2013: Green F1?

[christophulus]

http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2009/10/fia-releases-2010-calendar-and-details-of-green-racing-future/


Also announced today confirmation that the next engine formula for all FIA championships, including F1, is to be based on gaining power from a fixed volume of fuel rather than from the capacity of the engine, as it is at present.

“This would automatically put the technical emphasis on energy efficiency, and enable all efficiency technologies to be embraced. This approach, combined with appropriate fuels, will also minimise the emissions of CO2.

In order to enable the public to easily understand this efficiency concept applied to motor sport, it is also necessary to limit the amount of fuel/energy consumed by a competitor during a race. For reasons of the cost of development, technologies may need to be restricted depending on the nature of a given championship/series.”

The document also puts energy recovery systems at the heart of the new engine formula and identifies the flywheel, the concept under development at Williams, as the way forward, “Energy Recovery Systems technology, however, is fundamental to the future of the automobile, including these hybrids. Motor sport can make a useful contribution to development and marketing. Technology such as fly wheels reducing dependence on batteries and concentrating on ICE load shift proves to be the most promising way forward. ”

So perhaps we will see Williams producing a standard KERS system for the whole grid in the same way as McLaren produces the Electronic Control Unit.

Finally each Grand Prix event must be carbon neutral and the FIA proposes offsetting. This will be quite some undertaking if you consider the number of people who fly all over the world in commercial jets to work in F1.


Interesting. Engines rated on efficiency rather than capacity.. if this is linked up with a standardised KERS system, and it looks like the Williams one is favourite, there could be a massive change in engine building. Provided it's implemented properly this could be a great move for F1, but only if engine manufacturers are genuinely free to produce whatever type of engine they want.

Thoughts?

[gloomyDAY]

I'm not getting my hopes up just yet.
My mind is already wandering over to turbo powered F1 cars.

There are already series' with "green" notoriety (as in environmentally friendly and not some stupid green stripe on the side of a tire) such as the IRL and LM. F1 is probably the only premiere championship that hasn't really focused on engine efficiency.


For reasons of the cost of development, technologies may need to be restricted depending on the nature of a given championship/series.As long as Ferrari are the first ones to have the technology, then it's alright. Anyone else gets a ban! :p

[Sonic]

Well it has to be done doesn't it? We've got ten years tops before the enviro-mentalists ruin the sport anyway so lets get in there first. These regs (if done right) could provide cars that are both kind to mother nature but also freeking awesome to watch and drive!

So of course they are gonna balls it up and F1 will become a fromula for diesel estate cars :rolleyes:

[V12]

I'd welcome this move, not really from an environmental standpoint (don't give a flying toss) but it could really open things up to a number of different technologies if done right.

Sadly, that story contains the dreaded S-word. Mention of a standard KERS system suggests to me that this would be yet another example of the FIA taking a good idea and messing it up.

An absolute ideal would be the FIA saying to the teams/engine builders "here's the amount of energy you are allowed to use, now go nuts".

[edv]

I'm curious about the flywheel energy storage system that Williams is pursuing. How will they compensate for the inertia of the rotating mass against the changing direction of the car? Does the system need to be located exactly at the Centre of Mass of the car? Will they need a gimbal system to counteract changes in direction? Can a movable flywheel axis actually be exploited to enhance handling around corners?
Wiki has a background article here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flywheel_energy_storage)

[Dzeidzei]

F1 is probably the only premiere championship that hasn't really focused on engine efficiency.


Sorry to protest, but this does sound stupid. Like saying "F1 is probably the only premiere championship that hasn't really focused on making the cars go fast".

Just to clarify: F1 engines are extremely efficient. The reason their power has been limited (rpm limit) is safety and costcutting. If they put the rpm limit to 15K revs they could probably run the whole season with 2 engines.

The engines are extremely efficient. Theyre just not very economical with their consumption.

PS. I think that the whole idea of green F1 is just stupid. The 20+ F1 cars going around amounts to zero in CO2 emissions. On the contrary, during the race some 50 million crappy V8 engines stop running in South America. F1 is actually one of the most efficient ways to cut emission AS IT IS TODAY.

You should never do decisions based on ideological or pr reasons if the effects are nonexistent.

[Somebody]

Re: V12 - if you give the engine-builders a free run save for amount of fuel, I guarantee you that all the existing engine-makers would come to the grid with 2.4l V8s tuned for fuel efficiency.

[Rollo]

Re: V12 - if you give the engine-builders a free run save for amount of fuel, I guarantee you that all the existing engine-makers would come to the grid with 2.4l V8s tuned for fuel efficiency.

I guarantee you that they'd all look seriously at the rule book and come up with the best answer. It probably would not be something as big as a 2.4L V8.

For a while there were two calculations employed at Le Mans called "the index of performance" and the "index of thermal efficiency". All sorts of answers were given two those questions including the FIA's utterly horrid handling of the Lotus 23, which had 750cc and 1000cc engines.

[gloomyDAY]

The engines are extremely efficient. Theyre just not very economical with their consumption.
Fine, replace engine efficiency with fuel efficiency.

Do you really think that a F1 engine is as fuel efficient as Peugeot's HDi FAP?

[Mark]

It's not a new idea. As I recall in the late 80's competitors were allocated a fixed amount of fuel for each race.

[Dzeidzei]

Fine, replace engine efficiency with fuel efficiency.

Do you really think that a F1 engine is as fuel efficient as Peugeot's HDi FAP?

Nopes. But Im pretty sure a F1 engine is more efficient (as in generating more power).

Plus I´d never drive a Peugeot :)

[Mark]

Do you really think that a F1 engine is as fuel efficient as Peugeot's HDi FAP?

Depends how you look at it. In terms of distance you can potentially travel given a specific measure of fuel and the car being driven carefully? Then no.

In terms of the amount of power generated for a given amount of fuel, then absolutely!

[Easy Drifter]

Was this idea discussed with the F1 teams or are the FIA continuing their policy of making expensive rule changes willy nilly?
I also find it interesting that this is passed a couple of days before there may be a major change in the leadership of the FIA.
At least this time the rule gives teams enough time to develop things properly. I do not like the idea of one standard supplier. F1 should not be spec cars which is the way things seem to be headed. I can see the rules being changed to demand one engine is this continues.

[Mark]

Well saying that the Williams KERS system is the best even though it has never been raced if rather foolish.

[AndyL]

Well saying that the Williams KERS system is the best even though it has never been raced if rather foolish.

Definitely, especially as the battery-based systems look much more "relevant to the future of the automobile," being more akin to what's in existing hybrid cars.