Theoretical (physical) limits of F1 car

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DaveW
DaveW
239
Joined: 14 Apr 2009, 12:27

Re: Theoretical (physical) limits of F1 car

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Agreed, 747.

Tunnel vision, grey & black outs are normally caused by vertical acceleration. They are caused by lack of blood supply to the brain & can occur from 4 gn upwards, or 6 gn when supported by a "g-suite". Curiously, practise appears to improve tolerance. I'm told that tunnel vision & grey outs have happened at some "oval" circuits, notably Texas where drivers can experience 4 gn vertically, so that ties in with conventional wisdom. The fact that the Texas IRL race seems to have more than its share of late race incidents may well be significant.

I don't think much is known about tolerance to lateral acceleration, though tiredness must be a factor.

A few facts about accelerometers, if I may:

1. They do not measure acceleration. Most (that work down to DC) sense the displacement of a spring-retained mass.
2. An accelerometer fixed to the tub of an F1 race car is likely to experience +/-20gn engine-related "noise". This must be filtered electronically or mechanically (or, perhaps, both).
3. The "centre of gravity" of a race vehicle is difficult to define precisely. & it is probably even more difficult to attach an accelerometer at that location.
4. When a vehicle is manoeuvring close to its lateral limit, tyres often "stick/slip". This can cause lateral acceleration transients in excess of 1 gn.

For any or all of the above reasons, using quoted lateral gn figures to indicate the trajectory of a vehicle through a corner is usually misleading. I recall that somebody claimed to have recorded >6gn through Signes (Paul Ricard) "for several seconds". This would have implied a vehicle speed of 400 kph. Signes is a fast corner, but not that fast....

MadMatt
MadMatt
125
Joined: 08 Jan 2011, 16:04

Re: Theoretical (physical) limits of F1 car

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747heavy wrote:at the time, I think 130R (Suzuka) was flat out, therefor power limited.

IMHO - with free engine, tire and chassis/downforce regs blackout would be possible and the driver would probably beeing the "limiting factor" -
driver blackout before lateral roll over.

IIRC there where "grey out" situations in Indycar (IRL/Champcar ? - not sure how it was called at the time), a couple of years ago at some of the ovals.
Yes it was at the Texas speedway, the banking angle was so big that the drivers suffered from blackouts and strange brain behaviour but this was mostly due to VERTICAL G-force. This is well explained in Steve Olvey's book ! :)