Nissan Leaf alloy rim aero inserts ("Leaf Petals")
myminifactory
This is a simple aerodynamic modification for a Nissan Leaf alloy wheel rim. It's designed to clip into the rim hole, thereby reducing drag past the wheel. There are four variations of this design, with each pair consisting of a plain version and one featuring a valve hole. Print four valve versions and 16 plain petals. My new favorite is the Mirrored Vent model, which looks great and offers two benefits: it allows air to enter and cool the brake pads, and may even reduce drag better than the plain inserts! See Alexey Vdovin's thesis on Investigation of Aerodynamic Resistance of Rotating Wheels on Passenger Cars. My tests with the original plain inserts indicate improved efficiency of 6% when traveling above 95 kph (59 mph), and a 3% improvement at 80 kph. Check out my coast down test details for more information. The insert clips into place with a satisfying snap, and can be removed using a screwdriver or fingernail to lever the outside edge. Once one rim hole is cleared, you can poke your fingers behind to push the clip out of the next insert. However, don't do this if the brakes are hot! These inserts weigh 27 grams each (0.95 ounces) or 540 grams for a full set of 20. Version 16 is an older and simpler design. Later versions have been improved by Erik Kamila, who chamfered the edges for us. He also has designs for different Leaf wheels, which are worth checking out. Version 23 features ventilation slots that resemble Kermit the Frog's eyes. Version 24 includes the "Curved Vent" and "Mirrored Vent" models, with ventilation holes placed at the axle end of the insert. This design should provide optimal ventilation and drag reduction, as described in Alexey Vdovin's thesis. Limitations: I printed mine in black PLA in October 2018, but it would be better to print them in ABS to withstand summer heat. The black color has faded a bit since then. Research indicates that PLA is more UV resistant than other plastics, although it is biodegradable only when exposed to continuous temperatures above 60 degrees Celsius for at least five days. Is it worth it? If you have a 3D printer, the answer is yes! Update: I just went on a 757 km road trip with the inserts and one of them disappeared. I've tweaked the design slightly to improve stiffness. The current iteration (version 16) has extra strengthening and seems to be holding up well. Update: I conducted coast down tests to compare performance with these rim inserts versus without. TLDR: these provide an improvement of 6% at 95 kph (60 mph) down to a 3% improvement at 80 kph. At speeds higher than 95 kph, the improvement will be even greater. Update: I've lost a few and replaced them all with newer versions. My car is currently running the Version 23 "Kermit" design, which looks more interesting than the vanilla version 16 variant. I've just read this thesis, which prompted the new vented variants (Version 24). I'll try those next. Update: I've printed 5 petals of the Mirrored Vent version and it's now my strong favorite. A note about fair use of this design: If you already have a 3D printer and an early LEAF, printing a set for yourself is worth it. However, these take forever to print, so it's not easy to make money selling them to others.
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