Internal Aero - Double Body?

[Giblet]

It seems there is a loophole that Ferrari is currently exploiting.... they have downforce making devices "to direct air to the radiators" within the sidepods. Since they are not visible they are legal.

A great conceptual coup over the regs in my opinion, but what is to stop a team from making a "second skin" car? Mercedes sort of started it last year with their internal monocoque and 'cartridge' system.

By second skin I mean a slightly larger covering over an internal covering used to "improve cooling" on a much larger scale.

To put the hole in the rules in perspective, the radiators themselves are internal aero devices the teams work to optimize, and what constitutes a radiator or a flange for the rad that improves cooling but also adds downforce?

[wesley123]

There is very little to do to create downforce in the internal body. It will just create obstructions to the cooling systems, and that is exactly what the internal bodywork is trying to solve.

Ferrari's bodywork on the radiator is to improve airflow through the radiator, improving cooling. It's goal isn't to create downforce.

Although, with that said, the cooling system can be made smaller, leaving more airflow available to work to create downforce.

[godlameroso]

I think it can be done, quite a bit of pressure tends to build up in the cooling ducts, as does all flowing air that is heated in a confined area. Gains can certainly be had, but it's not certain how much, or how much cost is necessary to properly develop. It's essentially uncharted territory, and resources would probably be more fruitful if spent on other proven things. Ferrari has the means and so dips it's toes in the water, so to speak.

As has been noted in other threads, there's not a lot in the way of regulating what goes on with air flowing through the chassis, I've been saying this for years.

[PhillipM]

And internal airflow has been managed with second skins for years. The issue with creating downforce is, it's a wing in a duct, drop the pressure below the wing and all you do is also drop it above the floor - anything you do to create downforce is negated by the fact it's in a duct, and all you do is create drag.

Ferrari's internal vaning does exactly what it says it does, helps improve radiator efficiency - they're not exactly a new thing, in fact I can think of at least a couple of applications from the 1960's, and there were probably earlier ones too.

[PlatinumZealot]

Yes..
The two skins serve two different purposes. It is in the designer's best interest to put extra effort into optimizig the inner surfaces just as much as the outer ones.