Lotus E21 Renault

[kimi2007]

nah he hasn't got any more good pics of it, I asked him earlier

[ringo]

So the constant bottoming out isnt a sign of something going on ? Its quite clear on that Aus pic how low the backend is, and this is bottoming out and still being competetive, compared to it being an issue.

That doesn't say there is a hydraulic interlinked suspension. There may be other reasons for that.
We still have no evidence of this car using FRIC. Nothing, just rumours.
I'd like to believe it, but there needs to be some substance before we jump on the FRIC bandwagon.

Merceds has the system for sure, and they have an engineer that work with renualt. Now why is i that There is no indication on the e21 gearbox that they have a hydraulic system? especially since they should be working off similar concepts as bob bell?
There just nothing on the car that says FRIC suspension.

If this car had fric, this pic would be a better case:

Those 2 lines going to that manifold, and even then it could be something else quite typical on an F1 car.

[Blackout]

Another pic. still the same aero package. rake looks important though, and the splitter is almost touching the ground

[Huntresa]

So the constant bottoming out isnt a sign of something going on ? Its quite clear on that Aus pic how low the backend is, and this is bottoming out and still being competetive, compared to it being an issue.

That doesn't say there is a hydraulic interlinked suspension. There may be other reasons for that.
We still have no evidence of this car using FRIC. Nothing, just rumours.
I'd like to believe it, but there needs to be some substance before we jump on the FRIC bandwagon.

Merceds has the system for sure, and they have an engineer that work with renualt. Now why is i that There is no indication on the e21 gearbox that they have a hydraulic system? especially since they should be working off similar concepts as bob bell?
There just nothing on the car that says FRIC suspension.

If this car had fric, this pic would be a better case:
http://i.imgur.com/v1q5V3H.jpg
Those 2 lines going to that manifold, and even then it could be something else quite typical on an F1 car.

We could always break into Öhlins, who helps Lotus with their Suspension, i live in sweden i can do it

[tok-tokkie]

In that picture Ringo posted it looks like they are setting the DRS using a hand pump to give the hydraulic pressure. Nothing to do with FRIC.

EDIT: Looking at it again. The hand pump is connected to a black tube which is pressurising the DRS. The two clear plastic pipes would be for air pressure (as against hydraulic) and they are not connected to the hand pump. So they may have something to do with FRIC - except I would expect FRIC to operate at hydraulic pressure. Can't think of what operates at air pressure (6 bar, 100psi).

[Matt Somers]

Another pic. still the same aero package. rake looks important though, and the splitter is almost touching the ground

http://www.peterwoodsphotography.co.uk/ ... 4P9388.jpg

Is it me or does it look like they are using the inner airbox deflector again in that picture?

[Blackout]

The 'new' chassis Grosjean raced in Bahrain had that same airbox

[korzeniow]

What the heck they are testing? There isn't anything new on the car....

[shelly]

What is the balck lump on the floor before the rear wheel? Is it the usula strake or brake duct form a different perspective?

[korzeniow]

Back to FRIC debate, here are some pictures to compare E20 with E21:

E20:

front hub:
http://i.imgur.com/pPSEENr.jpg

left sidepod:
http://i.imgur.com/EmevjGZ.jpg
right sidepod:
http://i.imgur.com/ePKhlCg.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/0esqkA5.jpg
gearbox:
http://i.imgur.com/B6s8cbn.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/cfYzRhp.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/TJ6cBxv.jpg


E21:

front hub:
http://i.imgur.com/kSvoH1Z.jpg

sidepods: you have plenty of examples in the posts above
gearbox:
http://i.imgur.com/Un4IkRs.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/GmmKZdT.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/eHALcGT.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/IwqQkKO.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ww1hWVP.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ab0Jdpw.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/DjFCPwY.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/mVkcFDD.jpg

[korzeniow]

So, the sidepod pakcaging is definately diffrent, as is the front hub, the gearbox is modified slightly.

[ringo]

There are some signs on the gearbox..
They may be either for transmission hydraulics or suspension.

those four hoses on the front of the box, with the yellow labels.

[Kansas]

it seems to be raining on friday when the team carries out the test.

I wonder if the weather will affect the accuracy for data collection.

[quidam]

it seems to be raining on friday when the team carries out the test.

I wonder if the weather will affect the accuracy for data collection.

On the picture of Blackout, the tyres are Orange (hard)

[Crucial_Xtreme]

image via XPB


Lotus ran hydraulically linked suspension before Mercedes. But unlike the Mercedes FRIC system, the Lotus design has used conventional springs and anti-roll bars to achieve most of the suspension effect, meaning the hydraulic link was only to supplement the spring when the car is heaving up and down.

Lotus was unusually open about trying a new internal suspension change this weekend, which suggests it is going down the path followed by Mercedes and having its system control roll as well as heave.

Although the E21 is externally similar to the 2012 car, the suspension package has been changed from that of its immediate predecessors.
The inboard elements of the suspension such as the anti-roll bar and torsion bar ends have been moved inside the footwell and are no longer easily visible when the nose cone is removed.

This is a common solution. The torsion bars, which are operated by the suspension rocker, do not attach rigidly to the chassis in order to provide the spring effect at the wheel. Instead, they react against each other.

This means the springs only work in heave and not in roll. This allows the team to set up the roll stiffness completely independently of the torsion bars.

We can also see the rockers use an element linking the bottom of the left rocker to the top of the right rocker.

This is a solution that has been used in the past. Fitting a damper in this position provides damping of the roll motion. This, allied to a mechanical anti-roll bar, solely controls the stiffness and control of roll, again independent of the control for heave stiffness. This diagonally-mounted damper is the reason for the asymmetric bumps on the top of the chassis.

Below this is a gold damper–like device, which is the key component that Lotus has run with since Germany 2009. This is the hydraulic link element and is hydraulically connected to a similar device in the rear suspension.

Just as with the Mercedes FRIC, when the front pitches, it is prevented from doing so by the rear hydraulic element.

What Lotus may have done this weekend is replace both the front and rear roll damper and anti-roll bar with linked hydraulic elements.

This would allow the team to pursue the same benefits that Mercedes has found in having soft suspension for slower turns for more mechanical grip, and stiffer suspension at higher speed for better aero performance.

via Craig Scarborough

Link