Hitting the limiter

[vis]

I did not like the fact that top F1 cars are always setting 7th gear to hit the limiter half down the main straight.

This also means that they can not use the DRS to increase top speed, only reach it with faster acceleration.

I guess that top power comes at the maximum allowed 18,000 rpm (so power band does not peak some hundreds of rpm before limiter than drops like in standard cars' engines - it keeps raising until the limiter)

Thus said, teams always do the right calculations, so the gain in acceleration is for sure more than the capped top speed. It's just I can't stand doing half the straight at constant speed and not be able use a tow and/or drs.

[marcush.]

that surely is also a very unpleasant situation for the engine ...to be at constant maximum speed bouncing of the limiter..

as that is an operation mode not normally in use...

[ESPImperium]

The engines are so relyable now with the 8 per season rule, i say we raise them back to the 2007/2008 limit of 19,000rpm again as the V8s have such a sweet sound at 19K. It would also give the cars another 10-12k at the top end.

However id also like to see a 5 gearbox per season rule, where they teams cannot change the main gear ratios at each event, but they can change the final drive ratio. This means they would have one Monza spec box and one Monaco spec box and two boxes for the rest of the races.

Id envisage boxes to go to theese races:

Box 1 (Normal #1) = AUS, MAL, GER, KOR
Box 2 (Normal #2) = CHI, BAH, ESP, IND
Box 3 (Normal #3) = TUR, EUR, GBR, JAP
Box 4 (Monza) = CAN, BEL, MON, BRA
Box 5 (Monaco) = MON, HUN, SIN

1 box would have to do 5 events as the Monaco box would be done for with the 3 highest races a year for gearchanges would be on that box.

It would also give the teams one other thing to think about as well, transmission strategy thru the year. And one failure and you would start to become more marginal on transmissions than engines. Thats why id lock in the gear ratios but leave the teams to change the final drive at each event as their only way of tuning a gearbox.

[machin]

It's just I can't stand doing half the straight at constant speed and not be able use a tow and/or drs.

Its the same rule for everyone.. McLaren/Lewis took a gamble and short geared their car and had additional downforce... it meant he was held up as Schumacher went the opposite way (long gearing and low downforce)...

Personally I thought it made for a great race, and perfectly illustrated the options the teams have available to them.

[maka]

I am new to this forum this is my first (you gotta start sometime i spose) my question is: could the teams add a 8th gear or is that against the rules?

[Robbobnob]

Both of those ideas are inforce for the V6 turbos,

8 Nominated ratios at the beginning of each season which are then set for the remainder of the year.

the idea being with the V6, they will have a much flatter torque curve therefore arent limited by the narrow band in the current V8s

[raymondu999]

With these engines reaching 21k (almost) at the end of 2006; is hitting the rev limit at 18k really a problem?

Robbobnob - you mean flat POWER curve; not torque curve. And the flat curve will not really be due to the V6 nature; but rather the fuel flow limit

[Martin Keene]

Engines do not produce power, they produce torque. Power is a measure of how fast they produce that torque and is related to engine speed. Therefore it is impossible to have a flat power curve.

[marcush.]

With these engines reaching 21k (almost) at the end of 2006; is hitting the rev limit at 18k really a problem?

Robbobnob - you mean flat POWER curve; not torque curve. And the flat curve will not really be due to the V6 nature; but rather the fuel flow limit

you cannot say .The question is if there are any bad harmonics in the limiter area when bouncing off the limiter for extended times.

[Pieoter]

Engines do not produce power, they produce torque. Power is a measure of how fast they produce that torque and is related to engine speed. Therefore it is impossible to have a flat power curve.

If you have torque decreasing as rpm is increasing at an equivalent rate you will have constant power. Power = Torque x RPM

[raymondu999]

power is proportional to torque x rpm; but not equal. But yeah; that's the general idea.

[Pieoter]

Sorry you Power = Torque x 2pi x rotational speed

The proportion is only there to adjust for units and serves no other purpose

[astracrazy]

that surely is also a very unpleasant situation for the engine ...to be at constant maximum speed bouncing of the limiter..

as that is an operation mode not normally in use...

surely it doesn't damage the engine at all (at 18k any way)? i always thought the 18000 was an ecu limit not the maximum rpm the engine could run at?

[raymondu999]

Sorry you Power = Torque x 2pi x rotational speed

The proportion is only there to adjust for units and serves no other purpose

2pi is a proportion

that surely is also a very unpleasant situation for the engine ...to be at constant maximum speed bouncing of the limiter..

as that is an operation mode not normally in use...

surely it doesn't damage the engine at all (at 18k any way)? i always thought the 18000 was an ecu limit not the maximum rpm the engine could run at?

Isn't it a fuel cut-off limiter at 18,000? I could be wrong

[strad]

????????????????

Horsepower = Torque x RPM ÷ 5252
edit
Or at least that's what I thought..
On topic..
There are any number of series where they lean on the limiter and while it goes against my grain, the people who should know say it doesn't hurt the engine.