2014 Formula 1 Season

[oscar]

The fuel flow sensor has been specifically designed to address the rising emphasis on fuel efficiency and the requirement for accurate monitoring of fuel usage, which has become increasingly essential within telemetry systems. One of the main challenges Gill faced during the development process was creating a sensor which incorporates the rapid transit response required within Motorsport applications. Gill engineers were able to overcome this using proven ultrasonic measurement technology, which sees the removal of moving mechanical parts, allowing a much higher temporal resolution and accuracy level to measure high frequency pulsating flows.

The ultrasonic technology used within the sensor detects bi-directional fuel flow rate in real time to a very high degree of accuracy. With no moving parts to break or block the flow path, pressure drop is minimised allowing the sensor to provide true flow rate data. The solid-state construction permits the sensor to monitor both rapid and low fuel flow to a consistent degree of accuracy.

Featuring a newly-developed electronic platform, the sensor is potentially capable of measuring fuel flow rate at 2KHz. Digital, CAN and four analogue output channels report flow rate, flow direction, fuel temperature and cumulative fuel used across the calibrated flow range

 

[singlespeed]

The fuel flow sensor has been specifically designed to address the rising emphasis on fuel efficiency and the requirement for accurate monitoring of fuel usage, which has become increasingly essential within telemetry systems. One of the main challenges Gill faced during the development process was creating a sensor which incorporates the rapid transit response required within Motorsport applications. Gill engineers were able to overcome this using proven ultrasonic measurement technology, which sees the removal of moving mechanical parts, allowing a much higher temporal resolution and accuracy level to measure high frequency pulsating flows.

The ultrasonic technology used within the sensor detects bi-directional fuel flow rate in real time to a very high degree of accuracy. With no moving parts to break or block the flow path, pressure drop is minimised allowing the sensor to provide true flow rate data. The solid-state construction permits the sensor to monitor both rapid and low fuel flow to a consistent degree of accuracy.

Featuring a newly-developed electronic platform, the sensor is potentially capable of measuring fuel flow rate at 2KHz. Digital, CAN and four analogue output channels report flow rate, flow direction, fuel temperature and cumulative fuel used across the calibrated flow range

Obviously its crap then, if the results from it are too variable to be used.

So long as the fuel usage is less than 100Kg per race (obviously, otherwise they would run out), then what's the fuss about when or how the fuel is consumed.

If its purely to give an eco vibe to say the sport is being environmentally concious, drop the starting amount.

 

[oscar]

interesting! but still a little bit dodgy, if you need to apply an offset to a sensors output signals then it's clearly humped. i suppose the FIA wouldn't accept common sense as a reasonable reply to a charge! it'll be funny when red bull shows its telemetry and it's clearly within the regulations, but because they didn't get the thumbs up to do it ... which they would have gotten anyway, the verdict will remain no doubt.

the FIA stewards issued the following explanation for their decision:
1) The Technical Delegate reported to the Stewards that Car 3 exceeded the required fuel mass flow of 100kg/h. (Article 5.1.4 of the Formula One Technical Regulations)

2) This parameter is outside of the control of the driver, Daniel Ricciardo.

3) The fuel flow is measured using the fuel flow sensor (Art. 5.10.3 & 5.10.4 of the Technical Regulations) which is homologated by the FIA and owned and operated by the team.

4) The stewards considered the history of the fitted fuel flow sensor, as described by the team and the Technical Delegate’s representative who administers the program. Their description of the history of the sensor matches.

a. During Practice 1 a difference in reading between the first three and Run 4 was detected. The same readings as Run 4 were observed throughout Practice 2.

b. The team used a different sensor on Saturday but did not get readings that were satisfactory to them or the FIA, so they were instructed to change the sensor within Parc Ferme on Saturday night.

c. They operated the original sensor during the race, which provided the same readings as Run 4 of Practice 1, and Practice 2.

5) The Stewards heard from the technical representative that when the sensor was installed on Saturday night, he instructed the team to apply an offset to their fuel flow such that the fuel flow would have been legal. He presented an email to the stewards that verified his instruction.

6) The technical representative stated to the Stewards that there is variation in the sensors. However, the sensors fall within a known range, and are individually calibrated. They then become the standard which the teams must use for their fuel flow.

7) The team stated that based on the difference observed between the two readings in P1, they considered the fuel flow sensor to be unreliable. Therefore, for the start of the race they chose to use their internal fuel flow model, rather than the values provided by the sensor, with the required offset.

8) Technical Directive 016­14 (1 March 2014) provides the methodology by which the sensor will be used, and, should the sensor fail, the method by which the alternate model could be used.

a. The Technical Directive starts by stating: “The homologated fuel flow sensor will be the primary measurement of the fuel flow and will be used to check compliance with Articles 5.1.4 and 5.1.5 of the F1 Technical Regulations…” This is in conformity with Articles 5.10.3 and 5.10.4 of the Technical Regulations.

b. The Technical Directive goes on to state: “If at any time WE consider that the sensor has an issue which has not been detected by the system WE will communicate this to the team concerned and switch to a backup system” (emphasis added.)

c. The backup system is the calculated fuel flow model with a correction factor decided by the FIA.

9) The FIA technical representative observed thought the telemetry during the race that the fuel flow was too high and contacted the team, giving them the opportunity to follow his previous instruction, and reduce the fuel flow such that it was within the limit, as measured by the homologated sensor – and thus gave the team the opportunity to be within compliance. The team chose not to make this correction.

10) Under Art. 3.2 of the Sporting Regulations it is the duty of the team to ensure compliance with the Technical Regulations throughout the Event. Thus the Stewards find that:

A) The team chose to run the car using their fuel flow model, without direction from the FIA. This is a violation of the procedure within TD/ 016­14.

B) That although the sensor showed a difference in readings between runs in P1, it remains the homologated and required sensor against which the team is obliged to measure their fuel flow, unless given permission by the FIA to do otherwise.

C) The Stewards were satisfied by the explanation of the technical representative that by making an adjustment as instructed, the team could have run within the allowable fuel flow.

D) That regardless of the team’s assertion that the sensor was fault, it is not within their discretion to run a different fuel flow measurement method without the permission of the FIA.

 

[oscar]

Race 2 : Malaysia, sepang.



what a blooming race. if that's how red bull / renault do when they're not even operating at 50% of their potential then if i was everyone else i'd be extremely worried. like really really worried, i've got a huge bias towards renault for obvious reasons but that's not to say i don't appreciate anyone who goes out with all guns blazing. i am blooming loving the williams teams flying fin right now. who'd have thought he would ever have you on the edge of your seat?

guys what was your thoughts on this mornings race? did your guy win?

 

[oscar]

round 3 - bahrain.

ridiculous race today, i was on the edge of my seat for a good 20% of the race and the other 80% of the race i couldn't focus on anything other than the race. i don't think i have ever swore so much in my entire life when i was watching hamilton and rosberg try to take each other ''ohhhh hes effing got the c**t! hes got him! ..... '' and then rosberg's like no sir, mines.... then takes the place back. absolutely ridiculous wheel to wheel racing. at no point today did i even focus on the sound of the engine, infact if truth be told i can appreciate it more now because i feel like the gear changes sounds much closer to an everyday road car at high revs.

my favourite part was seeing the williams and the force india wolfpack going hard at it. sergio perez really does have alot of respect from me, he goes for overtakes that nobody would attempt and if he crashes then his attitude is ''it's only a car. deal with it.''

''who said this was taxi driving?? THIS IS RACING'' hahahahaha.

 

[Nick3814]

I bloody loved it Oscar, best race in a long time. The mercs are so dominant but letting them race just adds to the spectacle, very little in it between Nico & Lewis and the SC added another ingredient closing the pack up. Great to see Williams doing so good, I wonder how many people at Ferrari are off to the job centre in the morning! Just seemed to go backwards, love Alonso and really want to see him up front fighting it out.

All of a sudden the seasons picked up and Vettel had a face like a smacked arse

Love it :lol:

 

[oscar]

i don't dislike mercedes at all, their cars don't do much for me but i can't ignore the technology + the engineering that's went into that car. i cannot stand hamilton as a person, but when he's allowed to go full pelt no holds barred then there is no better than hamilton / vettel / alonso. i believe the bahrain lap record was achieved in a V10 or the first of the big power V8's and the last 5 laps were blooming close to those times from the mercs in these so called crap little 1.6L V6's

ferrari and renault spent the last 4/5 years trying to achieve glory, and renault came out on top whereas mercedes went with a ''that'll do...'' attitude to their cars and spent all of their time developing this V6 turbo and it really shows now. it's beyond domination really isn't it? cannot wait to see these cars on the european circuits that were designed with cornering in mind, wonder how that'll unfold :mrgreen:

 

[Nick3814]

I'm lucky enough to be going to Monaco this year, can't wait, will help the noise too, echoing round the streets

 

[Forza]

Very exiting race indeed, thoroughly enjoyed it . The sound is just not as high pitched because the rev limiter went down from 18.000 to 11/12.000 (they may do 15.000, but they can't (just yet) because of the fuel flow limit of 100kg/hr). If they where to up the flow limit en let them use those rev's, they will get louder. Apart from how loud they are, the sound it just different, you can hear the waste gate's chirping and the turbo's spooling. It's much more mechanical then those violent v10/v8 screamers.

 

[DrDrew]

Bit late to this party but better late than never. This season has been pretty awesome so far.

Re: the 100KG/hour fuel limit, it's largely to stop qualifying trim type engines being developed, supposedly keeping costs down a bit and not leaving the mid tier teams further behind.