Tuesday, May 12th, 2009
by Dustin
The weather is getting warmer and that means the world of motor sports is hitting the ground running. Auto racing is one of the few competitive sports that the entire world can relate to because cars are so important to society. Because the sport is so popular on an international level, there is a lot of influence from places all over the world. In Formula 1, teams mainly from Europe and Asia, and drivers from several different countries try to compete for not only the championship, but their egos as well. As expected, several discrepancies arise every season but non as controversial as the diffuser controversy of the 2009 Formula 1 Championship.
Radical new regulations have forced teams to make several drastic changes regarding bodywork and car dimensions, which inevitably affect the amount of down force and air force on the car. However one of the regions of the 
car that has been left up to some interpretation has been the rear section of bodywork facing the ground. This area is by far the most crucial part of any race car because it is closest to where power is applied to the ground through the rear wheels. The piece of the car that increases pressure at speed on the back wheels is called the diffuser. The diffuser creates a low-pressure zone underneath the rear part of the car, turning the car into a moving suction cup in some aspects.
The rules and regulations of the Fédération Internationale de L’Automobile (the governing body of international motor sports around the world) that restrict the cars for the 2009 F1 season clearly state dimensions for this region of the car and adds that, “Any specific part of the car influencing its aerodynamic performance must comply with the rules relating to bodywork.” The actual discrepancy is how the rule is interpreted. Many teams interpreted this rule as designing a diffuser that has three channels of equal length with no extra windows to feed the effective parts of the diffuser with air. However three major teams, Brawn GP, Toyota, and Williams, interpreted the rules as designing a diffuser in any way that was acceptable as long as it was inside the rules
of bodywork. The other teams participating in the Formula 1 Championship are arguing that the three teams using the effective diffuser did so against the spirit of the rule itself, and that the rule should force teams to use similar diffusers to increase competition all the way down the grid.
With cars fitted with normal diffusers being well off the pace of the three teams with high volume diffusers, the other teams have a good reason to try and argue this point. This topic is accompanied with more urgency then previous protests because of a new rule change that prevents teams from testing once the season has started, making it very difficult for teams to compensate for the unconventional diffusers if the design is not deemed illegal by the FIA on April 14, 2009. If the FIA does deem the diffusers to be illegal, the teams will be forced to design new diffusers and the order of performance already established by the first two races of the 2009 season will be drastically changed. On the other hand however, if the diffusers stay the same, the other teams will have to pull some aerodynamic tricks out of their sleeves without thorough testing capabilities.
Photo of Brawn GP car by Camilo S.B.
Photo of F1 grid by Pattagon
Photo of back of F1 Car by Camilo S.B.
Popularity: 23% [?]
Monday, October 6th, 2008
by Alaina Stochaj
Vehicle manufactures are taking technology to a whole new level with new and futuristic fuel-efficient vehicles. There have been exiting new developments in making the best and most fuel-efficient vehicle out there. Consumers have a variety of vehicles to choose from such as hybrids, fuel cell, electric, and diesel. The new lineup of cars that will be out in the future are definitely worth being built and purchased because of the environmental advantages they include such as better gas mileage and lower emissions. Many argue that the new fuel-efficient vehicles are expensive and are not worth it, however that does not address how the U.S. emits incredible amounts of greenhouse gasses into the air. Fuel-efficient vehicles would save people a lot of money on gas because of how many miles to the gallon they get. The Toyota Prius is the most popular selling hybrid out there. In fact, more Prius cars have been sold than any other hybrid combined. The Prius gets about 45 mpg on the highway and around 48 mpg in the city and emits 89 percent less smog than the average car. This current hybrid is incredibly fuel efficient, but there are more hybrids to come that will be even more technological advanced and efficient.
A new plug-in hybrid called the VentureOne, which will arrive in the showrooms soon is one of the most unique vehicles we have ever seen. It is a combination of a motorcycle and a car that has two seats and runs on three wheels. It will be able to ride similar to the style of a motorcycle turning sharp corners and leaning from side to side. The vehicle apparently uses advanced technology to determine the perfect balance while driving. When I first learned about the three-wheel car, it seemed a bit dangerous, but it will supposedly be thirty times safer than a standard motorcycle. It will have all the safety features of a vehicle like airbags, bumpers, and impact protection, and it’s going to be environmentally friendly getting about 100 mpg and equipped with two 20 kW electric motors and a 17 kWh lithium ion battery pack. More importantly the manufacturer is really trying to show how environmentally friendly the vehicle is, coming in three different shades of green. I’m surprised that they are coming out with this vehicle because I am not sure how many people will find it appealing. It is a very cool piece of technology, but I am not sure that the average driver will choose to purchase one of these. Despite being fast and fuel efficient, it will be expensive and drivers might not find it safe.
Another interesting soon to be vehicle in the hybrid market is the Honda FCX Clarity, a fuel cell car that will be available in 2008. The vehicle will run on a hydrogen fuel cell stack. It will produce electricity, but no exhaust emissions will come out of the tailpipe. Honda is also working on trying to build a hydrogen fueling station for homes. It would be very convenient for an owner of one of these cars if the company were able to create such a home based refueling station. What I really took notice of was that the hydrogen station would also supply a house owner with heat and electricity in addition to producing hydrogen fuel. From the natural gas, it would generate the hydrogen for homes. I could imagine that this would expensive, but would be extremely efficient reducing energy costs as well as emissions dangerous to the environment. It is unlikely that this home fueling station will be out for several more years. It’s a really intriguing idea that people should take notice of, but who knows what other types of fuel-efficient vehicles will come out during that period of time.
There are now numerous different types of fuel-efficient cars out now and many arriving in the future. Drivers need to take an interest in what is coming out and should take a closer look. They might be more expensive then the average car, but are incredibly more efficient and better for the environment.
Photo Credit: geognerd
Popularity: 8% [?]
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