Mercedes reveals ebm-papst as partner in cooling solutions
The Mercedes F1 team has announced a new partnership with fan and motor provider ebm-papst. ebm-papst has developed off-board cooling solutions for the team's racing cars, in addition to working closely with the team to improve the garage working environment at Grand Prix venues through custom-built heat extraction and cooling solutions which will be introduced later in the 2014 season.
The off-board solutions include cooling systems for the sidepod radiators and roll-hoop of the F1 W05 race cars which will be deployed when the car is on the grid and in the garage at all Grands Prix and test sessions. In order to achieve the optimal performance for the cars, ebm-papst used their latest 'S Force' axial fans (4114N/2H8P) whose performance curve match the high back-pressure characteristics of the Mercedes system and supposedly provide a 518% improvement in delivered airflow.
When the car is in the garage, the sidepods and roll-hoop will be cooled via a larger low-noise forward-curved centrifugal solution where the motor and impellor have been integrated into a bespoke designed scroll housing to fit perfectly on to the car for maximum performance and low noise in the garage environment.
ebm-papst will also help the team to improve the energy efficiency of the team's operational facilities at Brackley, in addition to holding technical working groups to share expertise and best practice in areas such as Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), turbine technology and energy efficiency.
Mercedes also reports that the signature also makes ebm-papst the first major partner to enter Formula One as a direct consequence of the new efficiency based rules introduced for the 2014 season and beyond.
Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, Toto Wolff, commented: "Formula One is the pinnacle of automotive innovation. As such, it has a duty to push the boundaries of technology. The new regulations not only encourage this innovation but also make the sport more relevant to the direction in which the motoring industry is heading.
"Our partnership with ebm-papst not only provides the team with the best solutions available to operate our racing cars but it also demonstrates the significance of new and innovative technologies within the sport. To welcome a new partner as a direct consequence of the new 2014 rules is proof that we are heading in the right direction. Our research and development for the race track is now increasingly relevant not only to our road car activities but also wider fields of technology."
Rainer Hunsdorfer, CEO of ebm-papst, commented: "We are delighted that Mercedes AMG Petronas has chosen our sustainable technology and that we are able to join Formula One at this important strategic realignment for the sport. For us, this commitment represents an investment in the future. MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS is world class when it comes to the domain of aerodynamic efficiency. I am confident that we will derive mutual benefit from this partnership."
