Optimizing Air Pressure for Building a Hovercraft: Tips and Tricks

In summary, in order to build a hovercraft using an old computer fan and a plastic garbage bag, it is necessary to poke a few holes on the bottom of the bag to let air out and achieve lift. The size and number of holes should be determined by considering the physics of lift and the relationship between air speed, hole area, and pressure. It is recommended to experiment with different hole sizes and numbers to find the optimal lift.
  • #1
Aki
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I'm building a hovercraft, and I am using an old computer fan to blow air into a plastic garbage bag and fill it up. I need to poke a few holes on the bottom of the garbage bag to let the air out, and I want to have a less friction as possible. What size should the holes be? And how many?
 
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  • #3
Aki said:
I'm building a hovercraft, and I am using an old computer fan to blow air into a plastic garbage bag and fill it up. I need to poke a few holes on the bottom of the garbage bag to let the air out, and I want to have a less friction as possible. What size should the holes be? And how many?
You need to start by figuring out the physics of a hovercraft's lift.

The hovercraft lifts off the ground when the downward force of the air is equal to the weight of the hovercraft.

Since
[tex]F = dp/dt = vdm/dt = v\rho dV/dt = vA\rho ds/dt = \rho v^2A [/tex]

where [itex]\rho[/itex] is the density of the air, v is the air speed and A is the total area of the holes, if you know the speed of the air leaving the bag and the total area of the holes, you can work out the lift. What you want to do is keep the speed of the air high since it contributes lift as v^2.

Since v^2 is proportional to the pressure, you want to keep the pressure in the bag high and let out a lot of fast jets of air through a lot of very tiny holes. If you don't make enough holes, the bag will burst. If you make too many, you won't get enough lift (pressure will be too low). I think the easiest thing to do is experiment with it.

AM
 
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What is air pressure and why is it important?

Air pressure is the force exerted by the weight of air molecules in a particular area. It is important because it affects weather patterns, helps with the functioning of many machines, and is necessary for living organisms to survive.

How is air pressure measured?

Air pressure is typically measured using a barometer, which can be either an aneroid or a mercury barometer. The most common unit of measurement for air pressure is the pascal (Pa), but other units such as atmospheres (atm) and millibars (mb) are also used.

What factors affect air pressure?

The main factors that affect air pressure are temperature, humidity, and altitude. As temperature increases, air molecules move faster and spread out, resulting in lower air pressure. Humidity can also affect air pressure as water vapor is less dense than dry air. Lastly, air pressure decreases with altitude because there are fewer air molecules at higher altitudes.

How does air pressure change with weather patterns?

Air pressure is closely related to weather patterns. High air pressure typically indicates clear and sunny weather, while low air pressure is associated with cloudy and stormy weather. Changes in air pressure can also help meteorologists predict changes in weather patterns.

What are some real-world applications of understanding air pressure?

Understanding air pressure is important in many industries, such as aviation, meteorology, and scuba diving. It is also crucial for everyday activities like cooking, where changes in air pressure can affect the boiling point of water. In addition, air pressure is essential for the functioning of many machines, such as car engines and HVAC systems.

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