Vehicle drag occurs when the air pressure distribution around a vehicle changes for positive to negative. This occurs, when the high-pressure flow of air on the leading edge (i.e. the front) of a vehicle is cancelled out by the low pressure flow of air on trailing edge (i.e. the back) of the vehicle. Once oncoming air hits the vehicle, the flowfield is created and the boundary layer deemed “attached.” Immediately thereafter, the air within the boundary layer is subjected to adverse air pressure. As the flowfield moves along the vehicle in the “attached” state, adverse air pressure increases according to the APG of the vehicle. This increasing adverse air pressure causes the flowfield to slow down and lose momentum. When the flowfield loses all momentum it “separates.” Following the “point of separation” the ideal pressure distribution surrounding the vehicle is abated and a “low pressure wake” forms. Once this low pressure wake is formed the forces of drag sets in and the vehicle begins to slow.
Since drag on a vehicle begins to form at the “point of separation,” prolonging the amount of time that the flowfield is “attached” we can delay the point at which drag is formed and thus reduce the overall drag of any vehicle would normally encounter. A smooth surfaced vehicle in motion will generally have a Re below the critical marker of Re 3x105. To reduce that drag associated with Re below the critical market; one could increase the speed of the vehicle so as to raise the Re or one could trip the boundary layer by altering the smooth surface of the vehicle. Because increasing speed of a vehicle is not a safe or particle method "tripping" the boundary layer is the most viable option and this is exactly what FastSkinz™ does.
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