity and duration of heating, thermostmctural requirements and shape stabiUty (4,5), potential for particle erosion (6), weight limitations (7—10), and reusabiUty (11) are some of the factors which must be considered in selection of an ablative material. 

Fig. 2. A simplified material thermal performance analysis for a reentry vehicle thermal protection system where = density x surface recession thickness = total aerodynamic heat/heat of ablation ...

J. M. Beer and N. A. Chigier, Combustion Aerodynamics,John Wiley Sons, Inc., New York, 1972. 

Textile fibers can be air-formed ditectiy into end use configuration by including a shaped condensing surface or, as in the production of pillows, an air-permeable collection package. Aerodynamic web formation is a suitable means for processing brittie fibers such as glasses and ceramics, and stiff fibers such as metaUics and wood. 

Other routes to reachieving filament separation have been described and rely on mechanical or aerodynamic forces to affect separation. Figure 4 illustrates one method which utilizes a rotating deflector plane to force the filaments apart while depositing the opened filaments ia overlapping loops (25). After the splayed filaments fall to the deposition surface or forming screen, a suction from below the disposition surface holds the fiber mass in place. 

An aerodynamic wheel cover which includes a two sided circular cover, having an outer edge and an inner edge, and a central aperture. The wheel cover may be affixed by any number of adhesives deposited on one side of said aerodynamic wheel cover adjacent the wheel cover outer edge. The present invention also discloses a method of affixing the wheel cover of the present invention to wheels, the resulting wheels and vehicles. 

This invention relates generally to light weight covers used to increase the aerodynamic properties of wheels. More specifically, the present invention relates to covers for wheels capable of creating an aerodynamic effect by reducing the friction or drag across the surface of a wheel created by air flow. 

However, these systems fail to disclose an inexpensive means of easily improving the aerodynamic properties of a spoke wheel with minimal manual effort. As 65 can be seen, while any number of alternative wheel covers are available, these systems have certain shortcomings which have not yet been satisfied by the art. 

The present invention provides a wheel cover which improves the aerodynamic properties of the hub-rim-spoke wheels. The wheel cover of the present invention is preferably made of a light weight synthetic or natural polymer, fabric or paper film which is adhesively applied to a wheel through simple manual application. In turn, the aerodynamic wheel cover of the present invention may also be easily removed and replaced to allow on-road repairs of spoke, hub, or rim. 

A heat shrinkable aerodynamic wheel cover comprising... 

The aerodynamic wheel cover of claim 1 wherein said adhesive means comprises an adhesive selected from the group consisting of velcro, adhesive tape, or an adhesive resin. 

The aerodynamic wheel cover of claim 4, wherein said thermoplastic adhesive comprise a pressure sensi- 55 tive adhesive. 

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