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Isaac Merritt
Professor Jizi
UWRT 1103
17 November 2015
Annotated Works Cited
"How Do Vortex Generators Work?" YouTube. KYLE.DRIVES, 3 July 2014. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Whd_KnsLKE>.
In this video, the author discusses vortex generators and the aerodynamic affects they
have on cars. He talks about how they work conceptually, how they function in different
applications, the different types of vortex generators, as well as the benefits and drawbacks. He
even builds a demonstration as a proof of concept to back up his claims. The videos creator uses
the Mitsubishi Evo to show an application of vortex generators. Normally on a race car, having
the spoiler (a device used to create aerodynamic downforce and push the car into the ground for
better traction) placed below the roofline reduces effectiveness. Adding vortex generators at the
top of the rear window causes the air flowing over the vehicle to hug the contour of the car and
increase the effectiveness of the spoiler. This in turn means more air flowing over the wing and
more downforce.
This video is relevant to my topic because an air intake needs to be aerodynamically
optimized for peak flow. Being a pipe, the flow characteristics of an air intake are similar to a
river. When water in a river flows through a bend, all the water rushes to the outside side creating
a low-current zone on the interior of the corner. This is why bends in the air intake system are
bad, even if they are necessary. What vortex generators do, is they allow the current of the
stream to follow the contour of the pipe. This creates a better use of the interior space of the pipe
and ultimately a more effective intake. Vortex generators work on the same premise as dimples
on a golf ball which is why I chose an article on that as well.

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This is a credible source because as the videos creator said from the start, he is an
engineer working in the field that deals with this exact subject. He also has connections and
resources from this field which he features in other videos. He has not only been educated on this
subject, he is also a researcher and you can see this from the demonstration wing built for this
video. He has even looked into less credible sources to dispute their validity. The article is also
fairly recent.

Munnell, Luke. "Can Certain Performance Air Intakes Decrease Power? - Fact Or Fiction." Super Street
Online. Super Street Online, 9 June 2010. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.
<http://www.superstreetonline.com/how-to/engine/impp-1007-performance-air-intakes/>.
The most important part of an air intake is the filter. This is also a huge source of debate
in the car community because filter companies make wild claims and its very hard for people to
test them at home. This article talks primarily about cold air intakes, filters, and other aspects of
aerodynamics involved with my subject. These magazine actually tested the filters themselves on
a dynamometer. They saw that the longer the tube, the bigger the power increase.
The results seem to confirm my own personal experience as well as add validity to my
other sources. As a proof of concept, its interesting to see what features have the most effect on
power gain and optimization. It seems like lengthening the system and a velocity stack had the
biggest effect on power gain.
This article was written by the editors of several car magazines. They actually went out
and conducted the experiment. They posted their results with graphs and backed up their claims.
The article was fairly recent and showed no signs of being fake.

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"Science of Golf: Why Golf Balls Have Dimples." YouTube. USGA, 22 May 2014. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkaLsVOrBk0>.
This video discussed a similar subject to the other video. It talked about the aerodynamic
advantage created from dimpling a golf ball. When a smooth ball flies through the air, a small
low pressure area is created behind the ball which creates a vacuum and slows the ball down.
Dimples act like small vortex generators and reduce this low pressure areas. Dimpling or
roughing up surfaces increases aerodynamic properties in some cases.
Ive seen some products designed for air intakes that have dimples like a golf ball. It
makes sense that this would create a more aerodynamic ball. The video mentioned that early
golfers roughed up their balls for better performance. I wonder if taking a scotch-bright pad to
the smooth aluminum pipe I use for my intakes would have a similar effect. Theres a lot from
this video I can repurpose for my own means. In addition to roughing up surfaces, I could use
dimples to reduce low pressure zones inside the manifold.
This video was created by the USGA one year ago. Its not only reputable, the video is
recent. Theres not really a way to fake professional production quality and that quality is
definitely there. Even though an individual author was not listed, I do not have a problem
trusting this source because its obvious a professional production team made the video.

Smith, Philip Hubert, and Timothy Cunliffe Millington. Tuning for Speed and Tuning for Economy.
Cambridge, MA: R. Bentley, 1972. Print.
The chapter I was looking at in this book was the chapter dealing with induction. In this chapter
the author addresses the purpose of the induction pipe (air intake), ways to restore areas that
cause little drops in power, and the types of carburetors along with how to service them. The

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book has a lot of information that is not really important anymore. However, the fundamentals it
addresses are the same. For example, slightly warped manifolds and broken vacuum lines are
still two very common sources of power loss. Additionally, even though carburetors no longer
come standard on cars, the chapter goes into detail about proper mixing of air and fuel, as well as
the proper ratios of air to fuel. These subjects are incredibly important to all 4 stroke combustion
engines and are fundamentally crucial.
Everyone just assumes that all these things are in a good working order when they
modify a car. This book provides a great checklist of items to look for when trying to give the
engine back every ounce of power. The 70s were an interesting time for cars. Even though
carburetors were on their way out, catalytic converters, vacuum powered devices, and emissions
standards were beginning their miserable reign. People needed to know how to deal with the new
devices on cars which is why this book was on its fourth edition.
Even though this book is from 1970, the information is still more than relevant. Engines
have not fundamentally changed since then very much. I am looking at this book for
fundamentals which have not changed since the 50s. The writer is a figure with multiple majors
and titles in this field. The information is still relevant even though engines have changed.

Thawley, John, and Steve Smith. Racing the Small Block Chevy. 4th ed. Santa Ana, CA: Smith
Autosports, 1977. Print.
This source talks about the tuning of intake manifolds. It gives specific product
recommendations and tells you how to make the most power for the investment. It talks about
fundamentals and gives a realistic approach to tuning engines at home. The book says in short
that to learn to juggle youre going to have to drop a few balls. You can gain a lot of power from

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reprofiling the inside of an intake manifold but you can also lose power just as easily. Porting
and polishing an intake should be left to professionals but there is still stuff that can be done at
home. For example, making sure the intake runners are lined up with the ports on the engine can
boost power. Also grinding away casting marks will benefit the engine greatly. The book stays
along those lines and gives several other examples.
A lot of times the recommendations tuning shops give for upgrading engines are very
hard to complete. I dont have a dynamometer or a flow bench. This book seems to understand
that and gives tips that I can actually easily put into practice. This book also tells the reader what
not to try which is important. Time is money, and even though Im not spending any money
wasting my time, Im still wasting time that could be spent making money. In short this book
gives directions to the reader that cut the crap and offer new insight.
This is a credible source because its written from the perspective of small block Chevy
modification for the purpose of stock cars. Sprint cars have been using the same style of engine
for a very long time. Modern cars use overhead cams whereas stock cars have rods. This
fundamental difference means that the information in this book is not only still relevant, it is still
up to date. Additionally this book was written by an auto sports company. This company makes a
living modifying engines and has photos to back up their claims which come from years of
experience. The book is also in its fourth edition which means that the information was up to
date for the time. All in all, its an older source, but it is accurate in its material.