Honda to work with Mercedes-linked company for F1 turbo unit

Didn't 288 GTOs/F40s use IHI turbos?

 

They did indeed!

If Mercedes are designing and building their own turbo's then this is a complete non-story!

 

Mercedes dont use a turbocharger in the normal sense of the term. They use a compressor mounted at the front of the engine and a separate turbine mounted at the rear.

If Honda are going to use a conventional integrated turbocharger they are going to lose one of the major advantages of the Mercedes design.

 

Well put. Truth

 

I keep trying to write a reply, but I've gone into way too much detail in past posts.

I'm sure Honda is going to use a hybrid turbine/electric system just like the other F1 powerplants.

 

Yes of course, because thats what the formula stipulates. Thats not what I meant.

 

Mercedes do use a turbocharger in the normal sense of the term!

The principle of the Mercedes turbo operation is exactly the same as every other turbo engine! - They have simply positioned the turbine and compressor further apart and use a shaft to drive the compressor.

The layout might not be "normal", but the operation and use of the system is entirely normal!

 

The layout is the crux of the matter here, which is why they did it that way. They dont take delivery of "a turbocharger" in one box with one part number and bolt it in. Thats my point.

 

But you said "They use a compressor mounted at the front of the engine and a separate turbine mounted at the rear" which is untrue, both are mounted at the rear.
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Try this one from: Formula 1® - The Official F1® Website
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If that is true I retract my previous post.

 

The crux of the matter is that you stated that Mercedes do not use a turbo in the true sense of the word - That is incorrect!

Their turbo layout maybe more elongated than is usual, but it operates on the same basic principle as every other standard "compact" turbo and they use it in the exact same manner.

Even though it is elongated, their turbo is still a true turbo, It has an exhaust driven turbine that is used to spin a compressor on the opposite side for the induction air.

It would be more accurate to say that Mercedes do not use a traditional "compact" turbo arrangement.

 

I'll add to this.Turbo, is slang for the use of a Turbine power unit - it doesn't even have to drive the compressor directly, or even have a compressor, to be a turbo. The first production piston powered turbo aircraft had the turbine driving through a hydraulic speed reduction drive pushing the harvested exhaust power to the crankshaft. The engine was also super charged with a centrifugal compressor driven mechanically from the crankshaft at a much higher RPM. Mating the high RPM turbine with the high RPM compressor came about shortly thereafter and was known as turbo-supercharging, eventually, shortened to turbocharging, and in cars, just "turbo" eventually.

Big thread on this earlier that confused the OP of the thread quite a bit.

You can also skip a piston engine entirely to have a turbo - and simply have a high pressure side from some form or another, and a low pressure exit, and drive your car or airplane off of that, such as the TU-95 bear.

 

Semantics.

It's a split turbo. That's all. Everyone will have one next year.