FastSkinz, MPG-Plus, Drag Reducing Technology for Vehicles, Vehicle Wraps

2009-11-05T12:12:00.001-06:00

FasSkinz article
http://www.greencarreports.com/blog/1018646_todays-mileage-tip-turn-your-car-into-a-shark

2009-11-05T11:57:00.001-06:00

Our most recent track testing of Fastskinz with Munbilla Motorsports was featured on The Disovery Channel Canada. Watch the piece here.
http://watch.discoverychannel.ca/#clip230383

2009-11-05T11:55:00.002-06:00

An article form Marketwire on the SkinzWraps MythBusters episode on The Discovery Channel.
http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Skinzwraps-Inc-1064119.html

2009-11-05T11:23:00.001-06:00

More articles on SkinzWraps at S.E.M.A.
http://www.importtuner.com/reviews/parts/0408_impp_power_gear/skinz_wraps.html

2009-11-05T11:19:00.001-06:00

SkinzWraps and S.E.M.A. in the New York Times. Click on the link to read the article.
http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/04/sema-trends-thats-a-wrap/

Biomimicry: Shark inspired "skin" for cars claims to improve MPG.

2009-10-22T14:02:00.002-05:00

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/01/biomimicry-skinzwraps-shark-skin-car-wrap-mpg-plus.php

Leslie Porterfield breaks the land speed record...again.

2009-10-22T12:51:00.000-05:00

http://www.cyrilhuzeblog.com/2009/09/10/leslie-porterfield-fastest-woman-on-2-wheels-again-and-again/

Dimpled Lexus LS 460L to Debut at U.S. Open

2009-10-22T12:40:00.000-05:00

http://lexusenthusiast.com/2009/06/10/dimpled-lexus-ls-460l-to-debut-at-u.s.-open/

U.S. Open Bound: Golf-Ball-Dimpled Lexus LS 460 L

2009-10-22T12:38:00.001-05:00

http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2009/06/us-open-bound-golfballdimpled-lexus-ls-460-l.html

MythBusters show reveals 11% increase in MPG with dimples

2009-10-22T12:32:00.003-05:00

http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/mythbusters-dirty-vs-clean-car/

Leslie Porterfield, Holder of Three Land-Speed Records.

2009-01-19T11:58:00.005-06:00

"I had excellent results with the FastSkinz on my motorcycles. Both bikes set records this year. I made several runs on the Honda at the Texas Mile. We had the opportunity to test all weekend, and change bodywork out for comparison. I had a consistent 3mph gain on top speed at the end of one mile. I put a second rider on the bike and did bodywork changes, with the same result. On my Hayabusa, I also noticed a change in the way it behaved. Normally at speeds at and above 200mph, the top of my windscreen would flex considerably. With the FastSkinz, I experienced no movement in my windse\creen. All of my bodywork on the motorcycle didn't experience as much movement from the wind. I am very impressed with the product, and plan on using it next season to set more world records."

-Leslie Porterfield, 2008 AMA Racing Female Rider of the Year, owner of High Five Cycles, and Holder Of Three Land-Speed Records.

www.leslieporterfield.com

About FastSkinz™

2008-12-23T12:46:00.005-06:00

FastSkinz, Inc. has created a drag reducing technology for vehicles through a patent pending, vehicle wrap material, called MPG-Plus™. MPG-Plus™ significantly reduces a vehicle’s drag by altering the distribution of air pressure surrounding the vehicle. The improved fuel economy of a vehicle wrapped in MPG-Plus™ as compared to the identical vehicle not wrapped is 18%-20% for traditional internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) and 20%-25% for gasoline hybrid vehicles (HOVs), plug hybrid vehicles (PHOVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs). The base film for MPG-Plus™ is considered by the industry experts to be one of the best vehicle wrap materials on the market. The base film can be converted within hours into MPG-Plus™. MPG-Plus is designed to work with all types of vehicles and is applied like a vehicle wrap.

* MPG-Plus™ is 100% American Made.
* MPG-Plus™ is both a “right now” and future solution.
* MPG-Plus™ has a minimum of a 5 year life span.
* MPG-Plus™ will immediately help with GHG reduction.
* MPG-Plus™ is available for immediate distribution.
* MPG-Plus™ is a low cost solution.
* MPG-Plus™ will create new jobs in America.
* MPG-Plus™ is ideal for HEVs, PHEVs and BEVs.

What is ATVM?

2008-12-23T12:43:00.001-06:00

SEC. 136. ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY VEHICLES MANUFACTURING INCENTIVE PROGRAM.

(a) Definitions- In this section:

(1) ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY VEHICLE- The term `advanced technology vehicle' means a light duty vehicle that meets--

(A) the Bin 5 Tier II emission standard established in regulations issued by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency under section 202(i) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7521(i)), or a lower-numbered Bin emission standard;

(B) any new emission standard in effect for fine particulate matter prescribed by the Administrator under that Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.); and

(C) at least 125 percent of the average base year combined fuel economy for vehicles with substantially similar attributes.

(2) COMBINED FUEL ECONOMY- The term `combined fuel economy' means--

(A) the combined city/highway miles per gallon values, as reported in accordance with section 32904 of title 49, United States Code; and

(B) in the case of an electric drive vehicle with the ability to recharge from an off-board source, the reported mileage, as determined in a manner consistent with the Society of Automotive Engineers recommended practice for that configuration or a similar practice recommended by the Secretary.

(3) ENGINEERING INTEGRATION COSTS- The term `engineering integration costs' includes the cost of engineering tasks relating to--

(A) incorporating qualifying components into the design of advanced technology vehicles; and

(B) designing tooling and equipment and developing manufacturing processes and material suppliers for production facilities that produce qualifying components or advanced technology vehicles.

(4) QUALIFYING COMPONENTS- The term `qualifying components' means components that the Secretary determines to be--

(A) designed for advanced technology vehicles; and

(B) installed for the purpose of meeting the performance requirements of advanced technology vehicles.

(b) Advanced Vehicles Manufacturing Facility- The Secretary shall provide facility funding awards under this section to automobile manufacturers and component suppliers to pay not more than 30 percent of the cost of--

(1) reequipping, expanding, or establishing a manufacturing facility in the United States to produce--

(A) qualifying advanced technology vehicles; or

(B) qualifying components; and

(2) engineering integration performed in the United States of qualifying vehicles and qualifying components.

(1) facilities and equipment placed in service before December 30, 2020; and

(2) engineering integration costs incurred during the period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act and ending on December 30, 2020.

(d) Direct Loan Program-

(1) IN GENERAL- Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and subject to the availability of appropriated funds, the Secretary shall carry out a program to provide a total of not more than $25,000,000,000 in loans to eligible individuals and entities (as determined by the Secretary) for the costs of activities described in subsection (b).

(2) APPLICATION- An applicant for a loan under this subsection shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require, including a written assurance that--

(A) all laborers and mechanics employed by contractors or subcontractors during construction, alteration, or repair that is financed, in whole or in part, by a loan under this section shall be paid wages at rates not less than those prevailing on similar construction in the locality, as determined by the Secretary of Labor in accordance with sections 3141-3144, 3146, and 3147 of title 40, United States Code; and

(B) the Secretary of Labor shall, with respect to the labor standards described in this paragraph, have the authority and functions set forth in Reorganization Plan Numbered 14 of 1950 (5 U.S.C. App.) and section 3145 of title 40, United States Code.

(3) SELECTION OF ELIGIBLE PROJECTS- The Secretary shall select eligible projects to receive loans under this subsection in cases in which, as determined by the Secretary, the award recipient--

(A) is financially viable without the receipt of additional Federal funding associated with the proposed project;

(B) will provide sufficient information to the Secretary for the Secretary to ensure that the qualified investment is expended efficiently and effectively; and

FastSkinz™ ATVM Qualification: Component Manufacturer

2008-12-23T12:41:00.001-06:00

FastSkinz, Inc. qualifies as a Component Manufacturer under Sec 136 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (ESIA), as amended. FastSkinz sole product is its patent pending vehicle wrap material MPG-Plus™.

Why the FastSkinz™ Technology Works:

2008-12-23T12:39:00.000-06:00

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.

Drag Terminology Defined

2008-12-23T12:34:00.001-06:00

Adverse Pressure Gradient: The Adverse Pressure Gradient (APG) is the rate at which the air pressure builds around a moving object. Many vehicles in the United States have an extreme APG; there is a direct correlation between extreme APG and poor gas mileage.

Flowfield: A “flowfield” represents all the airflow surrounding a vehicle while the vehicle is in motion. When oncoming air hits the vehicle, the air enters into and becomes part of the flowfield.

Within a vehicle’s flowfield resides a “boundary layer.” The boundary layer is an ultra thin layer of air that lies very close to the surface body of the vehicle while the vehicle is in motion. When the flowfield tightly surrounds the surface contours of the vehicle, the “boundary layer” is “attached.” When the flowfield does not tightly surround the surface contours of the vehicle, the boundary layer is “separated.” The break between the “attached” and “separated” boundary layer is called the “point of separation.” Following the “point of separation”, circulating vortices form and force the flowfield into an unstable “wake.”

Laminar Boundary Layer: In a laminar state, the airflow in the boundary layer flows smoothly and is considered ideal for reducing drag. The laminar state, however, is fragile and quickly separates when it is subjected to adverse pressure.

Turbulent Boundary Layer: In the turbulent state, the airflow in the boundary layers interacts or mixes at the surface of the vehicle. This “mixing” should technically result in higher drag, however, it actually results in less drag because the “mixing” increases the speed of the airflow within the boundary layer, which creates more forward momentum making the boundary layer more resistant to the adverse pressure thus extending the “point of separation.”

Reynolds Number (Re): The Reynolds Number (Re) is an equation that allows for the cross referencing of aerodynamic characteristics (including drag coefficient) between objects of different sizes that may move at different rates of speed. In sum, two different types of vehicles going at different speeds that experience the same Re will have the same drag coefficient. A detailed indexing of Re shows that there is a noticeable change in a smooth surface vehicle’s drag at a Re 3x10⁵. Above this Re, the drag coefficient is roughly a constant 0.1; below this Re, the drag coefficient is roughly a constant at 0.5. Re 3x10⁵is thus considered a critical maker, where air pressure around a smooth surfaced vehicle begins to change dramatically.

 = atmospheric density; V_� = velocity; l = reference length (in the case of a sphere, this variable is defined as the diameter);  = viscosity (or friction)

Transition Point: When the Re rises above 3x10⁵, the boundary layer naturally/automatically changes from “laminar” to “turbulent.” The point of this naturally occurring change is known as the “transition point.”

Tripping the Boundary Layer: The process of artificially changing the boundary layer from laminar to turbulent without reaching the transition point of Re 3x10⁵. This can be accomplished by apply FastSkinz MPG-Plus™ to a vehicle.

The Future of Vehicles

2008-12-23T12:26:00.005-06:00

As we move into 2009 and 2010, a paradigm shift will occur within U.S. policy, whereby the U.S. will focus extensively on its environmental and energy challenges. The transportation sector will likely garner the greatest attention. Focus will be placed on the serious reduction in petroleum consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions created by vehicles. Within the transportation sector, light duty fleet vehicles should produce the highest and fastest ROI for this forthcoming U.S. policy shift. Phasing in gasoline hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs) shows the greatest immediate and long-term promise. Phasing out older fleet vehicles will, however, take some time. FastSkinz™ drag reducing technology can help the new U.S. policies reach their goals. FastSkinz drag reducing technology can be utilized both on existing fleets and with future HEVs,PHEVs and BEVs. FastSkinz drag reducing technology is immediately available and very scalable.

Presently Circumstances: Currently, light duty vehicles in the U.S. are almost totally reliant (97%) on petroleum. An “energy security” issue arises because sixty percent (60%) of that petroleum is imported and data shows that this percentage is rising annually. The U.S. GHG problems run parallel with its energy security problem. The U.S. is estimated to contribute 25% of the total worldwide GHG, with approximately 33% coming from the transportation sector and of which 40% comes from light duty vehicles. FastSkinz drag reducing technology can improve fuel economy in current, light duty internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles by an average of 15%-20% and upwards of 25% for future light duty HEVs, PHEVs, and BEVs.

Transportation Policy & Their Challenges: Reducing vehicles miles traveled (VMT) and reducing a vehicles rolling resistance (VRR) are two important transportation policy initiatives that could be quickly implemented and yield significant reduction in the use of petroleum and GHG. But for the present economic circumstances, both policy initiatives have been extremely challenging to implement and maintain. VMT as tied to transportation is viewed as inelastic and hard to police on a large scale. VRR to date has been focused on reducing vehicle size, which in the view of the consumer, negatively affects safety and comfort, both of which have been sold to them as key decision factors for years. FastSkinz drag reducing technology can immediately accomplish VMT through “negative consumption.” FastSkinz drag reducing technology accomplishes VRR without crossing safety and comfort issues, thus giving automobile makers more time to properly market (i.e. sell) smaller/lighter vehicles as safe and comfortable--concepts which presently maybe counter intuitive. By accomplishing VMT and VRR, FastSkinz drag reducing technology helps further important transportation policy that to date has been virtually unattainable.

CAFÉ Standards and Legacy Vehicles Burden: Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFÉ) standards were enacted in the 1970s. Fuel economy standards initially rose. In the late 1980s, they plateau. Today, as compared to advances in engine technology, they have technically decreased because a vehicle’s power and weight has remained constant with engine improvement. In the future, a vehicle’s power and weight will be decupled from engine technology and fuel economy will again rise dramatically. However, all current vehicles (which will take years to replace) will become a legacy burden. FastSkinz drag reducing technology works on all vehicles and thus will greatly reduce the legacy burden of the current stock of vehicles which many claim will be viewed as relicts in the future. FastSkinz drag reducing technology can help to accelerate the raising of the CAFÉ standards by increasing the number of vehicles (old and new) that can meet the higher standards.

HEVs, PHEVs & BEVs are the future, maybe: By all indications both types of technologies have the strongest chance of replacing current day ICE vehicles. HEVs will utilize low energy/lower powered batteries (at present day best represented by Nickel-Metal hydride technology) and PHEV & BEVs will utilize high-energy/high-power batteries (at present day best represented by lithium-ion technology). There will be many challenges for both these types of vehicles, chief among them scalability and lifecycle durability respective to battery technology. Scalability will render Nickel-Metal Hydride obsolete, leaving the key long term issue to be lifecycle durability. Lifecycle durability of a battery is the Achilles’ heel of HEV, PHEV & BEV technologies because it directly affects storage of energy. Lifecycle durability of a battery is also a true unknown because no HEV, PHEV or BEV has been in existence under real world condition for any significant period of time. What is known is that hybridization (i.e. tuning through technology blending) of these new vehicles will help to maximize lifecycle durability of their respective battery technology. FastSkinz drag reducing technology has already shown a 25% increase in fuel efficiency during “rolling field tests” on the premier BEV in existence today. This high increase in fuel economy represent a corresponding load reduction on the batteries, thus positioning FastSkinz drag reducing technology to be a strong hybridization component for future vehicles. Equally important is it’s immediately availability.

Factoring in the GRID: The electric grid (the GRID) is where PHEVs and BEVs will derive their electricity from. PHEVs and BEVs have the higher ROI for the U.S. energy policy over the next 30 years, when it is hoped that fuel cells (e.g. hydrogen) will be a mature enough replacement technology. Fossil-fuels (e.g. coal) are likely to remain a key fuel source powering the GRID through the hydrogen area. Accordingly, it is important to see how hybridization of PHEVs and BEVs can help set in motion the optimization of GRID use. One of the goals of hybridizing future PHEVs and BEVs will be increasing the PHEVs and BEVs range beyond general driving cycle range (presently set to be between 30-40 miles roundtrip) without increase load or battery pack size of the PHEVs and BEVs. By increasing the range in this manner, GRID use can be optimized faster. As well, anticipated increase of GRID use can be scaled in a more balanced manner because ultra efficient ranged extended PHEVs and BEVs can more consistently be charged during non-peak times (i.e. late at night). FastSkinz drag reducing technology can help transform future PHEVs and BEVs into ultra efficient ranged extended PHEVs and BEVs and thus help to optimize GIRD use. Optimizing GRID at the start of this technology boom will have the greatest long term effect on the reduction of GHG.