Written by Sharifah Zaqreeztrina, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
Bright green paint and metal fences mounted on Formula One cars are a rarity during a normal F1 Grand Prix weekend. However, these prominent devices are just what F1 teams need to shape their upcoming campaign.
F1’s three-day pre-season testing in Bahrain was more than just exercising their latest designs on track. Engineers leveraged this opportunity to extract valuable data and insights from these cars.
Using testing equipment such as aero rakes and flow-vis paint, they hoped to replicate their progress from wind tunnel simulations in the real-world and make any remaining tweaks, if necessary, using these findings before the season kickstarts in Australia.
Aerodynamic rakes
Comprising multiple Kiel probes, aero rakes depict how real air flows off a car’s body parts, such as the wheels or the front wing. Teams typically attach them on either the front or rear axle.
These titanium grates measure the airflow pressure over the car at any point. The structure may vary from one team to another, as they rearranged it to capture data from different angles around the car. Aero rakes are also much more reliable than pitot tubes, which is a small device that is placed at the front of the cockpit.
While the car is on track, the rakes feed the data to the engineers live. The real-time data on track is then measured up against the data in wind tunnel simulations.
The findings also allow the team to determine the structure of the airflow across the bodywork, especially along the aerodynamic parts such as the front and rear wings. This also highlights areas of air turbulence and how it impacts the car’s performance.
This is a go-to method for most teams due to the constant change of direction at high speed, especially while navigating corners. The data gathered from the rakes are beneficial for teams to make adjustments and optimise their aerodynamic setups.
Flow-visualisation paint
A mixture of paraffin oil and fluorescent powder, this bright-coloured paint gets sprayed across certain car parts just before the driver heads out to the track. Some teams may prefer a darker fluorescent paint, which can only be seen under an ultraviolet light for less visibility. Teams apply this paint to any specific part of the car they intend to analyse.
While travelling at high speed, the paint is brushed across the surfaces of the car. As a result, this revealed airflow patterns in streaks, indicating how the air flows around the car while it moves.
As the paint gradually dries up, drivers make their way back to the garage. The engineers envelop their cars with screens, lest rivals pry on the results of the testing. They take pictures of the paint's final form on their car before wiping it off.
The pictures are then submitted to the factory. The team involved - usually aerodynamicists - analyse these images to find where the airflow has separated and identify any aerodynamic-related issues needed to resolve.
When it comes to the amount of the flow-vis paint on the investigated component, they require a proper balance. Too much of this paint will form puddles, too little may lead to insufficient collection of data.
Though they come in different forms, both aero rakes and flow-vis paint act as temporary sensors to determine aerodynamic performance. This also helps teams to gain a better understanding of the characteristics of their car overall.
As FIA has imposed tighter restrictions on the wind-tunnel testing for 2021 and beyond, in terms of limiting time and budget, these devices become more crucial than ever in helping teams achieve their desired results.
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