r/F1Technical • u/Complete-Ad5058 • Feb 24 '23
Safety Benefit?
How can these microscopic struts be of any benefit? Is there such a thing as microscopic fluid dynamics?
Why would it even matter to mess with the flow of air that is only to cool the driver anyway?
Is it no aerodynamic and instead perhaps a mini grill in the very actual sense, some small ‘grill’ to catch flies and bugs so they don’t get sucked into the drivers helmet and distract them? That’s legit the only thing I can think of. But at these speeds it would just act like a guillotine not a barrier? Is 2 half of a fly less distracting than 1 bigger hitting you?
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u/cafk Renowned Engineers Feb 24 '23
They're just an air intake to cool the driver, the primary benefit of them is structural, which is why you don't see them on most (if not all) this year's cars.
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u/Complete-Ad5058 Feb 24 '23
Why are structures struts needed on such a tiny hole?
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u/TinkeNL Feb 24 '23
Have you ever seen the massive amounts of rubber bits that are flung across the track? This tiny 'grill' prevents those bits from blocking the airflow.
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u/Complete-Ad5058 Feb 24 '23
Oh the marbles? Yeh. Surprised I haven’t seen it anywhere else yet then.
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u/TinkeNL Feb 24 '23
Well, they’re there 😉 in the bigger scoops like the sidepods and the intake on the roll hoop there’s definitely some mesh to avoid it getting sucked into crucial components or damaging a radiator. Some marbles do get stuck in the sidepods themselves though, but that’s taken into account with their calculations and you’ll see the drivers run over the marbles after the race to pickup some more weight.
In endurance racing this is even more prominent, in a pit stop you’ll see crewmembers shoving their arm in the sidepods to remove debris.
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u/jimbobjames Feb 24 '23
shoving their arm in the sidepods to remove debris.
That's happened in F1 also. You see it more with brake ducts but I've definitely seen mechanics pull stuff out of the sidepod before if there was something obvious.
Think it happened much more often in the refueling days just because the car was sat longer.
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u/Complete-Ad5058 Feb 24 '23
Yea I considers it in more vital intakes but not an intake for ‘air conditioning’ and on a hole that is already so small.
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u/TinkeNL Feb 24 '23
Well because it’s so small there’s a bigger need for it. A single marble can block the entire hole. Also while this is mainly for driver cooling, don’t be surprised that this airflow is used internally for slightly cooling other parts as well.
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u/notyouagain-really Feb 24 '23
Why is this down voted?
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u/T04STY_ Red Bull Feb 24 '23
If someone starts, the rest will follow.
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u/ShadyHero89 Ross Brawn Feb 24 '23
As above. It's a air intake into the cockpit to cool the pilot. The structures you noticing are just to prevent all sorts of particles from entering the tub itself..
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u/cafk Renowned Engineers Feb 24 '23
To block simple debri from clogging up the only cool air going to the driver or just a remainder of manufacturing process, as the primary front crash structure is also in that area.
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u/jimbobjames Feb 24 '23
To stop it ingesting tyre mables or other rubbish deep into the nose and blocking it.
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u/paddington01 Feb 24 '23 edited Feb 24 '23
I've also read somewhere that it helps clear up the high pressure region at the nose too.
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u/esta-vida Feb 24 '23
Also safety as well, don't want pebbles / small rocks getting inside the frame.
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u/cramr Feb 24 '23
Or hitting the driver or blocking the pedals or or or. Not there for “aero” but for safety
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u/wing_world Verified F1 Structural Analysis Engineer Feb 24 '23
It's just a filter to prevent larger stones/debris from getting into the cockpit. Also, at 200 mph, you haven't really got to worry about a fly making it all the way up the driver cooling duct - they become mush pretty quickly
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u/JimmyPS Feb 24 '23
Rather than keeping out stones, I think these are aimed at keeping out the bit of rubber that come off the tires, often referred to as "marbles".
You'll see the same grill-like structures on the intakes to the brake coolers to keep tires debris out and stop the intakes from getting clogged.
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Feb 24 '23
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Feb 24 '23
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Feb 24 '23
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u/Complete-Ad5058 Feb 24 '23
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Feb 24 '23
Could be support to stop the flatter part of the nose above the inlet from collapsing / flexing?
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u/Complete-Ad5058 Feb 24 '23
Aha. That seems likely.
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Feb 24 '23
We have been downvoted by those in the know. So evidently talking out my arse. Sure I saw something to do with the Ferrari nose flexing in at speed
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u/Mr_Watanaba Feb 24 '23
Not being hit by a complete fly at 358 kilometers per hour, more like being hit with meshed fly.
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Feb 24 '23
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Feb 25 '23
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