Mercedes AMG F1 W07

[bhall II]

I don't think it's gonna set the world on fire, and it can be copied quite easily if it does.

But, if this is part of a package that includes complementary elements like...

https://twitter.com/tgruener/status/702127458468892673

...and my interpretation of these strakes is correct, that they shed vortices which energize air flow and delay expansion/minimize stagnation, then the possibility exists for W07 to be run with absurd rake, and that might turn out to be a big deal.

In any case, we definitely need better photos.

[wesley123]

The serrated floor is nothing more then a further development on the serrated bargeboard. As you said, it is made to work in unison.

So the double diffuser was a further development of the single diffuser? I mean, the fact of the matter remains, it is a new concept that no one has run before, aka innovative.

Ferrari trialed it somewhere in 2012/2013 and I believe another team tried it last year. It's not new, just a more extreme variant

[bhall II]

It was 2012.

[DVB]

Here u go guys. A better picture:

[OO7]

Well first of all, are you allowed to have strakes on the underside of the floor?
Yes? then they might extend and we´re seeing half of them basically.
No? Then that´s all there is to it.

No. They have to be placed at least 50mm above the reference plane, so at the same level as the stepped plane. They cannot extend below and under the floor.

[ringo]

I'll be surprised if they carry this "innovation" into the season. This looks like the type of appendage that could contribute to "sensitive" aerodynamics.
Also it can drastically alter the aero balance once the slots start getting clogged up with debris during a race.

It may make the car more stable actually. I remember doing some CFD back when lotus had the front exhausts.
Aside from the diffuser that area generates the most suction.



I think someone mentioned the strakes under the front wing; which would be the correct function that would apply in this case. It's really for flow refinement and straightening. The flow coming through the front wings and from the front tyre isn't the best quality for the floor because of turbelence and eddies. These strakes may play a roll in improving flow quality and thus giving the floor area downstream more stable and straight flow, which improves velocity and thus downforce under the car.


some idea of the flow quality behind the wheel and aft of the front wing:


keep in mind these were from a while back, and were for a different purpose.
I wish i had more time to investigate some of these parts in my home made CFD runs, but the aero regs just got too restricted that i wasnt seeing anything worth the time to investigate.

[PlatinumZealot]

Agree. Those strakes help in yaw too. In yaw there is a side-wash under the whole floor. This bleeds off the pressure gradually and guides it outwards. So it has both function of gills in an endplate and strakes under a wing.

[BreezyRacer]

I can possibly see some use of these straked barge boards on slower tracks like Monaco and the Hungaroring, where down force prevails over drag but you have to understand that these VGs do add a ton of drag (when they work), given their possible benefit (just my opinion). Of course when you're seated in the most powerful F1 car on the grid you can afford to give a little to get more DF. It would not surprise me that these were specifically targeted for use where mercs were weak last year. I would certainly be surprised to see them as an "every race" item.

Really, the front edge of the floor and tea tray edge designs have been pretty effective in channeling airflow out the early sides of the floors, which involves a lot of effort and air flow management to do so. Just look up and down the grid and you'll see everyone honing in on the same design, which involves scoops on the sides of the tea trays orienting airflow across the front edge of the floors to encourage airflow to exit out the sides of the floor, usually with a rolled edge or two to create a little low pressure to help. I wonder if the tea tray was changed to test this design?

[mantikos]

The serrated floor is nothing more then a further development on the serrated bargeboard. As you said, it is made to work in unison.

So the double diffuser was a further development of the single diffuser? I mean, the fact of the matter remains, it is a new concept that no one has run before, aka innovative.

Ferrari trialed it somewhere in 2012/2013 and I believe another team tried it last year. It's not new, just a more extreme variant

Alright, lets see the pics then

[wesley123]

Bhall posted the image below my post.

It was 2012.

[ringo]

I can possibly see some use of these straked barge boards on slower tracks like Monaco and the Hungaroring, where down force prevails over drag but you have to understand that these VGs do add a ton of drag (when they work), given their possible benefit (just my opinion). Of course when you're seated in the most powerful F1 car on the grid you can afford to give a little to get more DF. It would not surprise me that these were specifically targeted for use where mercs were weak last year. I would certainly be surprised to see them as an "every race" item.

Really, the front edge of the floor and tea tray edge designs have been pretty effective in channeling airflow out the early sides of the floors, which involves a lot of effort and air flow management to do so. Just look up and down the grid and you'll see everyone honing in on the same design, which involves scoops on the sides of the tea trays orienting airflow across the front edge of the floors to encourage airflow to exit out the sides of the floor, usually with a rolled edge or two to create a little low pressure to help. I wonder if the tea tray was changed to test this design?

Vortices are mentioned a lot on this site, but i think half the time the parts arent intended to create vortices. They simply condition flow because of a surface interaction. These strakes may not be for vortex because of how close they are together and because of how close they are to the ground with a flat surface they would have to squeeze under directly behind.
A CFD would have to be done to get the correct picture.

[mantikos]

Bhall posted the image below my post.

It was 2012.

http://i.imgur.com/942CPx0.jpg

The verticals look similar, but that was never the part in question. The horizontal pieces aren't even oriented in the same direction as the Merc solution, or nearly as long or elaborate.

[ME4ME]

“Tomorrow we will have a new nose,” he said. “That’s typical of the sport at this stage; we’re bringing lots of new parts to the car on a daily basis - all the way up to the first races.”

http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/merce ... ay-675301/

[eyalynf1]

I wish I had the time to draw this but...

I have thought in the past about how teams might reduce lift rather than create downforce. My hypothesis would be that the vortices shed from the serrated bargeboards flow along the sidepod undercut, lowering the pressure relative to the flow over the sidepod. This decreases any lift created by the side pod. In addition, the floor strakes lower the pressure under the floor relative to the sidepod undercut, preventing an adverse pressure differential from creating lift.

[PlatinumZealot]

It would be some nasty drag if all those blades shed vortices. I think they only help the big vortex that is already there.