PAPER PRESENTATION ON TECHNOLOGY USED IN FORMULA 1 CARS

Abstract

The  racing teams have to create cars that are flexible 

enough to run under all conditions.  Every one of the 22

Formula   One   cars   on   the   grid   is   dependent   upon 

sophisticated   mechanics   and   electronics   to   govern   its

many complex operational systems.

The   engineering   of   materials,   cooling   system,

aerodynamics, heat insulation, and the high temperature

structural stiffness of Formula 1 components is leading-

edge technology.

There is electronics involved for the engine management,

the   data   acquisition   from   the   car   to   the   pit   for   the 

regulation of , brake and engine temperature, suspension

movements, ride height, pedal movements and g-force.

1. Introduction

Car racing is one of the most technologically advanced

sports   in   the   world   today.   Race   Cars   are   the   most

sophisticated   vehicles   that   we   see   in   common   use.   It

features   exotic,   high-speed,   open-wheel   cars   racing   all

around the world. The racing teams have to create cars

that are flexible enough to run under all conditions. This

level   of   diversity   makes   a   season   of   F1   car   racing

incredibly exciting. The teams have to completely revise

the   aerodynamic   package,   the   suspension   settings,   and

lots of other parameters on their cars for each race, and

the drivers have to be extremely agile to handle all of the

different conditions they face. Their carbon fiber bodies,

incredible engines, advanced aerodynamics and intelligent

electronics make each car a high-speed research lab. A F1

Car runs at speeds up to 240 mph, the driver experiences

G-forces and copes with incoming data so quickly that it

makes     Car   driving   one   of   the   most   demanding

professions in the sporting world.   F1 car is an amazing

machine   that          pushes   the   physical   limitations   of

automotive engineering. On the track, the driver shows

off   his   professional   skills   by   directing   around   an   oval

track at speeds

2. Different parts of F1 car

2.1 The Chasis

Modern f1 Cars are defined by their chassis. All f1 Cars

share the following characteristics:

1. They are single-seat cars.

2. They have an open cockpit.

 3. They have open wheels – there are no fenders covering

      the wheels     

4. They have wings at the front and rear of the car to

     provide downforce

5. They position the engine behind the the driver

Fig:-The chasis

The   tub   must   be   able   to   withstand   the   huge   forces

produced   by   the   high   cornering   speeds,   bumps   and

aerodynamic loads imposed on the car. This chassis model

is covered in carbon fibre to create a mould from which

the actual chassis can be made. Once produced the mould

is smoothed  down and covered in release agent so the

carbon-fibre tub can be easily removed after manufacture

2.2 Cockpit

The   cockpit   of   a   modern   F1   racer   is   a   very   sparse

environment. The driver must be comfortable enough to

concentrate on driving while being strapped tight into his

seat,   experiencing   G-forces   of   up   to   5G   under   harsh

braking and 4G in fast corners. Every possible button and

switch must be close at hand as the driver has limited

movement due to tightness of the seat belts. The cockpit is

also very cramped, and drivers often wear knee pads to

prevent bruising. The car designers are forever trying to

lower the centre of gravity of the car, and as each car has

a mass of 600 Kg, with the driver's being roughly 70 Kg,

he is an important factor in weight distribution. This often

means   that   the   drivers   are   almost   lying   down   in   their

driving position.

Fig: Inner view of cockpit

3.Aerodynamics

One of the most important features of a formula1 Car is

its   aerodynamics   package.   The   most   obvious

manifestations   of   the   package   are   the   front   and   rear

wings,   but   there   are   a   number   of   other   features   that

perform different functions. A formula 1 Car uses air in

three different ways introduction of wings. Formula One

team   began   to   experiment   with   crude   aerodynamic

devices to help push the tires into the track.

Fig: direction of wind during race

3.1 Wind theory

The wings on an F1 car use the same principle as those

found on a common aircraft, although while the aircraft

wings are designed to produce lift, wings on an F1 car are

placed 'upside down', producing downforce, pushing the

car onto the track. The basic way that an aircraft wing

works is by having the upper surface a different shape to

the lower. This difference causes the air to flow quicker

over the top surface than the bottom, causing a difference

in air pressure between the two surfaces. The air on the

upper   surface   will   be   at   a   lower   pressure   than   the   air

below   the   wing,   resulting   in   a  force  pushing the  wing

upwards. This force is called lift.  On a racing car, the

wing is shaped so the low pressure area is under the wing,

causing a force to push the wing downwards. This force is

called downforce.

As air flows over the wing, it is disturbed by the

shape, causing what is known as form or pressure drag.

Although   this   force   is   usually   less   than   the   lift   or

downforce, it can seriously limit top speed and causes the

engine to use more fuel to get the car through the air.

Drag is a very important factor on an F1 car, with all parts

exposed to the air flow being streamlined in some way.

The   suspension   arms   are   a   good   example,   as   they  are

often   made   in   a   shape   of   a   wing,   although   the   upper

surface is identical to the lower surface. This is done to

reduce the drag on the suspension arms as the car travels

through the air at high speed.

3.2 Rear wing

As more wing angle creates more downforce, more drag

is produced, reducing the top speed of the car. The rear

wing is made up of two sets of aerofoil connected to each

other by the wing endplates. The top aerofoil top provides

most of the downforce and is the one that is varied the

most   from   track   to   track.   It   is   now   made   up   of   a

maximum of three elements due to the new regulations.

The lower aerofoil is smaller and is made up of just one

element. As  well   as   creating  downforce   itself,   the   low

pressure region immediately below the wing helps suck

air through the diffuser, gaining more downforce under

the car. The endplates connect the two wings and prevent

air from spilling over the sides of the wings, maximizing

the high pressure zone above the wing, creating maximum

downforce.

Fig:- rear wing

3.3 Front wing

Wing flap on either side of the nose cone is asymmetrical.

It reduces in height nearer to the nose cone as this allows

air   to   flow   into   the   radiators   and   to   the   under   floor

aerodynamic aids. If the wing flap maintained its height

right to the nose cone, the radiators would receive less air

flow and therefore the engine temperature would rise. The

asymmetrical   shape   also   allows   a   better   airflow   to   the

under floor and the diffuser, increasing downforce. The

wing main plane is often raised slightly in the centre, this

again allows a slightly better airflow to the under floor

aerodynamics, but it also reduces the wing's ride height

sensitivity. A wing's height off the ground is very critical,

and this slight raise in the centre of the main plane makes

react it more subtlety to changes in ride height. The new-

regulations state that the outer thirds of the front wing

must   be   raised   by   50mm,   reducing   downforce.   Some

teams have lowered the central section to try to get some

extra front downforce, at the compromise of reducing the

quality of the airflow to the underbody aerodynamics

Fig:-Front wing

3.4 Bargeboard

They are mounted between the front wheels and the side

pods, but can be situated in the suspension, behind the

front   wheels.   Their   main   purpose   is   to   smooth   the

turbulent airflow coming from the front wheels, and direct

some of this flow into the radiators, and the rest around

the side of the side pods.

They have become much more three dimensional in their

design,   and   feature   contours   to   direct   the   airflow   in

different directions. Although the bargeboards help tidy

the airflow around the side pods, they may also reduce the

volume   of   air   entering   the   radiators,   so   reaching   a

compromise between downforce and cooling is important

3.5 Diffuser

Invisible to the spectator other than during some kind of

major accident, the diffuser is the most important area of

aerodynamic consideration. This is the underside of the

car behind the rear axle line. Here, the floor sweeps up

towards the rear of the car, creating a larger area of the air

flowing under the car to fill. This creates a suction effect

on the rear of the car and so pulls the car down onto the

track.

Fig:-The diffuser

4. The Brakes

F1  cars  use  disc  brakes  like  most  road  cars,  but  these

brakes are designed to work at 750 degrees C and are

discarded after each race. The driver needs the car to be

stable   under   heavy   braking,   and   is   able   to   adjust   the

balance between front and rear braking force from a dial

in the cockpit. The brakes are usually set-up with 60% of

the braking force to the front, 40% to the rear. This is

because as the driver hits the brakes, the whole weight of

the car is shifted towards the front, and the rear seems to

get lighter. If the braking force was kept at 50% front and

rear, the rear brakes would lock up as there would be less

force pushing the rear tyres onto the track under heavy

braking.

These master cylinders contain the brake fluid

for   both   the   front   and   rear   brakes.  The   front   and   rear

systems are connected separately so if one circuit would