i was wondering how efficient a formula one engine is when burning fuel - what percent of the total energy of the fuel (i think this is called its calorific value?) is turned into energy that can be used to power the car. i think in road cars its very low, around 30 percent? i was wondering what sort of numbers we would see for an F1 car. also, how do the calorific values of normal road car fuel and that used in F1 compare. thanks for your responses.
I've read that somewhere...
if only I could remember where.
I remember the article said a LOT of the energy dissipates into heat as the engine gets very hot, and some of it goes into the soundwaves and some into "shaking" the engine.
Well, the higher the velocities are, then the more loss you have due to friction (heat). Not only does this mean you lose efficiency in friction to the piston/valves etc but also in the turbulence of the gases in the intake/exhaust. I would say that F1 engine would be somewhere between 25% and 20%, but I have not a lot to back me up, only that revs are about 3 times a road car (energy therefore is 9 times), but advanced engine tech/lubricants get it back down.
Thinking of the amount of heat they produce per litre of fuel, it is pretty high, much higher than my very low tech road car.
As an aside, big diesel shipping engines (i think up to about <5000L/cylinder, up to 14 cyl) get about 60% efficiency cause they run at about 100 revs, so the low revs make sure all the fuel is burrnt by the time the exhaut valve opens, and the engine has enough time to cool effectivley
knowing a f1 cars drag is about 3x that of a regular car, how much would an f1 engine consume if it where wounted in a regular car, and not driven at full throttle, because if you floor the pedal a regular car consumes 100l/100km at first and 50 litres on gear #2, easily
