Re: Hydroplaning

[frank@zk3.dec.com]

  >> Seriously, I'm curious why inflation pressure is the primary factor.
      ...
  >Tire pressure determines the downward force that is exerted on the water.
  >You need this force to accelerate and move the water out of the way.
      ...
  >To drive in the rain without hydroplaning you need a small tire contact
  >patch (high pressure, high force per unit area) and low speed.

Now this is starting to make some sense.  Perhaps the original post
( sqrt(pressure) *  9 ) originated with a vehicle whose contact patch was
proportional to inflation pressure such that this formula was found to
hold (ie, derived empirically).

For a different tire and vehicle weight, the contact patch woule also vary
with inflation pressure, but by a different constant of proportionality
(assuming it *is* constant).  That means the formula given could not be
expected to hold for a different tire+vehicle, although a relation of
identical form exists, and would have to be derived emprircally for every
such combination.

In other words, for *your* car it might be:  sqrt(press) * 12 or something.

-- 
--Doug

Douglas Frank  Digital Equipment Corp.
ZKO            110 Spit Brook Rd.
DTN 384-0501   Nashua, NH  USA  03062-2711

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