Renault's New Electronic Wind Tunnel = CFD | FerrariChat
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Renault's New Electronic Wind Tunnel = CFD

Discussion in 'F1' started by pastmaster, Jul 31, 2007.

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  1. pastmaster

    pastmaster Formula Junior

    Feb 5, 2006
    890
    Alma, Michigan USA
    #1 pastmaster, Jul 31, 2007
    Reading the Speed TV site, I saw this on a new electronic high tech computer system=CFD, that Renault, will spend over $50 million, to develop components without testing a real mockup, in a real wind tunnel first. More aero refinement quicker, is the goal. It just costs more money, How fast do you want go? The more $$$$$$$ it costs.

    I think McLaren-Mercedes, already have the engineering designs and operator's manual, in hand, but they won't use it on their cars. Here's the story;

    http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/formulaone/39078/

    Ciao...Paolo
     
  2. vroomgt

    vroomgt Formula 3

    Aug 23, 2004
    2,129
    Brisbane Australia
    Full Name:
    John ARBA
    #2 vroomgt, Jul 31, 2007
    Paolo,
    thanks for the link but believe you are mistaken about Mclaren being in possession of this information as no clarification request has been submitted to the FIA.

    Best regards, John
     
  3. pastmaster

    pastmaster Formula Junior

    Feb 5, 2006
    890
    Alma, Michigan USA
    #3 pastmaster, Jul 31, 2007
    G'day John,

    BRAVO! You are so right! I forgot the proprieties and protocol! HA HA!

    Ciao Mate!...Paolo
     
  4. tifosi12

    tifosi12 Four Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Oct 3, 2002
    49,607
    @ the wheel
    Full Name:
    Andreas
    #4 tifosi12, Jul 31, 2007
    I read an article that said CFD has become so good and predictable, that wind tunnels soon will be a thing from the past.
     
  5. italia16

    italia16 Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Jan 28, 2004
    342
    #5 italia16, Jul 31, 2007
    Over 20 years ago when I started in the aerospace industry, they said wind tunnels would be replaced by CFD. They are certainly better than then but I think it still takes hours or days to do just one CFD run on the massive computers. It beats the $10K/hr of a wind tunnel and the time to fabricate pieces that don't fly down the tunnel and destroy the blades by turning them into toothpicks. CFD is good enough to predict airflow characteristics on an airliner like the 777 and 787 that don't maneuver much but I think it is still tough to model the unsteady flow such as on fighter plans at high angles of attack with vortex flow separation. Of course you have 6 degrees of freedom in air so you have to solve the Navier-Stokes equations for them. A car on the ground would be easier but I imagine the unsteady flow around a F1 car with the turbulence from the uncovered wheels and crummy flow behind cars in front, would be difficult to predict. CFD could compliment rather than replace the wind tunnel so that you could sort through many more configurations in order to narrow down to what you want to test in the tunnel and on the track. I assumed the F1 teams were doing that already, not just using wind tunnels.
     
  6. LightGuy

    LightGuy Four Time F1 World Champ
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    Oct 4, 2004
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    Texas
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    David
    #6 LightGuy, Jul 31, 2007
    The perfect tool for developement of simulated cars on virtual tracks !
     
  7. Papa Duck

    Papa Duck Formula Junior

    Jan 16, 2006
    351
    Las Vegas, NV
    Full Name:
    Carl
    #7 Papa Duck, Jul 31, 2007
    Spending $50 million on this makes using engines for two races to save money seem rather useless. As long as the teams have the money they are going to spend it on something.
     
  8. 1_can_dream

    1_can_dream F1 Veteran

    Jan 7, 2006
    8,051
    Colorado
    Full Name:
    Kyle
    #8 1_can_dream, Jul 31, 2007
    Agreed, the two race engine rule is crazy. Towards the end of the race they're more concerned with conserving the engine for the next weekend rather than chasing down the car in front for a better finish. Teams will find ways to spend money, Mosely trying to lower the budgets isn't going to work.
     

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