Red Bull RB18

[saviour stivala]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FT3w6SFWYAA ... ame=medium

That wear pattern is fascinating. Why are the unworn parts unworn? Which type of shape/flexibility allows that?
Aldo, the 2 converging outer strakes… can they be designed to simply overflow the air, thus sealing the floor entry and delaying the unavoidable inbound lateral flow?

That wear pattern (on plank). Technically speaking when two flat surfaces are meant to contact each other a 75% contact area of the whole surface is regarded as a satisfactory contact area. When considering the flatness of the two surfaces (plank and road surface) + the direction/s of attack, that contact wear pattern shown in photo is as near perfect as could be.

[Curbstone]

Nice photo this is! Much better for judging the tunnel depth than the previous photos we've seen. Also the floor shape around the skate.

Is it me, or did they also create venturis between the strakes? Could well be the reflections, but it appears a bit if they contract and expand again(in height).

They're also not flat from top to bottom. They have some kind of scooped channel curvature that seems like it would create extra low pressure behind them to curve the air round the back of them.

Yeah, it looks like a double venturi.... one at the inlet that expands into the middle of the floor and then another venturi at the back... there is an elaborate design that may or may not be the best solution but makes it look like the other floors are simple in comparison.

I think that picture is misleading, the picture of f1motta is much clearer, and doesn't show the double venturi.

We have seen several floor pictures of different teams, but the RB one look like the most advanced to me.

[Vanja #66]

That wear pattern is fascinating. Why are the unworn parts unworn? Which type of shape/flexibility allows that?

Seems like screws holding the plank do a very good job locally, but the suction keeps flexing the rest of the plank - resulting in such wear patterns. Looks like a tiny bit of rake is still there, judging from front edge wear, but it also looks like the rake is there (only) for suspension and leaving enough room for rear dampers to, ugh, damp.

As for the floor, these new angles indeed might be showing us a reverse depression in the floor, although at first to me it looked like a lot of different "fillets" resulting in such shading. This depression could potentially be beneficial for bouncing, acting like some kind of pressure-damper when the ride height is at its minimum. However, such depression would certainly come at a cost of overall floor downforce.

[Big Tea]

That wear pattern is fascinating. Why are the unworn parts unworn? Which type of shape/flexibility allows that?

Seems like screws holding the plank do a very good job locally, but the suction keeps flexing the rest of the plank - resulting in such wear patterns. Looks like a tiny bit of rake is still there, judging from front edge wear, but it also looks like the rake is there (only) for suspension and leaving enough room for rear dampers to, ugh, damp.

As for the floor, these new angles indeed might be showing us a reverse depression in the floor, although at first to me it looked like a lot of different "fillets" resulting in such shading. This depression could potentially be beneficial for bouncing, acting like some kind of pressure-damper when the ride height is at its minimum. However, such depression would certainly come at a cost of overall floor downforce.

Would it not also be affected by how the cars cross curbs? The front or rear is more likely to crest the high point than the centre of the car, not only because of how the driver attacks it, but due to the position of the wheel which would lift the car when the mid point was crossing?

[Stu]

That wear pattern is fascinating. Why are the unworn parts unworn? Which type of shape/flexibility allows that?

Seems like screws holding the plank do a very good job locally, but the suction keeps flexing the rest of the plank - resulting in such wear patterns. Looks like a tiny bit of rake is still there, judging from front edge wear, but it also looks like the rake is there (only) for suspension and leaving enough room for rear dampers to, ugh, damp.

As for the floor, these new angles indeed might be showing us a reverse depression in the floor, although at first to me it looked like a lot of different "fillets" resulting in such shading. This depression could potentially be beneficial for bouncing, acting like some kind of pressure-damper when the ride height is at its minimum. However, such depression would certainly come at a cost of overall floor downforce.

Would it not also be affected by how the cars cross curbs? The front or rear is more likely to crest the high point than the centre of the car, not only because of how the driver attacks it, but due to the position of the wheel which would lift the car when the mid point was crossing?

If you really look at the RedBull when it is motion the car has a very high rear roll stiffness (it almost behaves as though it has a De-Dion/beam axle with a four-bar & watts linkage).

[VacuousFlamboyant]

Would it not also be affected by how the cars cross curbs? The front or rear is more likely to crest the high point than the centre of the car, not only because of how the driver attacks it, but due to the position of the wheel which would lift the car when the mid point was crossing?

If you really look at the RedBull when it is motion the car has a very high rear roll stiffness (it almost behaves as though it has a De-Dion/beam axle with a four-bar & watts linkage).

Something that crossed my mind when I saw the hidden stains mounted to those metal structures on top of the venturi tunnels: Theoretically, those structures could be used to gather a vector force opposing the suspension from the other side of the axle, thus achieving the same effect as an "Active Suspension". The metal structures would be specifically designed to control floor flex up to the standard in the technical regulations.

Would it be within the regulations?

[godlameroso]

I've seen these ridges on the rear of the central section on surfboards.

[RGAEDA]

I've seen these ridges on the rear of the central section on surfboards.

Could someone explain why the shape of the tunnels becomes deeper and narrower in the middle? What effect does it have on the airflow transitioning from the front of the tunnel to the middle? An immediate justification that comes to my mind is increased volume, what else could be happening?

[lio007]

Some pics of Checo's crash: by AMuS

[SiLo]

We really need to see some CFD vs a standard, smooth transition bottom to understand what they are achieving here. I wonder if they are trying to create low pressure zones to keep the flow attached along the body?

[RGAEDA]

The wooden plank skid marks seem as if the load of the car shifts throughout the lap but the most probable thing is that the car could be hitting the bumps on the tarmac at different speeds and different angles.

Silo, going with your theory, could it be that the low-pressure zone under the car, created by those deep tunnel shapes in the middle keeps RB18 away from porpoising? I remember Kyle's(KYLE.ENGINEERS) youtube channel has a video where he mentions the tunnel height contributing to porpoising, I think he said something like a taller tunnel has much fewer chances of detaching the airflow.

[jagunx51]

my theory is they will create localized interference at the high velocity airflow, which will eventually limit the suction force, thereby preventing porpoising from occurring wildly

[SiLo]

The wooden plank skid marks seem as if the load of the car shifts throughout the lap but the most probable thing is that the car could be hitting the bumps on the tarmac at different speeds and different angles.

Silo, going with your theory, could it be that the low-pressure zone under the car, created by those deep tunnel shapes in the middle keeps RB18 away from porpoising? I remember Kyle's(KYLE.ENGINEERS) youtube channel has a video where he mentions the tunnel height contributing to porpoising, I think he said something like a taller tunnel has much fewer chances of detaching the airflow.

I was speaking about the juts in the main part of the floor, like Golameroso posted with the surfboard. At higher speeds I assume they are detaching the flow in some way, you might be right that they are disturbing the flow through the venturi to stop porpoising.

[RGAEDA]

The wooden plank skid marks seem as if the load of the car shifts throughout the lap but the most probable thing is that the car could be hitting the bumps on the tarmac at different speeds and different angles.

Silo, going with your theory, could it be that the low-pressure zone under the car, created by those deep tunnel shapes in the middle keeps RB18 away from porpoising? I remember Kyle's(KYLE.ENGINEERS) youtube channel has a video where he mentions the tunnel height contributing to porpoising, I think he said something like a taller tunnel has much fewer chances of detaching the airflow.

I was speaking about the juts in the main part of the floor, like Golameroso posted with the surfboard. At higher speeds I assume they are detaching the flow in some way, you might be right that they are disturbing the flow through the venturi to stop porpoising.

Wish there's an insider who could put out some clues but that's never going to happen.

[PlatinumZealot]

The entry strakes have a slight curl to them at their lower edges, almost appearing to scoop the air side-ways.