formula 1 – the pinnacle of motorsport itself. A racing series that has always believed in technological advancements and development of the racecar, often despite road blocks from critics, press, experts and the FIA. In the quest for every tenth of a second, each time a manufacturer has come up with a piece of engineering that would give its car an edge, the FIA has come down hard banning or imposing strict limitations on its future implementations in the sport. Men like Colin Chapman, Ken Tyrell and Gordon Murray would innovate, the FIA would restrict, but somehow in the end, technology would prevail. Perhaps it is this aspect that makes F1 special.
Since the introduction of the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) in 2009, the FIA has been searching for means to recover the energy wasted either due to braking or losses due to heat. And perhaps it is the 2014 season that sees a quantum leap in terms of Energy Recovery technology. The auto industry has been crying out loud for improvements in efficiency and recuperation of waste energy, and Formula 1 has also felt the need to adapt to the changing trends. Which brings us to the sea change in terms of engine technology in Formula 1.
The engine capacity has now been reduced from 2.4 litres to 1.6 litres, accompanied by the adoption of turbocharger, which hasn’t been seen in the sport since 1988, the year of the legendary MP4/4 that won 15 of 16 races that year. While last year’s engines produced approximately 750PS, this year the power units produce approximately 760PS (600 of which comes from the engine and 160 from the MGU-K system, explained later). While last year’s engines were V8s, 2014 sees the introduction of the V6 engine, limited to 15,000rpm.
Also a very important factor that will form the backbone of this year’s race strategies is the limit on fuel to be carried on board the car, i.e. 100 kg only, with a fuel flow rate not exceeding 100 kg/hour. This is down from last year when the cars used to carry approximately 160 kg of fuel. But don’t feel disappointed, because from here-on things are taking a new turn. The new engine will be allied to a new ERS or Energy Recovery System, this being the game changer.
The power unit is now defined by 6 essential elements:
1. The engine – V6, turbocharged
2. The turbocharger – single stage compressor and turbine
3. The Motor Generator Unit-Kinetic (MGU-K) or basically the KERS
4. The Motor Generator Unit-Heat (MGU-H)
5. The Energy Store, ES (battery)
6. The Motor Generator Unit control electronics, MGU.
Of the above, the last four form the basis of the ERS.
less fuel to play:
Since cars this season can carry only 100kg of fuel on-board, the efficiency of this system will play a major role in deciding the winner. Teams with less fuel efficient engines will have to make more use of this system during the race, compared to the cars with frugal engines, as to last the race distance. Also we may see drivers going pedal to the metal during practice and qualifying, but not during the race. So the winner would be the driver and the team who can manage all the above mayhem most efficiently
The minimum weight limit of the Formula 1 car for 2014 has also gone up from 642kg to 691kg. The extra weight will take care of the new components added to the engine. This is weight of the car without fuel.
The electric motor has the characteristic of delivering high torque from the off, and the drivers are already all praises about it during the pre-season tests. They have actually felt the higher torque from their cars compared to last year, especially during acceleration from slow corners. So lots of wheelspin is expected this season.
This year, teams are also supposed to select the gear ratio initially and use the same ratio all season for all tracks, unlike last year when teams were allowed to alter the ratios as per the characteristics of the particular track. ERS system will again come to the rescue and fill the torque gap, if the fixed gear ratio is not able to deliver it on that very track.
Braking on ERS will have an all new effect to the feel, so cars are employed with the brake-by-wire for the first time in the sports, this will take care of the surges and dwells from the ERS power flow that is bound to affect brake feel.source (http://overdrive.in/features/2014-formula-1-engine-technology-explained/)
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