F1technical.net

Does anybody know how the fuel level sensors on F1 cars work? Can you recommend any books or websites?

I am not sure if they even use a fuel level sensor. To me it would be easy for a computer to track the amount of fuel used by the engine, thus eliminating any need for a fuel tank guage

F1 cars don't have fuel sensors.....they see the amount of fuel the car has through computer programs....they know precisly the amount of fuel they put onboard, and through the engine managment unit they calculate the amout of fuel still onboard.

The problem with fuel mesuring equipment is that it brings weight to the car...and doesn't have any direct advantage to the performance of the car.

furthermore I don't think you would have a very accurate reading of what is left in the tank, unless the car is on a relatively long straight. G-forces shake the fuel all around I the tank I guess

F1 fuel tanks are made up of small chambers that are designed to prevent the fuel from sloshing around.

Well....that is more or less true....in 1997 Ferrari tryed that approach.....and found 2 disadvantages......it reduces the fuel capacity due to the design of the fuel cell.....and the other was that the easiest way to prevent this from happening didn't work as tehy expected.....so the solution was put on the shelf......

Up to today it hasn't been taken from the shelf...but one day it might.....so what you said phitho...is not totally true....but parcially....the idea is there waiting for someone o develop it.....

Since small chambers within the fuel cell are out of the question, how is their a constant supply of fuel to the engine during cornering and with a low amount of fuel on board

For a racing fuel cell, chambers/baffels are generally not used. Fuel cell foam is popular stuff. I really like it. Low density, light, takes up very little volume of the tank, and does a good job of preventing the fuel from sloshing violently.

Could have multiple pickup points so your pump(s) are always drawing from some wetted port..

Could design it as a collapsing bladder..

Also - Don't think you'd ever directly measure fuel level. They have in-line fuel flow sensors which are fairly compact. Know how much fuel is in there to start, know how much you're using, can figure out how long you got left.

On some data acquisition / electronics units you can set it up to know how much a full tank is, and then will tell you how much time or how many laps you got left. When you come in to bit, you hit a button and it resets the fuel level to "full."

Thank you Jersey Tom, interesting aspects of the sport to know and continue learning about.

I was digging into this thread, but unfortunately there were only about six responses before mine, so it left me with a few questions.

Definitively there has to be a fuel flow sensor, not in the tank, but in the fuel line. And airflow sensor, too. The on-board computer doesn´t read anything by itself, it´s not magical.

Remeber that there are sensors that weights like an ant, so using them does not add weight at all.

What I don´t know is how fuel pump is driven and how computer and electronics are energy feeded as there is no alternator to charge batteries. Maybe a high eff / low weight battery is used and lasts for all race.

Belatti wrote: What I don´t know is how fuel pump is driven and how computer and electronics are energy feeded as there is no alternator to charge batteries. Maybe a high eff / low weight battery is used and lasts for all race.

What? F1 cars have an alternator and a battery

Oh dear, gone are the days of checking the fuel level by dipping a wooden stick in. BTW apparently old bikers used to refill their zippo lighters by putting them on a piece of wire and dropping them into their bike tank, but as some tended to be crap at knots, or holding onto the other end, some bikes were found to have several lighters bouncing around the bottom of the tank...

Federico wrote:

Belatti wrote: What I don´t know is how fuel pump is driven and how computer and electronics are energy feeded as there is no alternator to charge batteries. Maybe a high eff / low weight battery is used and lasts for all race.

What? F1 cars have an alternator and a battery

Maybe one that doesnt charge batts under full throttle condition

Jersey Tom wrote: They have in-line fuel flow sensors which are fairly compact. Know how much fuel is in there to start, know how much you're using, can figure out how long you got left.

I just read the other day that top fuel flow measuring equipment uses double turbines and is accurate to 0,003%.