The end of the windshield wiper?

[Fritzo]

Vibrating windscreens may be in our future:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...ms-developing-new-wiper-free-windscreens.html

Is it time to wave goodbye to windscreen wipers? McLaren confirms it's developing new system to improve visibility in bad weather that's adapted from fighter jets

British-based firm says system could make humble car wiper extinct
If successful the screens could be adapted quickly for mass use

McLaren is refusing to reveal how the system will work
Experts suggest it makes use of ultrasound to create tiny vibrations

The annoying whirr of windscreen wipers may soon be a thing of the past.
McLaren is designing a sports car that uses a system adapted from fighter jets to keep a driver’s vision clear in bad weather without the need for blades.
It is believed to involve high-frequency sound waves similar to those used by dentists for removing plaque from patients’ teeth.

The Formula One firm, based in Surrey, is developing the method for its new supercar, expected to roll off the production line in 2015.

Wave goodbye: A new wiper-free windscreen is being developed which will mean drivers will no longer have to face the problem of wipers sticking to windscreens in cold weather

Wave goodbye: A new wiper-free windscreen is being developed which will mean drivers will no longer have to face the problem of wipers sticking to windscreens in cold weather

F1 car maker McLaren is remaining tight-lipped on the plans and refusing to reveal how the system will work because it says rivals may steal the idea.
However, experts suggest it may make use of ultrasound to create tiny vibrations on the screen which would bounce off rain, insects and mud.

It would also improve visibility and prevent the problem drivers face when wiper blades freeze to the glass in cold weather.

'Our windscreen wipers have been consigned to history. Somebody's snapped them off'

The Woking-based firm's chief designer Frank Stephenson told The Sunday Times that the system was already being used by the military.
'It took a lot of effort to get this out of a source in the military. I asked why you don't see wipers on some aircraft on when they are coming in at very low levels for landing.

'I was told that it's not a coating on the surface but a high frequency electronic system that never fails and is constantly active. Nothing will attach to the windscreen.'

The system is expected to be introduced to McLaren's range of sportscars which cost between £170,000 and £870,000, but once perfected could be produced for the mass market for as little as £10.
Paul Wilcox, professor of ultrasonics at Bristol University's faculty of engineering, told The Sunday Times: 'The obvious way of doing it is to have an ultrasonic transducer in the corner of the windscreen that would excite waves at around 30kHz to bounce across the windscreen.'
Windscreen wipers were invented in by the American property developer Mary Anderson who received a patent for her window cleaning device in 1903.
The invention came about during a trip to New York City. It was raining heavily and Mrs Anderson noticed that drivers had to open the windows of their cars in order to see out of them.

She wanted to find a solution and invented a swinging arm device with a rubber blade that was operated by the driver from within the vehicle using a lever.

At first the invention was highly critiqued as many claimed that the device would actually distract drivers, but by 1916 windscreen wipers had become standard on most vehicles

 

[Midwayman]

Wonder how it will handle the salt spray around here that instantly dries on your windshield.

 

[smackababy]

Wonder how it will handle the salt spray around here that instantly dries on your windshield.

And the oil. And any other garbage we encounter on the road the aircraft don't encounter.

 

[996GT2]

This seems like a terrible idea for cars which aren't weekend toys. How is a vibrating system going to get rid of snow/salt/bird droppings and other gunk that get on normal cars?

 

[Zorba]

And the oil. And any other garbage we encounter on the road the aircraft don't encounter.

I am not exactly sure what fighters use, I thought it was just a coating and wax. But all other large aircraft still use good ol' wipers, even the 787. When my airline first ordered their 757 they bought a "rain repellent system," which from my understanding basically squirted some Rainx type fluid on the windshield. From what I heard the system didn't work, smeared the windshield, and always ran out of fluid. So my airline yanked the system off all their aircraft.

My point is, if the fighter system was so good, it would definitely be used on all large aircraft - especially the 787 were aerodynamics is number 1.

 

[smackababy]

This seems like a terrible idea for cars which aren't weekend toys. How is a vibrating system going to get rid of snow/salt/bird droppings and other gunk that get on normal cars?

Considering McLaren doesn't exactly make daily drivers, they can afford some expensive tech to get rid of rain on the windshield.

 

[Zenmervolt]

I am not exactly sure what fighters use, I thought it was just a coating and wax.

As I understand it, some (most?) fighter jets use bleed air from the compressor turbine to keep the windscreen clear in flight.

The large jets that have wipers only use the wipers during taxi, not during flight.

ZV

 

[Fritzo]

This seems like a terrible idea for cars which aren't weekend toys. How is a vibrating system going to get rid of snow/salt/bird droppings and other gunk that get on normal cars?

On the plus side, you might get a lot of women sitting on your windshield

</pig>

 

[Zorba]

As I understand it, some (most?) fighter jets use bleed air from the compressor turbine to keep the windscreen clear in flight.

The large jets that have wipers only use the wipers during taxi, not during flight.

ZV

It is true that they only use them on the ground, but they are exposed to the air stream all flight in one of the most aerodynamically critical areas of the aircraft, if there was a better system it would be used.

 

[Meghan54]

As I understand it, some (most?) fighter jets use bleed air from the compressor turbine to keep the windscreen clear in flight.

The large jets that have wipers only use the wipers during taxi, not during flight.

ZV

It is true that they only use them on the ground, but they are exposed to the air stream all flight in one of the most aerodynamically critical areas of the aircraft, if there was a better system it would be used.

I believe the comment ZV made was about the effectiveness of wiper blades at flight speed, not just the fact they hang there during flight, if I'm not mistaken. And that's the whole point of the article and discussion, not that wiper blades exist on the fuselage of the plane. It's that wiper blades are useless at flight speeds.

 

[Zorba]

I believe the comment ZV made was about the effectiveness of wiper blades at flight speed, not just the fact they hang there during flight, if I'm not mistaken. And that's the whole point of the article and discussion, not that wiper blades exist on the fuselage of the plane. It's that wiper blades are useless at flight speeds.

True, aircraft also don't use them for cleaning the windshield, which I think would be the big question about any non-mechanical system.

 

[rommelrommel]

Considering McLaren doesn't exactly make daily drivers, they can afford some expensive tech to get rid of rain on the windshield.

The only new car in their pipeline is the 911 fighter tho... so it's not going to be supercar priced.

 

[Jumpem]

Will it vibrate off dried road salt and inches of snow?

 

[JEDIYoda]

Will it vibrate off dried road salt and inches of snow?

common sense says that you will need to clean your windshield before you drive your car. But common sense also says that if your driving your car the how in the hell can you get several inches of snow on your windsheild...sheese

 

[SSSnail]

As a guy that has worked on the very system that clears jet fighters (F/A-18s) canopy, just no.

Yes, they used bleed air, and when they're cruising, good luck trying to get anything to stick to the canopy. On the ground, before flights, it's a whole lot of cheese cloth and elbow grease to keep it spotless.

There might be some &#8221;vibrating&#8221; truth to it, because I've never seen any aircraft that doesn't have some &#8221;subsonic vibrations&#8221; to it when operating, none.

 

[JulesMaximus]

The wiper blade lobby will fight this tooth and nail in the US. We will never see this awesome birdpoo/tree sap/rain eliminating technology here.

 

[mmntech]

Wonder how it will handle the salt spray around here that instantly dries on your windshield.

Was just thinking that myself. McLeren is a British brand that builds garage queen cars, this isn't something they'll ever have to deal with. Now if they could coat a windscreen in a hydrophobic compound that ice can't stick to, that would be something else. Sort of like a supercharged Rain-X. You'd still have to deal with dried road salt though.

 

[McWatt]

As another poster mentioned, hydrophobic isn't good enough: you also need to repel oil and dirt. There's such a thing as an omniphobic surface, but a commercially viable transparent omniphobic surface that can actually survive weathering is still waiting to be developed.

 

[Meghan54]

McLaren read ino,uno's thread and discovered NuFinish.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

meh, more bench racing for sheiks. not applicable to either real road cars nor real race cars.

i did have the opportunity to climb all over a mclaren f1. my impression was while being extreme, it was very pragmatic in reaching those extremes - no bullshit. it had a nissan econobox trunk tube holding up the hood. the engine bay was lined in gold to reject heat, not to match the owner's dental work.

 

[smackababy]

The other day I saw someone in a MP4-12C driving around when there was like 1/4" of snow on coming down. I suppose his wipers weren't enough. >_> I thought to myself: I don't trust people enough to stop and not hit my $50k car, no way I'd trust these morons to not hit my $250k car.

 

[Zenmervolt]

It is true that they only use them on the ground, but they are exposed to the air stream all flight in one of the most aerodynamically critical areas of the aircraft, if there was a better system it would be used.

The cockpit windows are hardly an "aerodynamically critical" area of the aircraft. The wipers may add a bit of drag, but the critical aerodynamics are around the wings and other control surfaces.

The reality is that a well-designed pair of wipers are cheap, add very little drag, and are effective during taxi. The idea that a "better" design would automatically be used is absurd since mere performance is not the lone criterion. If there were a system that was 5% better but cost 5 times as much and required more maintenance work by the airlines, they still wouldn't use the "better" system because the improvement doesn't justify the increased cost.

ZV

 

[smackababy]

The cockpit windows are hardly an "aerodynamically critical" area of the aircraft. The wipers may add a bit of drag, but the critical aerodynamics are around the wings and other control surfaces.

The reality is that a well-designed pair of wipers are cheap, add very little drag, and are effective during taxi. The idea that a "better" design would automatically be used is absurd since mere performance is not the lone criterion. If there were a system that was 5% better but cost 5 times as much and required more maintenance work by the airlines, they still wouldn't use the "better" system because the improvement doesn't justify the increased cost.

ZV

I'd argue even if it was 90% better and 2x the cost they wouldn't do it.