2014-2020 Formula One 1.6l V6 turbo engine formula

[turbof1]

With the energy recovering systems being massively more used next year, I'd guess fuel consumption would naturally fall down anyway. Give or take they loose 33% of total fuel amount, that seems doable. Might even be that it isn't an issue at all and that they don't have to conserve more then this year. The limit of 15,000 rpm also helps with that.

[WhiteBlue]

With the energy recovering systems being massively more used next year, I'd guess fuel consumption would naturally fall down anyway. Give or take they loose 33% of total fuel amount, that seems doable. Might even be that it isn't an issue at all and that they don't have to conserve more then this year. The limit of 15,000 rpm also helps with that.

You have the tail wagging with the dog. The fuel mass flow restriction and the race fuel allocation is driving everything in the 2014 regulations. If the fuel wasn't regulated there would be no effort to have energy recovery. It is still much simpler to burn chemical energy than to recover. It takes a lot less weight and brain to do.

The limit of 15.000 rpm is irrelevant. Fuel consumption is capped at 10.500.

[Dragonfly]

I see many here are hailing the fuel mass flow restriction. But as a fan of the sport I can't understand the reasons. If there is a total cap on fuel per race why the need to measure and control the flow every odd millisecond?
This may be an engineering challenge but I doubt very much it will be good for the racing and the sporting aspect. If there is a fuel cap why not then leave the teams to decide when, for how long and how much fuel they will use? It is a major factor in race strategy. There will be moment when some will have to conserve and some will need a bit of additional power to overtake for example, then go in conservation mode, then attack again. And if someone has managed to save fuel for a final spur, he will not be able to use it to his advantage. Just finish the race with some more fuel left in the tank.
IMHO this tight restrictions are the recipe for even more boring processions. I'd like to see teams with the ability to be flexible and creative within the global set frames.

[xpensive]

Yeah, storm in a tea cup as usual.

I disagree WB, I find this most interesting. How will the 100 kg cap over the race-distance be governed, will each car be given precisely 100 kg at the start, or can they fuel-up as much as they like and have the total calculated by the mass-flow control-device, why we will know after the race if they made it?

[wuzak]

I see many here are hailing the fuel mass flow restriction. But as a fan of the sport I can't understand the reasons. If there is a total cap on fuel per race why the need to measure and control the flow every odd millisecond?

The fuel flow rate is there to limit power and to push efficiency goals. If there wasn't a fuel flow limit there would have been a boost limit as well as the rev limit the have. Actually, they probably didn't need to have the RPM limit at all in the fuel flow formula.

The race fuel limit is, again, to push for better efficiency. But 100kg will probably be more than enough for most circuits and most races.

As Blanchimont says, the fuel limit will (probably) not end up with cars running out of fuel any more than they do now. In fact, it is quite likely for some events and/or conditions (ie wet track) they will run with less than the maximum fuel allowed. If they can run with 10kg less fuel at the start that will be worth as much as 0.5s per laps (depending on circuit).

[wuzak]

Yeah, storm in a tea cup as usual.

I disagree WB, I find this most interesting. How will the 100 kg cap over the race-distance be governed, will each car be given precisely 100 kg at the start, or can they fuel-up as much as they like and have the total calculated by the mass-flow control-device, why we will know after the race if they made it?

It is interesting how this will be achieved.

In the past they have used a volumetric limit. But different fuels have different densities (though they must fall within a pre-definied range).

Maybe it will be a case of the weight of the car being 100kg less on the weighbridge than at the start?

Does that ultrasonic flow measurer work in mass flow rates or volumetric flow rates?

[WhiteBlue]

Mass flow rate according to the manufacturer.
Charlie has already told us that the fuel cap is set for the mass flow device. Teams are allowed to over fill.

[xpensive]

Mass flow rate according to the manufacturer.
Charlie has already told us that the fuel cap is set for the mass flow device. Teams are allowed to over fill.

By Charlie I guess you mean Whiting. So, did he tell you what happens if the accumulated flow xceeds 100 kg with one lap to go?

[Blanchimont]

Mass flow rate according to the manufacturer.
Charlie has already told us that the fuel cap is set for the mass flow device. Teams are allowed to over fill.

By Charlie I guess you mean Whiting. So, did he tell you what happens if the accumulated flow xceeds 100 kg with one lap to go?

The car will be disqualified!

Teams will have to monitor their fule consumption during the race, just as they do now.

[xpensive]

...
The car will be disqualified!
...

So what's the point of overfilling then?

[turbof1]

I assume they'll have to keep 5kg of fuel in the tank in order to extract the necessary sample. So they'll be running around 105kg of fuel, but will have to end the last lap with more then 5kg on board.

If you ask me, expect alot of cars just parking alongside the track right after the finish flag rather then getting back to the pit straight.

[Blanchimont]

At first we need to know what is defined by "100kg of fuel per race".

100kg for
a: only the timed race laps
b: one lap to the grid, the timed race laps, the lap to the pit
c: a or b plus the sample for fuel testing

If i assume option a is the most likely version, then teams will have to use tank capacities of maybe 105 to 110kg.
And i don't expect a lot of cars parking after the finish flag, as force majeur was deleted from the regulations.

Teams will simply have to monitor their fuel consumption and act according to that.

[WhiteBlue]

...The car will be disqualified!...

So what's the point of overfilling then?

There is no point. The 100 kg limit will obviously according to the FiA's Charlie Whiting be monitored by the mass flow device and you can over fill according to the same source.
Logic tells you that there will be suitable sporting penalties for those who break the sporting rule of the 100 kg per race fuel allocation. It is basically the same as if you do not run both types of tyres. I have no idea how they will punish it but you can be sure that no team will gain an advantage by exceeding the fuel allocation.
Not to over fill or to under fill will be the skill of the race engineers. If they get it wrong they can either be too slow - by carrying too much weight - or too slow by going under the allowed fuel flow to get back on the fuel curve. It works just like today.

[xpensive]

Can someone enlighten me as to where in the regulations the 100 kg cap on fuel for the race is written, I just can't find it?

[Dragonfly]

I see many here are hailing the fuel mass flow restriction. But as a fan of the sport I can't understand the reasons. If there is a total cap on fuel per race why the need to measure and control the flow every odd millisecond?

The fuel flow rate is there to limit power and to push efficiency goals. If there wasn't a fuel flow limit there would have been a boost limit as well as the rev limit the have. Actually, they probably didn't need to have the RPM limit at all in the fuel flow formula.

And IMO they do not need to have any other limit in a fuel cap formula - not on fuel mass flow, not on boost. The limits will be imposed naturally by the teams themselves.
With a limited number (5??) of engines per car no one will dare risking to lose an engine because of over boost and over revving, or stressing the engine with excess power output. Stil, depending on the quality and the capabilities of the different manufacturer engines, there will be a field for creativity. One manufacturer's engine may be better, other slightly less capable, but this is what competition is about. And diversity is which creates the competitive driving force.
The one who manages to drive faster and finish the distance first with a given amount of fuel is the one who achieves highest efficiency. No need to count piktoliters per millisecond and what's worse - limit the flow in such a manner. It may be fascinating challenge for an engineer but for the average Joe Watcher it won't have any meaning. And is a hidden factor for controversies and a mess. Any device sooner or later fails. Just a single faulty sensor is enough to ignite a scandal.