Efficiency key to 2014 F1 - Mercedes

For 2014 the F1 motor racing fraternity has probably the greatest change in regulations in its history, according to Paddy Low, technical chief of Mercedes AMG Petronas, as he unveiled the new engine today.

“The headline is 'efficiency',” he said. “The fact that we can run a full race on 100kg rather than 150kg of fuel sends a great message about the technology we can deliver for Formula One - and gives an important message to the automotive world in general. It's not simply about the fuel saved per car on a Sunday afternoon, it's about the technology itself.”

Low added: “Over the years, we have seen how relatively small things filter through to the production world, not just in terms of the cars themselves but also what is seen as attractive. We are part of that and it is what Formula One should be doing. It's a great opportunity for Mercedes-Benz and Petronas to take those regulations and show we can do better than our competitors. The coming weeks will tell if we have managed that or not.”

Asked how the chassis team had to adapt to the change in Power Unit, Low replied: “The Power Unit has a completely different shape and requirements to its predecessor and it is the biggest change in packaging in Formula One for many years.”

“There is a lot more equipment to cool: more Hybrid systems plus the intercooler for the charge air from the turbocharger,” he added. “That has a packaging and an aerodynamic dimension. Then there is the weight challenge. Although the minimum weight has been raised to 691 kg, it is far more difficult to achieve than last year's target because of the extra equipment in the Power Unit and its associated systems, plus the cooling demand and the new, heavier side impact structures prescribed by the FIA. Yet another aspect is the thermal challenge. With the introduction of a turbocharger, managing the heat around the exhaust system is important for both car integrity and also for performance. If losses can be minimised in the primaries between the engine block and turbo, that is energy that can be recovered and used for car performance. So there is a big insulation and heat management challenge for both integrity and performance reasons.” 

Asked what the impact increased energy recovery requirements had for the chassis team, Low noted: “We have doubled the amount of kinetic energy that is permitted to be recovered through the rear axle relative to the previous KERS (kinetic energy recovery system) systems. This means that rear brake duty, and therefore the quantity of heat generated, will be far lower. We have automatic systems recovering the energy and so, in order to maintain a driveable brake balance, the rear brakes are permitted to be controlled electronically.”

“We have designed a 'brake-by-wire' system for the rear wheels. When the driver presses the pedal, the system manages the rear brake circuit and the energy recovery requirements together so that the total rear braking effort and the net front-to-rear brake balance matches the driver's demand. The most important aspect to get right with brake-by-wire is failure management. It is obviously a safety critical system and most of our work has been focused around ensuring the right levels of failure control,” Low confirmed. 

Reliability is ever an issue in F1 and Low was asked if the new powertrain present any challenges in chassis design.

“We do have new durability targets to meet, most particularly in relation to the gearbox,” he replied. “It is an entirely new design: it now includes eight speeds, the lower engine speed means a new regime of reduction ratios, there is significantly more torque and the gear ratios must be nominated for the entire season. That means we are not just being stretched in terms of new functionality but also in terms of endurance.”

Low explained: “Previously, we would re-optimise gear ratios every weekend. The new PU has a wide range of workable engine speeds, which means that ratio choice is nothing like as critical as it was in the past. But the more difficult part is making the physical ratios last for six races instead of one - and indeed making the whole gearbox system last for six races, compared to five last year.” ∎

Power Unit Specification 
 

Type:		Mercedes-Benz PU106A Hybrid
Minimum weight:		145 kg
Power Unit Perimeter:		Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) Motor Generator Unit - Kinetic (MGU-K) Motor Generator Unit - Heat (MGU-H) Energy Store (ES) Turbocharger (TC) Control Electronics (CE)
Power Unit Allocation:		Five Power Units per driver per season

 

 

Capacity:		1.6 litres
Cylinders:		Six
Bank angle:		90
No of valves:		24
Max rpm ICE:		15,000 rpm
Max fuel flow rate:		100 kg/hour (above 10,500 rpm)
Fuel injection:		High-pressure direct injection (max 500 bar, one injector/cylinder)
Pressure charging:		Single-stage compressor and exhaust turbine on a common shaft
Max rpm exhaust turbine:		125,000 rpm

 
 

Architecture:		Integrated Hybrid energy recovery via electrical Motor Generator Units
Energy Store:		Lithium-Ion battery solution, between 20 and 25 kg
Max energy storage/lap:		4 MJ
Max rpm MGU-K:		50,000 rpm
Max power MGU-K:		120 kW (161 hp)
Max energy recovery/lap MGU-K:		2 MJ
Max energy deployment/lap MGU-K:		4 MJ (33.3 s at full power)
Max rpm MGU-H:		125,000 rpm
Max power MGU-H:		Unlimited
Max energy recovery/lap MGU-H:		Unlimited
Max energy deployment/lap MGU-H:		Unlimited

 

Fuel		PETRONAS Primax
Lubricants		PETRONAS Syntium

 

 

 

Architecture:		Integrated Hybrid energy recovery via electrical Motor Generator Units
Energy Store:		Lithium-Ion battery solution, between 20 and 25 kg
Max energy storage/lap:		4 MJ
Max rpm MGU-K:		50,000 rev/min
Max power MGU-K:		120 kW (161 bhp)
Max energy recovery/lap MGU-K:		2 MJ
Max energy deployment/lap MGU-K:		4 MJ (33.3 s at full power)
Max rpm MGU-H:		125,000 rev/min
Max power MGU-H:		Unlimited
Max energy recovery/lap MGU-H:		Unlimited
Max energy deployment/lap MGU-H:		Unlimited

 
 
 

Fuel		PETRONAS Primax
Lubricants		PETRONAS Syntium
End