2014 Fuel Composition

[hollus]

I just found a paper http://www.nist.gov/data/PDFfiles/jpcrd249.pdf suggesting than the solubility of N2 in heptane is just below 1 part per million (mole fraction). Does this sound about right? Is it safe to assume similar values for O2 and CO2 and a lower one for H2O?

[tim|away]

Thank you to everyone in this thread for providing great insight into this subject.

I personally think there will be competition amongst the fuel suppliers, but the "fuel war" is likely to have very little impact. I base this opinion on the simple fact that there has been a strong incentive to increase the energy density of fuel (i.e. make it lighter) in the past and, to my knowledge, it hasn't given any team a significant advantage in the past few years. Why do you think the petrol companies are suddenly going to start pulling a rabbit out of the hat in 2014 when it could have been very beneficial in the recent past to run cars lighter?

[hollus]

Of course they are already optimizing for energy density. And I think that all teams will arrive to a similar optimum. But while up to now increasing energy density by 1% gave you a 1.3 Kg (0.2% of the weight of the car) advantage in the starting grid and close to none by the end of the race, next year the same 1% will translate into 6-8 HP (1% of the power) from quali all the way to the flag.

[Blanchimont]

Mike Evans from Shell says that the fuel regulations have not changed from 2013 to 2014 ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqiiuFv7 ... re&t=1m56s ), so i don't see big changes in the energy content of the fuel.

And then there is this Shell video ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zubM2PsBJIU ), which shows a difference of 0,9s in laptime between the standard road fuel and the racing fuel. Of course this just could be PR talk, but who knows...

[Tommy Cookers]

2013 fuel is about combustion speed first, then volumetric energy density (usually) ie for 190 litre tankage), Octane noncritical
2014 is energy density (gravimetrically for 100 kg and 100 kg/hr limits) first, Octane no second, and combustion speed noncritical

Shell say that eg 2013 fuel is varied so that the least fuel-hungry events can use a lighter fuel (but still 190 litres ?)

in 2014 why would anyone plan to use less than 100 kg anywhere if the fuel is not fixed to be the same for all events ?
except for convenience
granted, if fuel is fixed some event might load eg 90 kg
and some event might need economy driving to manage on 100 kg load

@ Blanchimont
yes, to be exact the new '2014' rules might have been applied earlier than 2014 IIRC
but that doesn't destroy the potential for the new rules fuel to be better for 2014 (than the earlier rules fuel would have been)
ie the fuel to work best with a 2013 car won't be the same as the fuel to work best with a 2014 car
anyway they will have been fighting the 2014 fuel war for 2-3 years already
IMO that doesn't mean that it's over (unless the FIA wants to do a fuel freeze soon)

[radosav]

Is it possible to have , beside regular gear-up shifting pedal and regular ERS button, one pedal combining both gear-up pedal and ERS button?
Driver would used it by pulling it before reaching rpm for shifting gear up, and it would first activate ERS and then shift gear when necessary rpm reached ! Standard ERS button would be used on straight for overtaking!
Would this help to reduce fuel consumption, if it is legal and possible?

[Blanchimont]

I looked up the technical regulations from the recent years and it seems that the fuel limits stayed the same since 2010. That makes 4 years of racing experience with high revving V8 NA engines to find the best fuel.

The slower revving 2014 engines with a higher average pressure inside the cylinder (~15bar at 18000rpm in 2013, ~31bar in 2014 at 10500rpm) will probably demand a slightly different fuel, i agree.
But combustion speed should always be number one priority as it will bring the real combustion process closer to the constant volume cycle, don't you think, TC?

[Paul]

What is a "Standard ERS button?" And, as far as I know, gear changes are required to be in control of the driver, that is driver pulling the paddle must initiate a gear-shift [almost] immediately.

[radosav]

What is a "Standard ERS button?" And, as far as I know, gear changes are required to be in control of the driver, that is driver pulling the paddle must initiate a gear-shift [almost] immediately.

'' standard ERS button'' should be one on front side of steering wheel, but combined '' ERS - gear up '' paddle would activate ERS with first half movement of paddle , and with pulling it to the end would activate gear change!

[dren]

What is a "Standard ERS button?" And, as far as I know, gear changes are required to be in control of the driver, that is driver pulling the paddle must initiate a gear-shift [almost] immediately.

'' standard ERS button'' should be one on front side of steering wheel, but combined '' ERS - gear up '' paddle would activate ERS with first half movement of paddle , and with pulling it to the end would activate gear change!

The ERS and engine all combine as one power unit. Only the pedal can demand torque from the power unit. There will be no KERS/ERS button.

[radosav]

What is a "Standard ERS button?" And, as far as I know, gear changes are required to be in control of the driver, that is driver pulling the paddle must initiate a gear-shift [almost] immediately.

'' standard ERS button'' should be one on front side of steering wheel, but combined '' ERS - gear up '' paddle would activate ERS with first half movement of paddle , and with pulling it to the end would activate gear change!

The ERS and engine all combine as one power unit. Only the pedal can demand torque from the power unit. There will be no KERS/ERS button.

I obviously didn't do my homework!
Do you have any data or link to ERS / engine mapping possibility ?

[Tommy Cookers]

..... it seems that the fuel limits stayed the same since 2010. .....
The slower revving 2014 engines with a higher average pressure inside the cylinder (~15bar at 18000rpm in 2013, ~31bar in 2014 at 10500rpm) will probably demand a slightly different fuel, i agree.
But combustion speed should always be number one priority as it will bring the real combustion process closer to the constant volume cycle, don't you think, TC?

FWIW I find it hard to believe that the upper limit of ON has been around for 4 years

IMO
the real combustion process will be closer to the ideal at 10500-12500 rpm than at 18000
far less spark advance will be needed and far less heat will be added btdc or later than desired
but no engine CI or SI will survive with all or most of the heat truly added at tdc/constant volume
and no fast running CI or SI engine could add that heat at truly constant volume

there may be some tradeoff between highest useable CR and highest useable combustion rate
and who knows whether in this case combustion rate is controllable by controlling the injection rate ?

[tuj]

5.5.3 - The accelerator pedal shaping map in the ECU may only be linked to the type of tyres fitted to the car: One map for use with dry-weather tyres and one maps for use with inters or wets.

[Juzh]

Regarding fuel saving during races.. do we really think there will be THAT much of it as it is often talked about? We have less capacity, less cylinders, less revs, less power which equals less fuel consumption. I don't believe it will be much worse than with V8s.

[tuj]

Well they get 2/3rds less fuel and they aren't making 2/3rds less power, that's for sure. Fuel management will be a challenge, I'm convinced of that.