Red Bull RB9 Renault

[stefan_]

Italy 2013 - Sunday (08.09.2013)


© XPB

[Reca]

Stupid question maybe but, is this duct something new on the RB9?




I looked around all the pics I have of the car "naked" also of previous races and I haven't seen it, but maybe wasn't assembled yet when they were taken.

[raymondu999]

Looks to me like the sidepod tunnels underneath the exhaust

[Reca]

Yes, that's what I thought too; my question though was more about why in all the pics I looked at before it was never visible so distinctly, is it because they recently modified the design (maybe it was previously mounted on the floor and/or had different routing around the suspension) or simply all the pics so far were taken before it was assembled?
I would go for the latter but it seems like an odd coincidence that out of so many pics I have seen none was showing it, also because it's not like they were trying hard to conceal it (I took the pics Thursday afternoon during the pitlane walk about when dozens of pro photographers are around, without considering the "normal" spectators), so if someone else has another, possibly older pic with it I would be interested in seeing if it's same design or not (also given that apparently RB played a bit with tunnel's shape and sidepods design during the season).

[xDama]

Stupid question maybe but, is this duct something new on the RB9?

http://i.imgur.com/npu4ZEI.jpg

I looked around all the pics I have of the car "naked" also of previous races and I haven't seen it, but maybe wasn't assembled yet when they were taken.

I've been wondering for quite some time what the overal benefit of those tunnels are. It's becoming more and more some sort of DDD, isn't it? What is the difference between the tunnels that RBR/Lotus/Sauber are using, and the diffusers of 2009? The air is being fed in to the ducts from the top of the floor, instead of underneath it and there isn't a big exit-hole, like on the 2009-diffusers, but otherwise it looks nearly the same concept?

Or what am I missing?

[raymondu999]

A large part of the point is that the suction effect is above the floor, versus below the floor in 2009. They exit in similar locations, but in 2009 because the tunnels were below the floor then it sucked the car further into the ground. Now it's basically replacing the coke bottle effect lost due to the exhaust ramp.

[xDama]

A large part of the point is that the suction effect is above the floor, versus below the floor in 2009. They exit in similar locations, but in 2009 because the tunnels were below the floor then it sucked the car further into the ground. Now it's basically replacing the coke bottle effect lost due to the exhaust ramp.

=D>

Thanks for the clear explanation!

[tony77g]

I think it was all the same, I tried to compare the previous photos

[monsi]

Some great Flo-Vis shots today in FP3
http://formula1.com/wi/enlarge/sutton/2 ... ita462.jpg

The Flow Viz pattern of that diffuser looks perfect. No inverse flow patterns from the outside.
In contrary the flow seems to point down and to the ouside. They appear to get the footplate vortex accelerated so well that it creates suction on the ouside.
Amazing.
If you compare that to the messsy Flow Viz patterns inside the diffuser we saw on the Ferrari some time ago it dawns on me where the difference between the two lies.

Are we sure that the shots are in the pitlane after the lap and not before the lap?

What are the indentations above the vertical strakes and the aligning indentations / holes in the horizontal flap above that for ?

[elFranZ]

Sorry for the stupid question, but do you clever guys have some shot of Webber's FW before the contact with Alonso?
Found this on track yesterday immediately after the race, about a couple meters away from where they collided:



At first I thought I found a debris from his car, but its strange geometry and material are perplexing me: it's made in some sort of graphite composite, probably manufactured by deposition, completely hollow and very light, just 7.23 grams.
Any idea? Thaks in advance, and sorry if it's in the wrong thread.

[Gaz.]

Sorry for the stupid question, but do you clever guys have some shot of Webber's FW before the contact with Alonso?
Found this on track yesterday immediately after the race, about a couple meters away from where they collided:

http://i.pgu.me/DGIqMWRS_original.jpg

At first I thought I found a debris from his car, but its strange geometry and material are perplexing me: it's made in some sort of graphite composite, probably manufactured by deposition, completely hollow and very light, just 7.23 grams.
Any idea? Thaks in advance, and sorry if it's in the wrong thread.

Is it the lower part under the L of Total on the end plate here?

http://i.imgur.com/97e3Yj1.jpg

[elFranZ]

Is it the lower part under the L of Total on the end plate here?

http://i.imgur.com/97e3Yj1.jpg

FOUND!
I think you're right, it's part of the first little hole in the end plate.
But... graphite? 3D printed? Always thought they could make any shape in carbon fiber, and that an end plate was made in a single piece.
Looking at what I found, it is not. The upper part, not clearly visible in my shot, is not fully cracked, rounded and sanded by hand.
Strange find!

[henra]

What are the indentations above the vertical strakes and the aligning indentations / holes in the horizontal flap above that for ?

That is probably to avoid detachment of the flow in the corners of the diffuser due to locally reduced flow velocities caused by interference drag between the horizontal and vertical surface. The horizontal flap follows the curvature of the lower surface in order to avoid detachment which would be caused by too great of an Expansion Ratio between the two surfaces.

There is only so much of an adverse pressure gradient that air is willing to accept before giving up and detaching.

[monsi]

Thanks for explaining that. I can see the difference in approach between this diffuser and the Ferrari one, for example, where they appear to be ending the strakes before the exit and have straightforward horizontal edges. .
I presume these detailed optimisations go some way to explaining the manifestly excellent performance of the red bull diffuser.

[Juzh]

Just a random kers question. Do we have any information how powerful red bull's kers is these days? I seem to remember they only had a 40kw boost from it back in the days instead of a full 60kw permitted.