Mercedes AMG F1 W07

[godlameroso]

Here is a shot of Lewis' floor as used in the Belgian race
https://i.imgsafe.org/457a0b4865.jpg

Great picture. It never seizes to amaze me how design and manufacturing complexity evolve year over year.

There are two CRP inserts at the front of the floor. The ones that end in the titanium attachments. Are they funneling some air throught them? They seem to be a bit beefy for just structural reinforcement.

Also there seem to be a lot of wires. What kind of sensors would they have on there? Rear tire cameras obviously, ride height, what else?

Plasma actuator confirmed sorry couldn't help myself.

[Muulka]

Here is a shot of Lewis' floor as used in the Belgian race
https://i.imgsafe.org/457a0b4865.jpg

Great picture. It never seizes to amaze me how design and manufacturing complexity evolve year over year.

There are two CRP inserts at the front of the floor. The ones that end in the titanium attachments. Are they funneling some air throught them? They seem to be a bit beefy for just structural reinforcement.

Also there seem to be a lot of wires. What kind of sensors would they have on there? Rear tire cameras obviously, ride height, what else?

They'll have things like pressure sensors in there. Very useful for checking that that car's not damaged.

[Just_a_fan]

Here is a shot of Lewis' floor as used in the Belgian race
https://i.imgsafe.org/457a0b4865.jpg

Great picture. It never seizes to amaze me how design and manufacturing complexity evolve year over year.

There are two CRP inserts at the front of the floor. The ones that end in the titanium attachments. Are they funneling some air throught them? They seem to be a bit beefy for just structural reinforcement.

Also there seem to be a lot of wires. What kind of sensors would they have on there? Rear tire cameras obviously, ride height, what else?

They'll have things like pressure sensors in there. Very useful for checking that that car's not damaged.

They are the lower lateral crash structures...

[Muulka]

Great picture. It never seizes to amaze me how design and manufacturing complexity evolve year over year.

There are two CRP inserts at the front of the floor. The ones that end in the titanium attachments. Are they funneling some air throught them? They seem to be a bit beefy for just structural reinforcement.

Also there seem to be a lot of wires. What kind of sensors would they have on there? Rear tire cameras obviously, ride height, what else?

They'll have things like pressure sensors in there. Very useful for checking that that car's not damaged.

They are the lower lateral crash structures...

I was referring to the wires! I realise what the crash structures are, was talking about a totally different part of the post

[Edax]

[quote="Just_a_fan]
They are the lower lateral crash structures...[/quote]

Interesting. I've never seen them integrated with the floor. That's new isn't it?

[henry]

yes. it is.

The beam wing is NOT allowed. This section leaves the area where it might exist empty.

3.9.7 Any bodywork behind the rear wheel centre line, more than 100mm from the car centre line, and between 200mm and 600mm above the reference plane must lie in an area more than 400mm from the car centre line. On any horizontal section through the bodywork in this area, at any given longitudinal position along this section, the distance between the inner and outer surfaces must not exceed 20mm measured perpendicular to the car centreline.

I believe it was proposed in the original, Red Bull, draft of the regs.

[LookBackTime]

https://twitter.com/tgruener/status/775609027858489344 Very interesting article!

So, in resume:
- Mercedes spent 4 years to develop FRIC system. After the ban of the FRIC system they used the experience gained to develop the new system.
- front "hydraulic computer" able to give different suspensions setup in the following scenarios : acceleration, deceleration, slow corners, fast corners, straight lines
- the system require a great deal of engineering setup experience
- Mercedes found a loophole in the regulation in order to accommodate the system the front of the car

- Red Bull has scooped one engineer from Mercedes in winter. So they were able to replicate the system. This is one of the reason they are so good this season. Renault engine still has 50 hp deficit.
- almost all the teams have the system (of course in a different level of refinement) installed on the rear suspension

[domh245]

I would guess that this "computer" is a passive system. An active computer would surely fall foul of article 10.2.2 & 10.2.3

"Any powered device that is capable of altering the configuration or affecting the performance of any part of any suspension system is forbidden"

"No adjustment may be made to any suspension system while the car is in motion"

[LookBackTime]

I would guess that this "computer" is a passive system. An active computer would surely fall foul of article 10.2.2 & 10.2.3

"Any powered device that is capable of altering the configuration or affecting the performance of any part of any suspension system is forbidden"

"No adjustment may be made to any suspension system while the car is in motion"

yes, it is passive system.
I speculate they are using something close to a "mechanical cam design". Each cam is specific for a track

[zac510]

It reminds me of an interview with Ross Brawn (at Ferrari) in Racecar Engineering 15 years or so ago; when asked how the banning of [edit:]traction control will affect Ferrari, he replied [paraphrased from memory] "We learnt how we need the suspension to behave - now we will just go about replicating that mechanically."

(PS yes I know he is not with the Mercedes team now).

[domh245]

*poorly informed speculation from here on in*

Thinking about it, the use of the word computer (at least by Google Translate) would suggest some kind of feedback based system. I would guess that the feedback from the initial suspension movement is sent to the "computer" (which I would guess to be just a box full of pressure valves acting as some kind of logic gate) which then actuate the system. To change the settings for each track would then just need you to change the pressures at which the valves in the box operate. The operation of the valves in this "computer" would then allow you to control other circuits which affect the main suspension circuits.

Perhaps.

[LookBackTime]

*poorly informed speculation from here on in*

Thinking about it, the use of the word computer (at least by Google Translate) would suggest some kind of feedback based system. I would guess that the feedback from the initial suspension movement is sent to the "computer" (which I would guess to be just a box full of pressure valves acting as some kind of logic gate) which then actuate the system. To change the settings for each track would then just need you to change the pressures at which the valves in the box operate. The operation of the valves in this "computer" would then allow you to control other circuits which affect the main suspension circuits.

Perhaps.

I think you are very close with what they are doing!

[Big Mangalhit]

*poorly informed speculation from here on in*

Thinking about it, the use of the word computer (at least by Google Translate) would suggest some kind of feedback based system. I would guess that the feedback from the initial suspension movement is sent to the "computer" (which I would guess to be just a box full of pressure valves acting as some kind of logic gate) which then actuate the system. To change the settings for each track would then just need you to change the pressures at which the valves in the box operate. The operation of the valves in this "computer" would then allow you to control other circuits which affect the main suspension circuits.

Perhaps.

Indeed an active suspension is a sensor that detects the present values (be it forward and lateral acceleration or ride height), sends it to processing unit and then fires the actuators.
Probably they found a way to create it mechanically, like simple mechanical accelerometers that in different positions will change the stiffness of the suspension, so it can be soft or hard in different conditions. All without electronic controls

[TwanV]

Never quite understood what can be held against active suspension in the first place... no safety issues, driver importance doesn't deteriorate.. Very relevant to road cars in terms of comfort and safety.. The only thing I can think of is that back in 93 the software/hardware development costs for such a system were very high, and the gap between the top 3 and the rest was getting too noticable. But nowadays the 'have-nots' are much more professional. Anyway, fantastic that Mercedes applies a seemingly mechanical version of the system.
My opinion: let's hope the system stays legal before a ban puts in further requirement of resources again to circumvent a silly rule.

[kptaylor]

What is the relevance of putting this piece in the step nose void that's covered with the vanity plate? Is this type of mechanism forbidden in the actual nose itself so they're skirting rules by putting it into the step void?