Toro Rosso STR6 Ferrari

[RacingManiac]

I know people have said it's a ride height sensor, but two things make me dubious.

1. I'm fairly sure I've seen the RB6 running during races with it fitted, and that seems like it would present a fairly significant drag penalty. This could be discounted if all cars were running using the same unit, but they don't.

2. Why would a laser ride height sensor need to be mounted in a pod external to the car, surely it could work just as well tucked out of the way with only a lens protruding?

Its not just ride height, its chassis slip angle sensor. If you look it up online you can see its not usually a small sensor, and I am assuming it works kinda like a optical mouse, which is basically a camera that takes a lot of pictures and compare its path. In this case most of the sensing unit will be in that pod, and the connection to the car will just be channel output and power input.

I wonder if the teams also run one at the rear axle too....

[FrukostScones]

F92A copied by the STR6. Dude, get off the horse. They look nothing alike. Have no idea why everyone is bringing up that Ferrari. Give Toro Rosso, perhaps, even just some small credit? No that's too hard to ask. Ferrari F92A it is.

STR6 side pod cut is Ferrari F92A-style:

[King Six]

(Sorry if someone already mentionned it, my internet connection is very slow )

Have you heard that the Mp4-26 will combine the Renault exhausts with the F92A style sidepods copied by the STR6:

http://i79.servimg.com/u/f79/14/79/55/26/23415210.jpg

http://i79.servimg.com/u/f79/14/79/55/26/ferrar10.jpg

That means the exhaust will blow in that important space crated between the floor end the sidepods... that will very probably provide a huge advantage to Mclaren.

F92A copied by the STR6. Dude, get off the horse. They look nothing alike. Have no idea why everyone is bringing up that Ferrari. Give Toro Rosso, perhaps, even just some small credit? No that's too hard to ask. Ferrari F92A it is.

Of course, when it comes to McLaren..clearly their genius will merely combine all the other aspects into one genius automobile. God these McLaren threads are idiotic. The car isn't even released yet.

[Blackout]

We are only talking about the SIDEPODS. It's the SAME solution: raising the sidepods in order to free as much space on the floor as possible... The F92A got the idea first and is well known, so we can be sure that STR COPIED it. We DO give credit to Toro Rosso anyway, because that solution is elegant and very hard to achieve.

[rayden]

F92A copied by the STR6. Dude, get off the horse. They look nothing alike. Have no idea why everyone is bringing up that Ferrari. Give Toro Rosso, perhaps, even just some small credit? No that's too hard to ask. Ferrari F92A it is.

STR6 side pod cut is Ferrari F92A-style:

may i borrow your time machine?

[vinuneuro]

Why is a slip angle sensor even needed. Can't it be computed from front/rear yaw rate, steering angle, vehicle speed? Sensors for which can all be tucked away.

[Richard]

Goo dquestions 42 - Surely those sensors could be embedded in the bodywork?

[timbo]

I can imagine there may be good reasons to have such sensor directly between the tyres. I also belive it's contribution to aero is minimal.

[747heavy]

Goo dquestions 42 - Surely those sensors could be embedded in the bodywork?

unfortunately there is not much bodywork in this area, unless you want to cut a hole into the chassis tub and end up somewhere in the pedalbox with this sensor, which has it´s own drawbacks (chassis torsional stiffness etc.)

as for vinuneuro´s suggestion:
how would you accurately measure speed over ground (real vehicle speed)for your calculation?
wheelspeed is affected by tyre slip, so not a good way.
Part of the function of these sensors is to accurately measure speed over ground.

so, as so often, and with many things on a race car, it´s a compromise and chosing the "lesser evil", a small drag penality is perhaps the price to pay for accurate data.
Another example for the drag vs. data compromise would be the "bulges" on the floor housing the IR cameras for rear tire temp.
Can´t have it all, no much free cheese in life/race car design.

another reason for the position is probably related to this:

Working distance and range mm 180 ±50

more informations about such sensors can be found here:

http://www.corrsys-datron.com/Support/D ... 0-812e.pdf
and
http://www.corrsys-datron.com/optical_sensors.htm

[Raptor22]

Folks there is amarked difference between the F92A and the STR6.
The F92A had a double floor i.e. the lower floor was coventional flat bottomn exiting via a diffusor, while the uper floor attempted to accelerate the air between it and the lower floor to speed u flow through the diffusor. It failed hopelessly.
The STR6 has an extreme undercut to the sidepods, it is not a double floor. Its greatest benefit is slowing down air flow over the floor increasing the static pressure and then speeding it with the exhaust exit. Sort of like a ram jet inlet but at a very subsonic scale.

[ESPImperium]

Im wondering about those side pod inserts that STR have been using, they could be ideal for taking out on short tracks where drag isn't as important as downforce, so tracks like Monaco and Hungaroring they will be out, that means they can take them out and increase the engine wick and not damage the engine in effect.

It means they can have 2 configurations on the STR6 sidepods and the thing is that they can then hone cooling to the specific track as well, a nice touch and one that could pay off later in the season when the engine milage becomes tight as there are 20 GPs and only 8 engines, each engine will have to do an average of 1800km-2000km this year if not more. May be a nice touch to their car, honed cooling to preserve their engines.

[Raptor22]

I'm not sure they would do that. Since they are most likely dumping all waste heat into the undercut where they are using that expansion and kinetic energy to accelerate the air coming out of the diffusor they would likely maximise it. A faster or slower track won't really govern what they're trying to do since downforce is something that is always useful except on a very long straight.

What STR are doing is clever what Lotus were just a little further ahead in their thinking

[scuderiafan]

I think Toro Rosso did well with the STR6. The shape is the basic STR4/STR5 shape which has proven successful with the RB5/RB6. The double floor is a great addition. I'm expecting more from Toro Rosso this year, including more consistency in scoring.

[FrukostScones]

Did someone find diffuser or exaust pics, or generally pictures of the rear of the car? I can't find any. please help!

Thanks!

[raymondu999]

There's a diffuser shot in the analysis article of bar555's blog http://formula1techandart.wordpress.com ... -innovate/