Ferrari F2012

[C Plinius Secundus]

Hi everyone. Just a thought about the so rumored "heated floor".

When the cars are in parc fermé for the technical inspection, how long does it take after the race for the FIA inspectors to check the cars? One, two hours after the race maybe? I really don't know, BUT what if you could make a floor with shape-memory materials, which would deform in a programmed way with a stimulus such as high temperature, and return to its previous shape once cooled, and thus pass the technical inspection, even-though it may not be complying during the race.

I know it's far fetched, but remember the Brabham BT49 hydropneumatic suspension, the drivers had to ride over the curbs after the checkered flag in order to "pass" the inspection. The important thing is to pass the inspection, disregarding if it complies the regulations or not… (I know, it's unethical…)

[Afterburner]

Impossible, all cars are/could be inspected during quali.

[ecapox]

interestingly you could have a slit in the floor that when cold is close but when heated the floor moves a bit and the slits opens up and they become holes where the diffusor blows into.

Maybe

Possibly

Crazy idea?

[C Plinius Secundus]

Impossible, all cars are/could be inspected during quali.

Yes, you're right about that, but how many laps does a car run in quali? If Ferrari struggled to heat up the tyres in two or three laps, why should it be so fast to heat up the floor. If they could make it deform after 10-15 laps, maybe…

[bhall]

Because heating up the floor via exhaust or the engine itself is entirely different than heating up the tires via friction. Aside from that, I don't know that any team wants to open up the Pandora's box of temperature-deformable bodywork.

[Trocola]

Impossible, all cars are/could be inspected during quali.

Yes, you're right about that, but how many laps does a car run in quali? If Ferrari struggled to heat up the tyres in two or three laps, why should it be so fast to heat up the floor. If they could make it deform after 10-15 laps, maybe…

What's the point in having a diffuser that start working on lap 15? As last year, qualification is very important and, IIRC, Ferrari wanted to improve his qualifying form

If that magic diffuser works by heating, that heating must be quick


Trocola

[C Plinius Secundus]

Impossible, all cars are/could be inspected during quali.

Yes, you're right about that, but how many laps does a car run in quali? If Ferrari struggled to heat up the tyres in two or three laps, why should it be so fast to heat up the floor. If they could make it deform after 10-15 laps, maybe…

What's the point in having a diffuser that start working on lap 15? As last year, qualification is very important and, IIRC, Ferrari wanted to improve his qualifying form

If that magic diffuser works by heating, that heating must be quick


Trocola

Maybe it could deform quickly, and even regain its previous shape as quickly too. Or not. It's all hypothetical (at least for me), in fact, there's been the word about the "Byrne floor" and "heated floor" for weeks/months, and not even a single photo or proof of any kind has supported its existence so far, and the Melbourne opening race is just a couple of weeks ahead. What if it was all "hot air"? (but not EBD hot air )

BTW, I greatly appreciate the exchange of ideas.

[Afterburner]

That kind of floor by a driver point of view could be very difficult to manage throw a race/lap, not to mention the designers would have to take into account air temperature and humidity on each track that would affect such floor, i don't believe they could go for such a complex development.

[radosav]

exhaust pipes are made of metal material that can cope with 950 °C, and needs 15 sec to lose that heat. so it loses 70°C per second

[bhall]

exhaust pipes are made of metal material that can cope with 950 °C, and needs 15 sec to lose that heat. so it loses 70°C per second

I'm not doubting you at all, but do you have a source for that? It might help me further my look into the floor being used as a heatsink.

[radosav]

exhaust pipes are made of metal material that can cope with 950 °C, and needs 15 sec to lose that heat. so it loses 70°C per second

I'm not doubting you at all, but do you have a source for that? It might help me further my look into the floor being used as a heatsink.

i think it is inconel 625 http://www.upmet.com/625-physical.shtml http://www.epi-eng.com/piston_engine_te ... nology.htm http://www.ret-monitor.com/articles/393 ... materials/

[Chuckjr]

Ok wait.

If it is 100% true that a heated floor is useless in an F1 context, then why is it even being discussed?

Where has the rumor of a heated Byrne floor come from anyway?

On the other hand, if it is indeed viable, would you not have to direct the exhaust gasses predominantly at the floor to get it hot enough to have an effect on aerodynamics? And if you did that, would that not then severely degrade the aerodynamic efficiency of a blown rear wing? Meaning, you can't blow gasses downward and at the same time have them blowing the rear wing--especially with the new rules moving the exit of exhausts so far from the rear? If this complex floor is indeed coming, why is Ferrari not testing it, as it sounds like it would be an absolute nightmare to get right and extremely affected by ambient temperatures.

[NoDivergence]

Floor deformation with heat application really isn't a great idea... Especially when you get to the hotter tracks

[amouzouris]

my thought is that the whole heated diffuser thing...is what mercedes has already shown us and it is speculated in the W03 thread...i think they will be using the hot air from the engine bay exiting from the back of the engine cover going through that pipe below the beam wing(already on teh ferrari) inside the crash structre to a mini DD (or whatever you wana call it) in the central 15cm part of the diffuser...

[Mr.G]

... what if you could make a floor with shape-memory materials, which would deform in a programmed way with a stimulus such as high temperature, and return to its previous shape once cooled ...

Sounds interesting. If you use bimetal sheat placed somwhere near the exhaust pipe, set the bimetal to react from 600°C+ you open it corectly and if you shut the engine you will have it closed in 5 second.
But I don't know the regulations around floor if this will be some kind of loop hole as flexi wing, or it will be pure cheating.