Sidepods - new shape proposal

[zulus]

More then a year passed since Ferrari decided to hide mirrors behind the front wheels. Let's go further, let them (Ferrari) hide sidepods behind wheels. The idea came to me when i discovered F1T cars database. Look at Ferrari F310 (not B-spec):
http://www.f1technical.net/f1db/cars/782


(more pics here http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z12415/default.aspx)
I don't now why the decided to change sidepod shape in B-spec car (B-spec pic here http://www.flickr.com/photos/ijsselstein/101557975/), I'd better move them in order to completely hide behind wheels.
Is it good idea? What do you think?

[walter]

even though the opening is more or less behind the wheel I bet it was just a slight advantage to get the inlets closer to the inside and have the majority of the air diverted by the bargeboards, that way the amount of air going into the inlet was more controlled and less turbulant, in the late nineties the focus was to increase the amount of air going to the back around the diffuser, as the sculped sidepods are now adopted by just about every team... I also suspect that this old layout did not use the space inside the sidepod as efficiently... the angle and shape of the radiators play a major role in the exterior shape as well. I'd also assume that pulling all of the components inwards also gives the cars a better center of gravity.

[manchild]

That was the reintroduction of such sidepod shape. First time it appeared was in 1992 on Ferrari 634 F92A

http://b.f1-facts.com/ul/a/4662

[img]http:780:490]http://www.ilferrarista.com/F92A_1992.jpg[/img]

[PNSD]

Ah, the double floored Ferrari...

[modbaraban]

Can anyone show any drawing or anything that shows the inside-sidepod aero devices?

[checkered]

Modbaraban, I just happened

to post a few videos here, at least one of which shows in general terms what goes on inside a sidepod. There's actually quite a bit of variance between the teams on how they have solved the radiator flow issue. The video I mentioned features McLaren's "split" dual cooler design (though curiously they have sported an asymmetrical air extraction), while Williams has separate radiator ducts for oil and water cooling (see the "car build" on their website).

I'm sure the official F1 site has also featured internal aero, but I'm not up to searching for those myself. The radiators themselves can be more or less tilted along any axis to improve the so called "packaging" and don't have to be rectangular either, which has been evident from the F1 cars I've been fortunate enough to have seen opened up. I also kind of remember that Newey's RB3 had some sort of sidepod/radiator innovation that got some folks all worked up, but can't be bothered to investigate it now either.

It's not all in the pictures, though. This article may be a bit outdated already, but it will shed light on many aspects of internal aero that just wouldn't be obvious by looking at cool animations, pretty pictures and all that. Can't remember, but I would expect scarbs also has something about this on his pages. I'm quite excited about internal aero since it appears it's one part of F1 design that has a lot of potential for innovation.

[DaveKillens]

For the radiator intakes (actually, any intake), it's desirable to have as small an opening as possible. That way, total drag is reduced, a goal every engineer strives for. But to have as small an opening as possible, you want a clean shot of undisturbed air, devoid of turbulence and other messy stuff. Because along the sides of the nose, there's lots of boundary layer and turbulence. So to avoid that mess, you set the intakes free from that area. Most aircraft go to great lengths to separate the boundary layer from the fusalage from the intake.

[zulus]

But to have as small an opening as possible, you want a clean shot of undisturbed air, devoid of turbulence and other messy stuff.

As far as I know, intake openning minimum is restricted by regulations, let them make larger ones, no matter air turbulence.

[manchild]

As far as I know, intake openning minimum is restricted by regulations, let them make larger ones, no matter air turbulence.

I think you're wrong there. I've never heard about such regulation and no team wants to make them larger but as small as possible in order to reduce drag.

Smaller sidepod inlets were claimed to be one of the keys of success of Williams Renault cars and it was achieved trough special alloy Renault used for their heads. Since they could run on higher temp. inlets were reduced and aerodynamic efficiency improved significantly.

[modbaraban]

I read somewhere (one of the links above). That smaller inlets mean higher airflow speed and more drag caused by the radiators...

[zulus]

3.16 Upper bodywork:
3.16.1 ... the car must have bodywork in
the area bounded by four lines. One vertical 1330 mm forward of the
rear wheel centre line, one horizontal 550 mm above the reference
plane, one horizontal 925 mm above the reference plane and one
diagonal which intersects the 925 mm horizontal at a point 1000mm
forward of the rear wheel centreline and the 550mm horizontal at the
rear wheel centreline.
Bodywork within this area must be arranged symmetrically about the
car centre line and, when measured 200mm vertically below the
diagonal boundary line, must have minimum widths of 150mm and
50mm respectively at points lying 1000mm forward of the rear wheel
centre line and at the rear wheel centre line. This bodywork must lie
on or outside the boundary defined by a linear taper between these
minimum widths.

can't imagine those four lines, does anyone have picture or some kind?

[modbaraban]

3.16 Upper bodywork:
3.16.1 ...
Bodywork within this area must be arranged symmetrically about the
car centre line...

this is intersting... remember F2004's assymetric mirrors?.. or were they outside that area...