A Whale of An Idea
How a lifetime working on products for Ocean enjoyment and exploration led to the development of a novel method to improve vehicle efficiency.
Drive Like A WhaleNature Inspires Innovation
AeroHance Co-Founder and Chief Designer Bob Evans has dedicated his life to making products that help people move freely and efficiently underwater. This lifelong endeavor taught him a lot about fluid dynamics.
He had been working on some new product shapes inspired by whale tubercles. “Whale tubercles” are the knobs or nodules predominant on the body of humpback whales. Similar adaptations exist on many marine animals, such as lobsters. He discussed the idea with marine biologist friends suggesting that these bumps worked like vortex generators. They helped move water flowing past the large surface area of the whale’s body. At the time, they disagreed and insisted tubercles were related to feeding behavior. Others now participating in the trend of design by biomimicry, of which Bob was a modern-day pioneer, have proven him right.
Z-Boy Member Peggi Oki Drives Like A Whale
Peggy Oki channels her environmental action in many and diverse ways. As founder and director of the Orgami Whales Project, Peggy uses her art to inspire and educate on ways to make a difference for the oceans and environment. One way that Peggy makes a difference herself is by reducing the carbon footprint generated by her driving. She added a kit of AeroHance Pods to the roof and sides of the camper shell on her Nissan Pick Up. Just as tubercles on whales make it easier for them to move through water, AeroHance Pods make vehicles more aerodynamic. Less drag means better mileage.
And,every gallon of gas saved is 19.4 less lbs.of CO2 released into the atmosphere. Every person can make a difference like Peggy. Everyone can Be Atmospheric.
How objects respond to air flow is the same as fluid flow.
Over a two-year period, he was doing a lot of driving back-and-forth between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles. This was a 200-mile round trip on the freeway three days a week. He decided to super glue some of these lift generating shapes, aerodynamic prototypes for AeroHance Pods onto the roof of an old Volvo station wagon.
He returned to Santa Barbara with more than 1/2 tank of gas in reserve. That was enough savings to drive one more leg before refueling. He decided to start tracking mileage, alternating with and without AeroHance Pods on the car roof.
Mileage jumped to 29 mpg average on the freeway. That’s 6 mpg better mileage than the 24 mpg consistently documented without AeroHance Pods. 24 mpg is also the specification for the cross over vehicle he was driving.
9-Pod KitHe exclaimed,
“Holy Moly, AeroHance Pods are fuel savings devices that work!”
And that is the inspiration that led to the development of AeroHance Pods Project and their availability for you to save fuel also.