Aerodynamics Of F1 Racing Car

ABSTRACT

The field of aerodynamics is one of the major area of research and development in modern
motor sports. a consequence of the fact that many different avenues that can be exploited in
order to effect continuous improvement of the race cars, possibly the most intensely
research area centers surrounded generation of maximum down force on the car, because it
enhances the performance of vehicle and increase mechanical rate as well as aerodynamic
grip and hence lateral acceleration and braking capacity.

This paper gives the general overview of the aerodynamic consideration in design of
model F1 racing cars. The important of aerodynamic to a modern F1 car is quantified
and the effect of FIA (Féderation Internationale de l'Automobile) regulations on the
aerodynamic development of the racing car is presented and roll of CFD (Computational
Fluid Dynamic) and wing tunnel testing.
INTRODUCTION

FORMULA ONE, abbreviated to F1 and also known as Grand Prix racing, is the highest class of
single-seat open-wheel formula auto racing. It consists of a series of races, known as Grinds Prix,
held on purpose-built circuits or closed city streets, whose results determine two annual World
Championships, one for drivers and one for constructors. The cars race at speeds often in excess of
300 km/h (185 mph) with engines that produce, as of 2005, around 900 bhp at 18000 rpm. The sport
is regulated by the Féderation Internationale de l'Automobile.

F1 ORIGINS The modern era of Formula One Grand Prix racing began in 1950, but the
roots of F1 are far earlier, tracing to the pioneering road races in France in the 1890s.
Through the Edwardian years, the bleak twenties, the German domination of the 1930s and
the early post-war years of Italian supremacy. And back in 1895

At the birth of racing, cars were upright and heavy, roads were tarred sand or wood, reliability
was problematic, drivers were accompanied by mechanics, and races — usually on public roads
from town to town — were impossibly long by modern standards. Regarded as the first motor
race proper was a 1,200 km road race from Paris to Bordeaux

The competitive advantage over the competitor may be gained from modern F1 car from
relative improvement in one of three key areas; Engine, Tires & Aerodynamics. In general
each competitor receives their engine & tires from external suppliers & hence limited
influence as to development of motor. Aerodynamic is thus biggest area of investment for
the formula 1 constructor.

The constructer must obviously take every benefit of its chassis. The chassis must be light
and stiff, be capable of carrying enough fuel, satisfy FIA crash test requirement and offer a
good working environment for the travel. Similarly wings, nose cone angle, and bodywork of
the car generate required downforce. Therefore a better attention in proper design and
analysis of these components.

Similarly the cooling system is critical; it must be reliable and can be considered as part of
aerodynamic package. While all these components are essential to improve the performance of
the car and problem in any of these areas can cause a car to be significantly slower, so for
these constructer is forced to make a large investment in these areas.
IMPORTANCE OF AERODYNAMICS

For all vehicles, ranging from small passengers vehicle to commercial buses and trucks, reducing air
drag is one of the most efficient ways of improving fuel economy. For example, a 5% improvement in
drag for a typical diesel-engine heavy truck, which can simply be achieved by improving the design
of the wing mirrors, can result in fuel saving of hundreds of liters a year for the typical annual
highway driving cycle. On the other end of the scale, in motor racing, fuel saving might not be the
number one priority, but reaching very high speeds certainly is. In order to propel a typical class 1
ITC racing car at 300km/h, around 30 KW of additional power is required for a car with a drag
coefficient of 0.40, compared to one with 0.36. And when you are operating at the limit of your
engine, this can make the difference between winning and losing. But there is a lot more to external
aerodynamic design than simply reducing the air drag. A typical modern F1 grand prix car has a
much higher drag coefficient than the production vehicle it is based on! This should not come as a
big surprise, especially when looking at all the aerodynamic components and features that are there
to keep racing cars stable and drivable at high speeds, effectively preventing them from flying off the
ground. Components such as front wings, diffuser-shaped underbody, brake cooling ducts, engine
intake and rear wings are there to improve the car’s stability and downforce, which, according to
sustain can be at the same time can add to the drag of the vehicle. Therefore< the optimum
aerodynamic design has to produce the best balance between low drag and high downforce that
allows the car to be stable and drivable at very high speeds.

Aerodynamic has become the most important part of racing during the latest years. It has
nearly become the only way for engineers to gain considerable time on their opponents,
considering the very strict regulation in today’s motor sports. To do so, engineers use wind
tunnels to test their designs.

The primary task of aerodynamicists is to find down force - the vertical force that pushes cars to
the ground by forming a zone of low pressure underneath its wings - and to minimize drag, the
associated longitudinal force that resists the car's forward movement.

2.1 DOWNFORCE

The term downforce describes the downward pressure created by the aerodynamic
characteristics of a racing car that allow it to travel faster through a corner by holding the car
to the track or road surface.
2.2 PRINCIPLES USED

Two of the most popular explanations existing till today are as follows:

2.2.1 THE LONGER PATH EXPLANATION :

It is also known as the Bernoulli or equal transit time explanation, the popular
explanation, path length or airfoil- shape.

WHAT IS IT?

As air approaches a wing, it is divided into two parts, the part that flows above the wing, and the part that
flows below. In order to create a lifting force, the upper surface of the wing must be longer and more curved
than the lower surface (as shown in fig. 2.2.1). Because the air flowing above and below the wing must
recombine at the trailing edge of the wing, and because the path along the upper surface is longer, the air
on the upper surface must flow faster than the air below if both parts are to reach the trailing edge at the
same time. The "Bernoulli Principle" says that the total energy contained in each part of the air is
constant, and when air gains kinetic energy (speed) it must lose potential energy (pressure,) and so high-
speed air has a lower pressure than low-speed air. Therefore, because the air flows faster on the top of the
wing than below, the pressure above is lower than the pressure below the wing, and the wing driven
upwards by the higher pressure below. In modern wings the low pressure above the wing creates most of
the lifting force, so it isn't far from wrong to say that the wing is essentially 'sucked' upwards.

WHY IS IT NOT ENTIRELY CORRECT?

There are several flaws in this theory, although this is a very common explanation found
in encyclopedias:

The assumption that the two air particles described above rejoin each other at the trailing edge of
the wing is groundless. In fact, these two air particles have no "knowledge" of each other's
presence at all, and there is no logical reason why these particles should end up at the rear of
the wing at the same moment in time. For many types of wings, the top surface is longer than the
bottom However; many wings are symmetric (shaped identically on the top and bottom surfaces).
This explanation also predicts that planes should not be able to fly upside down, although we
know that many planes have this ability.
WHY IS IT NOT ENTIRELY WRONG?

The Longer Path explanation is correct in more than one way. First, the air on the top
surface of the wing actually does move faster than the air on the bottom - in fact, it is
moving faster than the speed required for the top and bottom air particles to reunite, as
many people suggest.

Second, the overall pressure on the top of a lift-producing wing is lower than that on the bottom
of the wing, and it is this net pressure difference that creates the lifting force.

2.2.2 THE NEWTONIAN EXPLANATION:

It is also known as the momentum transfer or air deflection explanation, the physics explanation,

PRO-NEWTON or attack angle.

. WHAT IS IT?

Isaac Newton stated that for every action there is an equal, and opposite, reaction (Newton's
Third Law). You can see a good example of this by watching two skaters at an ice rink. If one
pushes on the other, both move - one due to the action force and the other due to the
reaction force. In the late 1600s, Isaac Newton theorized that air molecules behave like
individual particles and that the air hitting the bottom surface of a wing behaves like shotgun
pellets bouncing off a metal plate. Each individual particle bounces off the bottom surface of
the wing and is deflected downward (as shown in fig. 2.2.2). As the particles strike the
bottom surface of the wing, they impart some of their momentum to the wing, thus
incrementally nudging the wing upward with every molecular impact.

. WHY IS IT NOT ENTIRELY CORRECT?

The Newtonian explanation provides a pretty intuitive picture of how the wing turns the
air flowing past it, with a couple of exceptions:
The top surface of the wing is left completely out of the picture. The top surface of a wing contributes
greatly to turning the fluid flow. When only the bottom surface of the wing is considered, the resulting lift
calculations are very inaccurate. Almost a hundred years after Newton's theory, a man named Leonhard
Euler noticed that fluid moving toward an object would actually deflect before it even hits the surface, so it
doesn't get a chance to bounce off the surface at
all. It seemed that air did not behave like individual shotgun pellets after all. Instead, air
molecules interact and influence each other in a way that is difficult to predict using simplified
methods. This influence also extends far beyond the air immediately surrounding the wing.

. WHY IS IT NOT ENTIRELY WRONG?

While a pure Newtonian explanation does not produce accurate estimates of lift values in
normal Flight conditions (for example, a passenger jet's flight), it predicts lift for certain flight
regimes very well. For hypersonic flight conditions (speeds exceeding five times the speed of
sound), the Newtonian theory holds true. High speeds and very low air densities, air
molecules behave much more like the pellets that Newton spoke of. The space shuttle
operates under these conditions during its re-entry phase. Unlike the Longer Path
explanation, the Newtonian approach predicts that the air is deflected downward as it passes
the wing. While this may not be due to molecules bouncing off the bottom of the wing, the air
is certainly deflected downward, resulting in a phenomenon called downwash.

The above principle that allows an airplane to rise off the ground by creating lift under its wings is
used in reverse to apply force that presses the race car against the surface of the track. This
effect is referred to as "aerodynamic grip" and is distinguished from "mechanical grip," which is a
function of the car's tires and suspension. The creation of downforce can only be achieved at the
cost of increased aerodynamic drag (or friction), and the optimum setup is always a compromise
between the two. Downforce is necessary for maintaining speed through corners. Due to the fact
that the engine power available today can overcome much of the opposing forces induced by
drag, design attention has been focused on first perfecting the down force properties of a car
then addressing drag. The aerodynamic setup for a car can vary considerably between
racetracks, depending on the length of the straights and the types of corners; some drivers also
make different choices on setup. Because it is a function of the flow of air over and under the car,
downforce typically rises with the speed of the car and requires a certain minimum speed in order
to produce a significant effect. .

The amount of downforce that can be created is typically much greater for an open-wheeled
Formula One or Indy car than for a full-bodied touring car or stock car because of its enhanced
aerodynamic characteristics and the use of wings rather than spoilers.

Two primary components of a racing car can be used to create downforce when the car
is travelling at racing speed reshape of the body, and wings uses airfoils.
2.2.3 GROUND EFFECT

Downforce is available by understanding the ground to be part of the aerodynamic system in question. The
basic idea is to create an area of low pressure underneath the car, so that the higher pressure above the car
will apply a downward force. Naturally, to maximize the force one wants the maximal area at the minimal
pressure. Racing car designers have achieved low pressure in two ways: first, by using a fan to push air out of
the cavity; second, to design the underside of the car as an inverted aerofoil so that large amounts of incoming
air are accelerated through a narrow slot between the car and the ground, lowering pressure by Bernoulli's
principle. [Ref. 1]
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS FOR AN AERODYNAMIST

The main factor which separates the victors from the valiant in this area is the aerodynamic
performance - too much drag and you're pulling unwanted air along with you. It is in
efficiency where the skills of the aerodynamicist are tested to the full. He must obtain as
much downforce as he can without creating too much drag, and slowing the car. .

It is important to note that top speed is important to have, but it's generally more important to get
around the corners fast. It is here that the most important Formula One trade-off takes place.
Forget all other; this is F1 in a nutshell - Fast or Nimble? To go forward fast, you must aim to
minimize drag. To corner fast, you must maximize down force (to maximize the grip on the
racetrack). Unfortunately, downforce comes at a price - the price of additional drag! Cars can be
lightening on the straight, yet be a second down on lap time. Why? The engineers haven't
balanced the level of downforce and straight-line speed required.

Cornering is critical. A car will have to decrease its speed to go from a straight, around a
corner, and onto another straight. The ability to go around this quickest is paramount in a
successful car. A decrease in speed must be re-claimed once back on the straight, so
the car that loses the least speed will have to accelerate the least when back on the
straight - and accelerating takes time.

The design of this corner will, to a point, limit the car's speed around it. The other factor is the cornering
ability of the car. To take a corner like Copse at Silverstone in a Formula Ford car would be very different to
doing it in an F1 machine due to the difference in design between the two vehicles. Even taking it in two
different Formula One cars would have different effects. The competence of a car in cornering comes in
part from the height of the centre of gravity.

This is the point through which the weight of the car is seen to act, or the point where the
car would balance on a pivot l. Designers want the centre of gravity in a race car low to
the floor. Other major criterion in cornering is the design of the suspension and tires, the
load transfer characteristics, and the downforce on the car.

All the above discussions are coupled together, and fit under the banner of

'Drivability'. The designer strives for this, and it must be the biggest dagger a driver places in the
designer's heart when he claims the car is 'undividable'! Along with all those factors described
previously, the relationship between the centre of gravity and the aerodynamic centre is
crucial for a driver's confidence.

The “aerodynamic centre” is similar to the centre of gravity in definition. It is the point through which the
force created by the aerodynamics is seen to act. The fuel, which is the only part of the car to change
weight significantly during the race, is positioned in such that the centre of gravity doesn't move
significantly. However, the aerodynamic force is constantly changing, so keeping the aerodynamic centre in
the same place throughout a lap is a near impossible task. As the car is so close to the ground, millimeters
of ride height (distance between the car and the ground) change downforce levels significantly. If the front is
closer to the ground than the rear (as in braking), there will be more downforce on the front than normal,
and the aerodynamic centre will move forward. In contrast, accelerating lifts up the front, and the aero
centre moves back. To the driver, this movement feels unsettling, so the more level the car can be through
accelerating, braking, cornering, and over the bumps, the more controllable it will be. For that reason,
suspension stiffness is also important, as are load transfer characteristics. [Ref. 6]

The complexities of compromises between all of these factors make the difference
between the car being fast, and the team being furious!
AERODYNAMIC FEATURES OF F1 CARS

4.1 BODY (WORK)

The general shape of body is like a “Boat “and In general the body of f1 car can thought as a
Bluff Body close to ground, with large wake and associated form drag. [Ref. 1]The teardrop
shape, previously discussed, displays ideal aerodynamic properties in an unconstrained flow and
is well suited for aeronautical applications. However, when this shape is incorporated into the
design of an F1 vehicle, it is subjected to constrained flow, which causes different flow behaviors.
This is due to the simple fact that these cars are very close to the ground. The presence of the
ground prevents the formation of a symmetrical flow pattern .The results of this flow behavior are
an unfavorable increased drag coefficient and generation of a very favorable downforce. The
rounded and tapered shape of the top of the car is designed to slice through the air and minimize
wind resistance. Detailed pieces of bodywork on top of the car can be added to allow a smooth
flow of air to reach the downforce creating elements (i.e., wings or spoilers, and underbody
tunnels). The underside of the body is similar in shape to an inverted wing and creates an area of
low pressure between the car and the track, pressing the car to the road. This is sometimes
called a ground effect and has been the subject of many rule changes over the years in different
racing series. [Ref. 3]

4.2 FRONT WING

Front wing aerodynamics is one of the most complex elements of Formula One car aerodynamics. Through
the history of Formula One, the front wing has developed from a simple single element wing into a highly
three-dimensional, multi-element high lift device (as shown in fig.4.2.1). [Ref.2] Endplates are
sophisticated, which avoid the spoiling of air and influence the performance of the front wing. The most
obvious function of a front wing is to produce downforce on the front end of the car. The wing itself
generally produces approximately 25 – 30 % of the total car downforce. [Ref.1] beside its contribution to
the overall downforce, the front wing also works as an adjustable counterbalance to the rear wing load. A
front wing system is placed on the front-end of a car also regulate the air flow over the entire car (as shown
in fig. 4.2.2) and as the foremost device that disturbs the incoming (from the car point of view) airflow, it
prevents the rest of the car to see a preferable ‘clean’ flow as a by-product of this is high downforce
production. [Ref.3] The performance of the front wing is also strongly dependent on the presence of the
front wheel. A
rotating wheel produces strong crosswise flow areas close to the ground in front of the wheel
due to a squeezing or jetting effect. These jet vortices are highly influential in understanding
the form of the front wing wake, and their effect changes by the end plates. [Ref.2]

On each end of the wing as well as nose cone is made symmetrical and provided with
endplates. The height of front wing is reduce nearer to the nose cone as this allows air to
flow into the radiators and to the under floor aerodynamic aids. If the wing flap maintained it's
height right to the nose cone, the radiators would receive less airflow and therefore the
engine temperature would rise. [Ref.3] the asymmetrical shape also allows a better airflow to
the under floor and the diffuser, increasing downforce. This again allows a slightly better
airflow to the under floor aerodynamics and help in producing ground effect. By means of a
ground effect, this was particularly interesting for front wings because if would increase
downforce at high speeds without an increase of drag.

4.3 NOSE CONE

The nose cone is nothing but the front edges of the formula1 racing car (as shown in fig.
4.3.1) the height of nose cone plays an important role in case of f1 car design.

The main advantages of a higher nose need some thinking and knowledge of the complete car to
see. At first sight the higher nose is equal to less downforce as by itself it pushes less air up over
the nose. In recent cars surprisingly the nose is not aimed to push air up, but instead small at the
front to allow airflow aside of the nose. The air that passes the nose forms the basic concept of a
high nose cone. Having such a nose allows air to go straight through under the nose instead of
having to bend around it. While it reduces drag for sure, the front wing planes can span the
complete width of the car, which in fact allows more downforce to be generated at the front. All air
that passed under the nose is then guided under the car or split to either side of the car by the
splitter located just in front of the side pods. [Ref. 3]

Why now would we want so much air to nicely pass the nose and go into the side pods
or under the car's floor? Quite simply where the most downforce can be generated,
exactly the diffuser that locates at the end of the car's stepped floor. The more air you
get under the floor and the faster it can exit out of the diffuser the more downforce will be
generated. The advantage of such a floor is even more obvious as downforce is
generated not only in the diffuser but also under the complete floor.
But the sky is not all blue as there are also some disadvantages to it. The nose itself of course does not
generate much downforce; in fact the higher the noses point the less downforce by itself (this does not
include any downforce generated by front wing or floor). Another disadvantage for the highest noses may
be visibility from the driver's point of view. The main advantages of a higher nose need some thinking and
knowledge of the complete car to see.

4.4 REAR WING

The actual model of rear wing is as shown in fig. 4.4.1) it is mounted at rear side of

the car.

These devices contribute to approximately a third of the car’s total down force, while only weighing about 7
kg.10Figure shows a rear wing. [Ref. 1] Usually the rear wing is comprised of two sets of aerofoils
connected to each other by the wing endplates .The upper aerofoil, usually consisting of three elements,
provides the most downforce, therefore varied from race to race .The lower aerofoil, usually consisting of
two elements, is smaller and provides some downforce . However, the lower aerofoil creates a low-
pressure region just below the wing to help the diffuser create more downforce below the car. The working
principle of rear wing is (as shown in fig.4.4.2) the rear wing is varied from track to track because of the
trade off between downforce and drag. More wing angle increases the downforce and produces more drag,
thus reducing the cars top speed. [Ref. 2] So when racing on tracks with long straights and few turns, like
Monza, it is better to adjust the wings to have small angles. Conversely, when racing on tracks with many
turns and few straights, like Austria, it is better to adjust the wings to have large angles.

At either end of the wing are the end-plates are provided which serve two purposes. The first purpose of
the end plates is to prevent tip losses on the wing. Tip losses occur due to higher-pressure air on the upper
surface of the aerofoil moving around the tip of the aerofoil to the lower pressure under surface of the
aerofoil. This can provide a significant contribution to drag and is a common problem on transport aircraft
where the problem is minimized using winglets. The second purpose that the end plates serve is to prevent
interference from the rear wheels. [Ref. 4] The wheels make the biggest contribution to the drag than any
other component on the car and the regulations prevent them from being encased by body work. The air
around both the front and the rear wheels is very turbulent and therefore it is not desirable to have this
highly turbulent air flow interfering with the relatively smooth flow over the rear wing and reduces the
performance of the rear wing and also increases the drag force which limits the top speed of the car.
4.5 DIFFUSER

The smallest thing that you can count to the wings part is the diffuser. Actually, it does exactly the
opposite of a rear or front wings. Instead of pushing the air up, it sucks the air up. The volume of
the diffuser increases towards to the end of the car. (As shown in fig. 4.5.1) Where a certain
amount of air molecules filled increases for example initially 1dm³ under the car, these now fill
2dm³. This drop of pressure causes a car to be sucked towards the ground. Driving at a speed of
300 km/h, the ground effect of the car would be extreme if there was no air under the car itself.
Therefore, the FIA has forbidden strokes and sloping car bottoms because of safety reasons.
[Ref. 7] Instead of raising the back of the car, the diffuser sucks the air away from under the car
because the low pressure. The diffuser use placed under the rear wing and is actually a sweep
up of the car's floor. It consists of many tunnels and spoilers (as shown in fig. 4.51), which
carefully control the airflow to maximize this suction effect. The design of the bottom of the car,
and thereby the diffuser is a critical area, because it can greatly influence the car's behavior in
corners. More importantly, the designers have to be care full that the car keeps working well in all
circumstances, and at any distance from the ground. Losing all of the diffuser's generated
downforce when riding over a curb will greatly generate a nervous behavior of the car itself. The
strokes and flips witching the diffuser have lately become that advanced (curbed and even
foreseen by gurney flaps sometimes) that any track distance is insufficient to guarantee good
performance. It is still a part where a lot of time can be gained on current F1 cars, partly by
pulling more air towards the diffuser by inducing the coke-bottle effect.

The diffuser is usually found on each side of the central engine and gearbox fairing and is located
behind the rear axle line as seen in Figure .As seen in Figure, the diffuser consists of many
tunnels and splitters. It is designed to carefully guide and control airflow underneath the racecar.
Essentially, it creates a suction effect on the rear of the racecar and pulls the car down to the
track .The suction effect is a result of Bernoulli’s equation, which states that where speed is
higher, pressure must be lower. Therefore the pressure below the racecar must be lower than the
pressure at the outlet since the speed of the air below the racecar will be higher than the speed
of the air at the outlet. [Ref. 5] Racecar engineers must carefully design the diffuser, since its
dimensions are limited by the racing regulations and its angle of convergence is somewhat
restricted .If the angle of convergence is too large then the flow will separate because of the
adverse pressure gradient.
Although wings and diffusers work similarly, they are based under different concepts. A
diffuser serves to eject air out from the underside of the car. This pulling action increases
the velocity of the air below the car, so that the more slowly moving air above the car will
push the car into the ground. Diffusers, when working properly, can be extraordinarily
important to the aerodynamics of a car. When F1 cars travel around the track, the
diffusers produce 40 % of the total downforce. When not working properly, these devices
can befuddle even the best-experienced drivers. [Ref. 1]
STEPS IN THE RACE CAR DESIGN PROCESS

The car design is carried out using basic aerodynamic principles. Simulating Race Car
Design with “Computational Fluid Dynamics” After this a physical scale model of the car
and place it in a “wind tunnel”, where the teams can conduct further research and
continue to assess the car's aerodynamic efficiency. After these two steps are
completed, the final step is to test and assess the car on the track itself.

5.1 CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics)

It is a computational technology that enables you to study the dynamics of things that flow. Using CFD, you
can build a computational model that represents a system or device that you want to study. Then you apply
the fluid flow physics and chemistry to this virtual prototype, and the software will output a prediction of the
fluid dynamics and related physical phenomena. Therefore, CFD is a sophisticated computationally based
design and analysis technique. [Ref. 10]

5.1.1 The CFD Process

There are essentially three stages to every CFD simulation process: preprocessing,
solving and post processing.

a) PREPROCESSING

This is the first step in building and analyzing a flow model. It includes building the model
within a computer-aided design (CAD) package, creating and applying a suitable
computational mesh, (as shown in fig. 5.1.1) and entering the flow boundary conditions
and fluid materials properties.

b) SOLVING

The CFD solver does the flow calculations according to the given boundary condition
and produces the results on the screen.

c) POSTPROCESSING
This is the final step in CFD analysis, and it involves the organization and interpretation of the
predicted flow data and the production of CFD images and animations. Post processing tools
enable to provide several levels of reporting, so one can satisfy the needs and
interests of all the stakeholders in design process. Quantitative data analysis can be as
sophisticated as per the requirement. High-resolution images and animations help you to
tell story in a quick and impact manner.

WIND TUNNELS

Racing teams have been devoting more and more time to the development of the
aerodynamics of their cars. They have done so (and they still do it) with track and wind
tunnel testing. Track testing is widely recognized for being too expensive and dependent
on many casual events. The advantage, of course, is that the car is tested in its actual
configuration in a real world situation.

The wind tunnel is the technical answer of the aerodynamic engineers. The wind tunnels are now
days very sophisticated, and allow a wide range of studies, including modeling of the car in
complete configuration, ground plane simulation, etc. [ref.1] It consists of a huge fan. The main
fan has a blade diameter of over 5m and is powered by a 3,000 horsepower electric motor,
generating a torque of 32,000 ft-lb at 500 rpm. In total there are 16 rotating blades and 27 stator
blades - non-rotating blades that are a structural part of the fan construction. This fan will move
around 1000 m3 of air per second so we'll be getting wind speeds of 80 m/s in the test section a
good chance of working before they enter the wind tunnel. [Ref.10]

Tunnels with Moving Ground

One major advancement has been promoted by the use of moving ground planes (previously not
used in other branches of aerodynamics). When in the 1970s it was discovered that downforce
could be created by means of ground effect, it became essential to simulate the effect of the
track on the car performance (on underbody, side pods, exposed wheels, wings).

In a wind tunnel with a stationary ground plane a boundary layer build up under the car,
and can interfere with the boundary layer of the lower components. Such a case cannot
give the correct answer. There are several ways to remove the ground boundary layer,
but the most effective method is to use a moving belt, with the wheels rotating with the
belt. The simulation of rotating wheels could not be more effective. The importance of
the exposed wheels in Indy and Formula 1 has been widely recognized, and neglecting
this effect may have a large effect on the overall performances. [Ref. 10]
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

The 2008 Formula One World Championship will usher in a new fan-friendly year for the
sport. Following agreement by the Formula One Commission, new proposals, including
a revolutionary twin-wing concept, will ensure that futureF1 cars will be able to overtake
more easily, have more mechanical grip and run on slick tires.

According to the recent FIA/AMD survey, where over 93,000 fans gave their opinion, the vast
majority (94%) wants to see more overtaking. This is why the FIA and its research team came up
with a proposal for a radical new wing to make more overtaking possible .The problem has been
that most aerodynamic research aims to improve car’s performance when running in what is
known as ‘clean’ air which has not been disturbed by the wake of a car in front. (As shown in fig.
6.1.2) However, in race conditions when cars follow each other closely, the wake of one car
significantly reduces the aerodynamic performance of the following car, making overtaking
extremely difficult and often impossible. To combat this problem the FIA initiated programmed of
research, which looked into improving aerodynamic performance when a car is trying over take.
With the help of the FIA’s technology partner AMD, the research team came up with the concept
of a Centre line Downwash Generating.

The CDG wing is a split rear wing designed to generate a wake of non-turbulent air
allowing the following car to run close to the car in front without loosing downforce on the
front wing. (CDG) wing (as shown in fig.6.1.1)

The proposal met with broad approval by the Formula One Commission and was ratified by the
FIA World Motor Sport Council. The commission also agreed a proposal for tires to be supplied
by a single manufacturer. As such, the CDG Wing, together with wider wheels and slick tires, will
form part of the 2008 FIA Formula One Technical Regulations. [Ref. 7]
CONCLUSION

Thus we see that aerodynamics play a vital role in design of formula-1 cars where speed is of utmost
importance various features like the spoilers, CDG wing, diffuser all aid in this quest to achieve minimum
air resistance to the car (i.e. reducing the drag but at the same time improving on the cornering speed and
the dowforce. The FIA changes the rules every year to ensure drivers safety and also to make the race
ever interesting. Technology changes As a result of the changing rules, there are changes in car design
and laying paths for new technology.
PAerodynamics Of F1 Racing Car
Page 19
Aerodynamics Of F1 Racing Car

Fig. 4.2.1 Actual Model of Front Wing

Fig. 4.2 .2 Air Flow Regulation Over The Car

Fig. 4. 3. 1 Nose Cone

Fig .4.4.1 Actual Model of Rear Wng.

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Aerodynamics Of F1 Racing Car

Fig. 4.4.2 Working Principle of Rear Wing.

Fig. 4. 5.1 Actual Diffuser Model.

. Fig. 4.5.2 Working of Diffuser.

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Aerodynamics Of F1 Racing Car
Fig. 6.1.1 F1 Car With CDG Wing.
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Aerodynamics Of F1 Racing Car
Fig. 5.1.1 Schematic of a CFD simulation process on a F1

Racing Car CAD .Grid.

Page 23
INDEX

SR NO. TOPIC PAGE NO

INTRODUCTION……………………………….…………..…...1

IMPORTANCE OF AERODYNAMICS………….…….....…...3

DOWN FORCE………………..….…….…....4

PRINCIPLES USED…………………............4

2.2.1 LONGER PATH EXPLANATION….…......4 2.2.2 NEWTONIEN EXPLANATION……….

…..5

GROUND EFFECT……………………....…..7

DESIGN CONSIDERATION FOR AN

AERODYNAMICS…………………………………………….....8

AERODYNAMIC FEATURES OF F1 CAR…………...…..….10

BODY(WORK)………………...………...…..10

FRONT WING…………………….…………10

NOSE CONE……………………..…….....….11

REAR WING………………………..…..……12

DIFFUSER………………………..……..…...13
STEPS IN CAR DESIGNING PROCESS………………….…..15

COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMI....….15

5.1.1 CFD PROCESS……………….………….…15

WIND TUNNEL………...……………..….....16

5.2.1 TUNNEL WITH MOVING GROUND….....16

LATEST DEVELOPMENT……..……………………………...18

CONCLUSION…………………………………………………..19

8
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Aerodynamics Of F1 Racing Car

ABSTRACT

The field of aerodynamics is

one of the major areas of
research and development in
modern motor sports. a
consequence of the fact that
many different avenues that
can be exploited in order to
effect continuous improvement
of the race cars, possibly the
most intensely research area
centers surrounded generation
of maximum down force on the
car, because it enhances the
performance of vehicle and
increase mechanical rate as
well as aerodynamic grip and
hence lateral acceleration and
braking capacity.

This paper gives the general

overview of the aerodynamic
consideration in design of
model F1 racing cars. The
important of aerodynamic to a
modern F1 car is quantified
and the effect of FIA
(Féderation Internationale de
l'Automobile) regulations on
the aerodynamic
development of the racing car
is presented and roll of CFD
(Computational Fluid
Dynamic) and wing tunnel
testing.
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