Peugeot 908 HDI FAP

Rear suspension anti-roll single blade

This exposes that they designed a system regardless of complexities so that quick symmetrical adjustments or tuning is made very easy for quick access to changes. Definitely essential for an endurance race. Fore aft adjustment can be made by only loosening a locking Alen key screw that is at the side of the where the blade is swing mounted.

A larger Alen key screw on top that is aligned to side may be there to move the blade forward and backward once loosened. This is the mechanism that stiffen rear suspension anti-roll. Added image are only speculation a how it works

16/9/2023

Ideas on this anti-roll blade from the Peugeot 908 HDi endurance racing car rear suspension

During heave load the springs become stiffer resulting in stiffer roll. With the anti-roll blade or bar reduced stiffness, it could help reduce understeer when entering a corner especially with trail braking.

The balance between stiffer springs and reduced anti-roll blade stiffness will result in more balanced front suspension load. In axle droop, roll stiffness increases with the anti-roll bar while the springs are reduced in stiffness. A vehicle can more composed going over a crest even when the springs, over a crest, lacks stiffness

F1 could do the opposite since the car run lower from aerodynamic heave load. The blade can be made to work with the suspension when aerodynamic heave is low then as the car gains speed, downforce increases pushing the car lower to the ground. It goes lower and the anti-roll blade will follow in stiffness accordingly

A less stiffer anti-roll load can be used at low speeds

16/9/2023

ZENVO'S MJØLNER 90° V12 QUAD-TURBO

with a hotvee configuration. The engine is built in conjunction with Mahle. Reverse rotation turbochargers

6.6 litre flex fuel enabled, will produce at least 1250bhp at 8,000 rpm and rev to 9800 rpm. Completely bespoke engine will meet legislative emissions requirements in both US and European markets

The engine has also been designed for modularity, with high performance V8 and V6 engine derivatives that could power future Zenvo models and may even be available as crate engines for OEMs to purchase via Zenvo

This picture may be a little bit cosmetic as the front pair of turbos exhaust outlet proximity to the rear pair's intake is maybe a little too close for comfort. The engine debuts with their Aurora line

FORD MUSTANG GTD for DAYTONA

A racing car for the road with ome seriou technical credential

Some pretty cool shots from Ford's press kit on the Mustang GTD . Push-rod rear suspension including the anti-roll bar and rear gearbox is some serious stuff. Their press kit literally writes 'Engineered to go like hell', personally never been there....yet. The hydraulic system mounted behind the car that is connected to the suspension struts and active rear wing is probably the most interesting picture

Engineered to go like hell, Extensive use of carbon fiber in the body

- first-of-its-kind suspension that adjusts spring rate and ride height settings for track or street conditions

- active aerodynamics; supercharged V8 with unique dry sump oil system

- 8-speed dual-clutch rear transaxle and carbon fiber driveshaft for near ideal weight balance

- magnesium wheels; available titanium exhaust; and carbon ceramic brakes combine to create an agile, ultra-high- performance Mustang

Targeting more than 800 horsepower and a sub-7-minute Nürburgring time, the technology in Mustang GTD goes beyond what’s allowed in racing

Where there once was a trunk is now the semi-active suspension, a hydraulic control system, and a transaxle cooling system that uses a race-inspired cover that replaces the trunk lid and includes two air scoops to funnel air off the back glass into the area and through the heat exchangers

24/8/2023

McLAREN MCL60 VENTURI

The missing piece of this venturi tunnel which is it throat area is done on purpose

This shot by Xavier Gàzquez@xavigazquez exposes that the venturi tunnel on the McLaren MCL60 seems to be missing its throat area. The throat area certainly does not take precedence where in venturi it is primary. What is clear is that there is an opening passage that wraps around and continues from the frontal area of the boat section of the floor all the way to the diffuser.

The first exposure of a passage that bypasses a venturi throat area is from Red Bull Racing RB19's venturi tunnel pictured below. Without any tools here we can only speculate. The probable reason of this design is that they have focused on creating more downforce around the floor area of the boat tail section or center section of the floor where the plank is also attached. This section is a lot closer to the ground that what the Formula One regulation permits for the venturi throat area. This is also probably why there is a host or areas along the boat section that is designed to maintain a vortex to wrap around it.

Another detail on the McLaren MCL60's floor is that they have kept the skates on the floor edges to protect it over a race weekend. Some teams have removed theirs for 2023 due to the new regulations that limits greater proimity between the floor edges and ground

4/8/2023

Kimera EVo37 Super-Turbocharge Boost Management

How they switch from its supercharger to its turbocharger to maintain torque curve

Kimera EVO37 engine supercharged turbocharged system and how boost management works is illustrated in the image carousel below. By design and layout it is similar to the Lancia Delta S4 system except that the throttle valve and supercharger clutch is now electronically controlled. The engine is a Lancia unit re-engineered to modern standards and has multiple power settings depending on customer preference

17/5/2023

McMurtry Spéirling PURE

Just when we thought we have seen it all with the McMurtry Spéirling then comes the McMurtry Spéirling PURE

So what it is it now? 0-60mp/h in under 1 second? The PURE is a track only version of the Spéirling and pretty sure its presence at the Goodwood Festival of Speed is to break McMurtry's previous record up the Goodwood Hillclimb in the McMurtry Spéirling

So Mcmurtry is now saying this version is capable of 3G cornering forces which is certainly more than enough. They claim that the PURE has a higher power to weight ratio than the standard car which was already at a very impressive 1:1. The one appearing at Goodwood is Validation Prototype 1 or VP1. McMurtry also says it is eligible for the GT1 Sports Club. An exclusive hypercar driving programme held in the heart of the Fanatec GT World Challenge race weekends. Destinations include International FIA circuits in Europe, Asia and America

To cut it short it is eligible to make all other tracks cars look slow. This version looks a lot more substantial than the standard Spéirling as well. Here are some of the modifications done to make it PURE

All new fan system with a 15% increase in fan efficiency, 14% weight saving and significantly enhanced tolerance to flow variation. Updated skirt design. 15% lighter-New E-axle, Goodwood spec acceleration with 190mph top speed and 0.5% improvement gearbox efficiency. New battery with improved thermal management and 3% mass saving enabled by Molicel cells and 15.5% mass saving on battery casing

Revised chassis saving 4% mass. Revised wheel arch and underbody aerodynamics. New electrical architecture saving 35% on wiring loom mass. Exterior, wider tyres for increased and more progressive lateral grip. 60mm wider per tyre. And now on 18” wheels vs 19” previously. Wheel rims 2% lighter on front and 12% on rear. Suspension and bodywork re-engineered. Revised pedal box saving 17% mass and addition of optional ABS. 2.5% reduction in brake system assembly mass. Lightened power steering unit saving 20% mass

Its technical specification

Patented Downfoce-On-Demand fan system. Its Dimension is 1.02 meters in height, 1.58 meters in width and 3.45 meters in length. Its weight is below 1000 kilograms. Its maximum power is 1000 bhp (745kW). Top speed is 190mp/h which is down on the McMurtry Spéirling's 200mp/h. It is driven via the rear wheels just like on the standard Spéirling. 60 kWh Battery System developed with Molicel and is fast charging at under 20 mins. Carbon Fibre Monocoque chassis designed to meet motorsport standards. Adjustable pedals and steering wheel to accommodate driver. Slick tyres which are 27/65-18 Front and 30/68-18 Rear in size

14/7/2023

Aston Martin Racing AMR23

Indentation at the sides of the gearbox to allow airflow

A very narrow passage is found between the AMR23 gearbox casing and outer bodywork that most likely is opened up for airflow purposes. The airflow is withing the bodywork. Somehow the geabox shape is also designed accommodate this

10/07/2023

Red Bull Racing RB19 And Mercedes-AMG W14 Floor Exposed

2023 Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix

There seems to be a channel around the Venturi throat area of the RB19.

Is that channel there to open up a vortex route and bypass the Venturi throat area where the first ramp, narrowest, that is located rearward of the center section enhances vortex to work the diffuser? That initial ramp is even more forward than the one on the RB18.

Interesting that Red Bull Racing has detached the throat area away from the boat section or center section. Their Venturi throat area on the RB19 is a lot more rearward compared to Mercedes-AMG's W14

30/5/2023

Suzuki GSX-RR Rear Winglets

Suzuki are also testing using rear aero elements on the seat section of their MotoGP bike. The two elements on the rear section of Suzuki's GSX-RR seem to form a 'V' shape just like on Ducati's GP21/22 MotoGP bikes but on the GSX-RR it level out wide at the top

Both Suzuki and Ducati's angled 'V' section tend to have one side of its element nearly completely horizontal when the bike is at full lean angle...most likely not a coincidence

28/9/2022

Formula One Turbulent Jet Ignition

Is this what some of these Formula One engine manufacturers are doing to further raise compression ratio and thermal efficiency of their engines in a quest to get better performance from the engines which limited by both fuel flow and capacity. Maybe this is similar to how Honda is burning their end gases simultaneously with the rest of the combustion process

12/8/2022

Mercedes-AMG W13 New Front Wing

Miami Grand Prix saw Mercedes AMG's W13 with a new front wing end plate. They raised its base to extend the front wing edges until it becomes part of the end plate(legal?). Is this done to further strengthen that vortex that is generated by a turning vane on the outer front wing end plate?

The new raised end plate has three front wing edges pointing forwards and then ending vertically at its tip creating a gap. The three sections, before being vertical has a longitudinal upsweep to it like a wing positioned sideways while the vertical section moves airflow outwards. Speculation that this is to create vortices comes from combining these two elements that works around the top wing section's positive pressure wing wake which the endplate usually is design to suppress

The back of the front wheel has a vortex to sweep airflow away from the floor tunnel entry. This vortex is important because it minimizes unwanted positive pressure from the wheel wake disrupting tunnel ground effect performance that eventually works around high velocity negative pressure airflow. Mercedes-AMG's new end plate design for the W13 with its opening under a turning vane looks to enhance a counter-rotating vortex created by the outer endplate turning vane. Speculating here that this could work with the vortex behind the front wheel via counter-rotation and further vortex intensity in minimizing wheel wake disrupting airflow into the tunnel entry

13/5/2022

KTM RC16 Nozzle Exhaust

Jerez test session saw KTM trying a new nozzle type exhaust tailpipe. The large diameter exhaust converges into a small diameter tailpipe which is never seen on these four stroke era of MotoGP bikes. The reverse cone is akin to a two-stroke expansion chamber and while on two-stroke this is done to create a strong return wave on the exhaust acoustics so that cylinder scavenging where some of the fresh charge finds itself into the exhaust, these returning waves would force the fresh charge to return into the cylinder and returns volumetric efficiency loses through scavenging

On a four stroke engine, some exhaust systems are design to provide what is known as back pressure where exhaust gasses that is travelling its system are purposely hindered to slow down the process of exhaust extraction. Controlling exhaust extraction also means to control cylinder intake to exhaust scavenging. This is done so that the cylinder can build more pressure compared to a high flowing system that will extract as much exhaust as possible to the extent that includes cylinder pressure and the intake charge as well which is not desirable

During low to medium engine speeds, the valves open longer and are subjected to over scavenging pressure going off the cylinder into a high flow exhaust system. This is why a high flow exhaust system lacks torque during lower engine speeds. At these speeds there is also less exhaust flow so hindrance or creating a controlled amount of backpressure wont be as much of an issue within the system. However, when engine speeds are high, a high flowing system is usually selected as its high flow nature will cope with rapid valve time and the higher volume of exhaust that is needed to be extracted given the same time frame. Using these velocities will also improve higher volume intake to exhaust scavenging, allowing higher volumetric efficiency

With this test, could it be that KTM is trying to control its powerband, to cater it for certain tracks that are more dependent on tractable power delivery. There has to be a science to these test.

Images are from MotoGP.com

4/5/2022

RBR RB18 Floor Vortex Superior

One notable difference between the Red Bull Racing's floor step section is the rear end. Other step section (floor center pod) which, from its width, seamlessly converge towards the rear crash structure having airflow around it. The RB18 instead fully utilize this section by breaking that converging form and instead design it to create a powerful vortex to further enhance diffuser performance

They have purposely formed a cut out (circled in red) disrupting that seamless form that would generate a vortex at the most critical part of the tunnel venturi that is its throat (blue circle). Here airflow velocity is at its peak. Placing a vortex generator there would certainly create a powerful vortex to work the rear end of the tunnel diffuser

Maybe this is the purpose to their design

3/4/2022

The RB18's Floor

Red Bull Racing RB18's floor has been exposed so this is a basic illustration to simplify the complexities to their design. In comparison to other floors that has been exposed, it seems that Newey's team is taking full advantage of everything that can be taken advantage of and in this case, it is not just the tunnel that has been the focal point of their ground effect plan but it looks like the center section or 'step' where the plank is located has got maximum attention as well to assist tunnel performance

All around the Step shapes and forms look to continuously encourage excising vortex to work the tunnel. Nothing much can get past the lowest point of the tunnel or 'throat' so vortex will dissipate from there on then behind that point, more cut outs on the step can be seen to create vortices and then encourage it towards the diffuser center section with more cut outs below the gearbox area. Other teams floor step that has been exposed looks a lot less complex and form a rather basic shape more similar to the F.I.A. 2022 regulation model car

On the skis, they look to be an afterthought to limit airflow entering the diffuser from the outer edges of the floor where an intake opening can been seen to guide air from outside of the tunnel, inwards feeding the diffuser. That opening looks like a method for Red Bull Racing to stop porpoising. The skis then may be part of a set up to increase downforce by controlling this air path yet at the same time limit the outer floor edges proximity to the ground to maintain the floors composure hence its metal ski like shape

There are theories out there that the skis are there to maintain airflow volume around the throat of the floor where airflow is at its highest velocity even at a point where ground clearance is at its most minimal and this is to stop porpoising. Whats interesting though is that limiting the height of the floor's outer edges will allow Red Bull Racing to have an even broader peak performance range for its floor in relation to diffuser to ground proximity. This would allow them to design a floor with even higher downforce without porposing too early or at lower speeds

The general concept of these f1 tunnels do not work like venturi tunnels do because of the space those four out sweep strakes take and what they do which is to divert airflow away from the tunnel itself unlike a venturi where the opening forces air to the tightest throat section and then to its outlet. However, the RB18's tunnel design is unique in that, just fore and aft of the throat section are venturi openings marked in blue within the tunnel. They have designed a venturi tunnel within the tunnel most probably their attempt to get maximum performance in total from the floor design

30/4/2022

Ground Effect And Progressive Spring Rates

Max Verstappen entering the Variante Alta chicane, not a high speed section of the Imola circuit.

Since suspension plays an important role in ground effect where the closer they run the tunnels to the ground the more downforce is generated, the new regulations has teams setting up their springs at a very progressive rate, sitting very low even at moderate speeds due to aerodynamic loads compared to when the car is standing still. The ride height then decreases only at a very low rate as speed and downforce continue to increase holding the rear diffuser section of the tunnel at its optimum operating condition

It would be interesting to know how they could pull this off with torsion bars or on the heave spring set up. Maybe it is done on the inboard suspensions bell crank push-rod geometry

An observation of the proximity of how close the lowest point of the RB18's tunnel is to the ground, it would give the impression that it is near impossible to run proper vortices within the tunnel unless of course a specified cavity is made like on the edges of Ferrari's F1-75 tunnel

30/04/2022

Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport Aero Rimmed Wheels

The Pur Sport aero ringed wheels are designed to extract air out of the wheel wells. Even though it may be angled at both inwards and outwards being symmetrical, its design is to work with the bodywork outwash. Those wheels also add to the look of the Pur Sport

14/4/2022

Red Bull Racing RB18 Floor

Images of the RB18's floor being stored into Red Bull Racing's pit garage. Due to rule limitations, the inner section of the floor and its tunnels does not look fussy in its design however it cannot be said of the same when it come to the outer floor edges, sections of the tunnel entry and its fences. The rear section of the floor just after where the plank ends spots indentation that looks like it has been shaped like a vortex