Kamm or sharp edge

9 months ago
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bolgo
bolgo
WA
912 posts
WA, 912 posts
21 Aug 2025 5:56pm
saw a few discussions on the injuries from foil edges

anyone/companies looked at kamm profile for the trailing edge

my reading suggests no significant loss and it would be a good safety feature

comments welcome
Alexnh
Alexnh
22 posts
22 posts
23 Aug 2025 8:29pm
What's a kamm profile. Tried to search but didn't find a good explanation.
Velocicraptor
Velocicraptor
877 posts
877 posts
24 Aug 2025 6:35am
My understanding is that a true kam trailing edge doesn't work as well in hydrodynamics as it does in aerodynamics. That said slightly squaring the trailing edge of a foil isn't going to have a huge impact on performance. I also don't think it's going to make much of a difference in safety if you fall onto it.
People often square off a trailing edge to stop humming resonance and it doesn't seem to have much of any performance impact.
I think the practical benefit of kamm tail in aerodynamics is that it can maintain aerodynamics in a smaller form. Kamming a foil profile isn't going to make it better. Kamm designs are better because they are smaller. That's why they are used on bikes and cars where it's impractical to run the foil section out through a fully tapered trailing edge. At least that's my understanding from cycling application.
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