Tubercles lower stalling airspeed?

[RichardFreytag]

This article: http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/213475
claims that the tuburcles on the leading edge of whale fins actually
improve efficiency in fluid by lowering stall speed. I expect someone
here might have a good sense if this has any likelihood of working.

[bumper]

"RichardFreytag" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> This article: http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/213475
> claims that the tuburcles on the leading edge of whale fins actually
> improve efficiency in fluid by lowering stall speed. I expect someone
> here might have a good sense if this has any likelihood of working.
>



I'm not so sure, Richard. I remember about a decade ago there was an
independent double-blind study done on the aerodynamics of humpback whales.
Best they could achieve was an L/D of about 0/1 when dropped from 10,000
feet.

bumper
Minden, NV
ZZ

[[email protected]]

On May 14, 12:37 pm, "bumper" > wrote:
> "RichardFreytag" > wrote in message
>
> ups.com...
>
> > This article:http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/213475
> > claims that the tuburcles on the leading edge of whale fins actually
> > improve efficiency in fluid by lowering stall speed. I expect someone
> > here might have a good sense if this has any likelihood of working.
>
> I'm not so sure, Richard. I remember about a decade ago there was an
> independent double-blind study done on the aerodynamics of humpback whales.
> Best they could achieve was an L/D of about 0/1 when dropped from 10,000
> feet.
>
> bumper
> Minden, NV
> ZZ

As I recall pretty much came out about the same as a bowl of petunias.

[Ralph Jones[_2_]]

On Mon, 14 May 2007 16:37:06 GMT, "bumper" >
wrote:

>
>"RichardFreytag" > wrote in message
ups.com...
>> This article: http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/213475
>> claims that the tuburcles on the leading edge of whale fins actually
>> improve efficiency in fluid by lowering stall speed. I expect someone
>> here might have a good sense if this has any likelihood of working.
>>
>
>
>
>I'm not so sure, Richard. I remember about a decade ago there was an
>independent double-blind study done on the aerodynamics of humpback whales.
>Best they could achieve was an L/D of about 0/1 when dropped from 10,000
>feet.

But they did achieve a successful calibration of the Norden
Whalesight.

rj

[Nyal Williams]

Whale of a 'tail.'



At 17:30 14 May 2007, Ralph Jones wrote:
>On Mon, 14 May 2007 16:37:06 GMT, 'bumper'
>wrote:
>
>>
>>'RichardFreytag' wrote in message
ups.com...
>>> This article: http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/213475
>>> claims that the tuburcles on the leading edge of whale
>>>fins actually
>>> improve efficiency in fluid by lowering stall speed.
>>> I expect someone
>>> here might have a good sense if this has any likelihood
>>>of working.
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>I'm not so sure, Richard. I remember about a decade
>>ago there was an
>>independent double-blind study done on the aerodynamics
>>of humpback whales.
>>Best they could achieve was an L/D of about 0/1 when
>>dropped from 10,000
>>feet.
>
>But they did achieve a successful calibration of the
>Norden
>Whalesight.
>
>rj
>

[Shawn[_3_]]

wrote:
> On May 14, 12:37 pm, "bumper" > wrote:
>> "RichardFreytag" > wrote in message
>>
>> ups.com...
>>
>>> This article:http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/213475
>>> claims that the tuburcles on the leading edge of whale fins actually
>>> improve efficiency in fluid by lowering stall speed. I expect someone
>>> here might have a good sense if this has any likelihood of working.
>> I'm not so sure, Richard. I remember about a decade ago there was an
>> independent double-blind study done on the aerodynamics of humpback whales.
>> Best they could achieve was an L/D of about 0/1 when dropped from 10,000
>> feet.
>>
>> bumper
>> Minden, NV
>> ZZ
>
> As I recall pretty much came out about the same as a bowl of petunias.



Oh no, not again.

[Paul Repacholi]

RichardFreytag > writes:

> This article: http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/213475
> claims that the tuburcles on the leading edge of whale fins actually
> improve efficiency in fluid by lowering stall speed. I expect someone
> here might have a good sense if this has any likelihood of working.

Was worked on in the wind tunnel by one of the east coast US unis, Princton?,
and they got up to about a 28deg AoA with a perspex replica of a Humpback fin.

[Bob Kuykendall]

Earlier, RichardFreytag > wrote:

> This article:http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/213475
> claims that the tuburcles on the leading edge of whale fins actually
> improve efficiency in fluid by lowering stall speed...

Lower the stall speed? Probably. I can see them having the same effect
as adding typical blade-type turbulators in that regard.

Improve efficiency? It depends on what your measure of efficiency is.
I strongly doubt that it could make any improvement in best L/D. My
guess would tend the other way. I'd reckon that sucker-punching your
boundary layer is a sure ticket for a trip through the weeds.

Thanks, Bob K.
http://www.hpaircraft.com/hp-24