The 2006 F 1 World Championship will be held at Sakil Circuit in Bahrain this weekend. As we all know, the biggest technical change of F 1 in the new season is undoubtedly the adoption of a brand-new 2.4-liter V8 engine, but until now, most fans' understanding of V8 is just words. What's the difference between V8 engine and V 10? What changes will V8 engine bring? What will the engine look like in the new season? What's the big V8 vibration ...? There is a lack of systematic understanding of all these problems.

Below, we will analyze them one by one, hoping to provide last-minute help for fans to watch the new season.

What's the difference between 1.V8 and V 10?

From 3.0 liter V 10 to 2.4 liter V8, literally, only 0.6 liter of displacement was reduced and two cylinders were cut off. But in fact these are two completely different concepts.

1, crank angle is different

Crank angle refers to the included angle between two adjacent cranks on the engine crankshaft. Single-cylinder engine has no crank angle, because it has only one crank, which is completed by a crank driving the crankshaft to rotate once, but V-type engine is different, it has multiple cranks. So how to coordinate the smooth operation of these cranks? At this time, it is necessary to define the angle between cranks-crank included angle.

Theoretically speaking, to minimize torque fluctuation, that is, to ensure stable power output, it is the most ideal scheme to divide the crankshaft angle into equal parts, that is, the equally spaced combustion angle. Therefore, the equally spaced combustion angle of V 10 engine should be 72 degrees = 360 degrees /5, while that of V8 engine is 90 degrees = 360 degrees /4. However, it is very special that the V8 engine's equally spaced combustion angle is not unique, and it can also be 180 degrees, which is also commonly known as the flat angle.

So how to choose two equidistant combustion angles? Generally speaking, the former is often used in civilian cars because it can ensure the stability of power output. But for the pursuit of high-performance racing engine, the latter is the most ideal solution.

2. Ignition sequence is different.

The ignition sequence of the engine is directly related to the equally spaced combustion angle, which is divided into two points for easy understanding. The ignition sequence of V 10 engine is:1-4-3-6-2-5-8-9-7-10. The V8 engine has two equidistant combustion angles, so there are two ignition sequences, namely 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 and 1-2-7-3-4-5-6-8. The former is the ignition sequence when the included angle is 90 degrees, and the latter is the ignition sequence when the included angle is 180 degrees.

It should be specially reminded that the difference of ignition sequence will directly determine the difference of critical speed region of engine vibration. This not only means that the critical speed ranges of V8 and V 10 are different, but also that even the same V8 engine will face different vibration characteristics when choosing different equally spaced combustion angles (see below).

3. The critical speed region of vibration is different.

Mario Tai Sen, the engine director of BMW, revealed at the end of last year that the key area of V 10 engine vibration is 12000 rpm, but this is not the main area of engine operation (the main working area of V 10 engine is about 17000 rpm ~ 6500 rpm).

However, the V8 engine is completely different. It enters the critical vibration zone later than V 10, starting from 16000 rpm, and will continue to intensify with the increase of rotating speed. If no measures are taken, it will threaten the life of the engine and increase the load borne by other components on the chassis, especially those connected to the engine.

In order to solve this problem, it is necessary to accurately calculate and analyze the loads borne by engine components in order to ensure complete reliability. However, analyzing a single component is only part of the whole job. Mario Tai Sen said: It is most important to understand how they work together in the whole system, and at the same time influence and restrict each other.

2. What changes will V8 engine bring?

1, the body length is reduced 10 cm, and the body layout is fine-tuned.

After cutting off two cylinders, the body length of V8 engine will be reduced by about 10 cm. At this time, engineers must try to make rational use of the vacated space. However, whether increasing the length of the front part or the length of the rear part will affect the weight distribution of the car body. If a longer gearbox is used, the weight distribution will move forward, while if a single shell is lengthened, the opposite result will be obtained. At this point, Bridgestone and Michelin users have adopted very different solutions.

Because Bridgestone's front tire tread width is narrower than Michelin's, their users mostly lengthen the single shell to realize the later weight distribution. Michelin users generally use extended gearboxes. If only considering the vibration of V8 engine, Michelin users' choice seems more reasonable, because the reinforced gearbox is beneficial to improve the strength and keep the rear suspension away from the vibration source. Note: only the size of the engine is mentioned here, not the weight of the engine, because the weight will be analyzed specifically later.

2, the power output is reduced by 20%, and the heat dissipation requirements are reduced.

A 20% reduction in power output is estimated based on a 20% reduction in displacement, which means that the maximum power of the F 1 engine in the new season will be 720-750 instead of 900-950. Although Toyota and Cosworth think that their output power can't be reduced by 20%, I'm afraid it's because they didn't consider that10 engine is our goal if we continue to use it in the new season.

With the decrease of displacement, the cooling demand of the engine will be reduced by about 20%, which means that the V8 engine saves more space than 10 cm in the vertical direction. Now you can reduce the size of the radiator by 20%, which means that the measuring boxes of all racing cars are compressed (except STR0 1).

3, torque output is reduced

After reducing the displacement, not only the power, but also the torque. Although torque is hardly mentioned in the parameters of F 1 engine, high torque will bring great advantages in starting and cornering. It is for this reason that many teams are worried that Red Bull II, which uses the old V 10, will take the lead at the start.

Another extremely important factor that affects V8 torque output-prohibiting the use of variable intake manifold, we will also elaborate in detail in the analysis of the new rules.

4, the full throttle time is prolonged, and the fuel consumption is reduced by about 15%.

Because the power and torque output of V8 engine are reduced, the driver's full throttle time will be longer than that of the old V 10 on the same track. According to Renault's estimation, the average engine speed on the track will be 300 to 400 rpm higher than in the past.

At the same time, due to the increase of the average engine speed and the extension of the full throttle time, the fuel consumption cannot be reduced in proportion to the displacement. The fuel consumption of V8 engine is only about 15% lower than that of V 10, but it will still mean that the into the pit time of the car will be greatly shortened.

5. The space for drivers to make mistakes is reduced, and drivers with smooth driving style will benefit from it.

The space for drivers to make mistakes is also reduced because the power and torque output of V8 engine are reduced. In the past, the driver's small mistakes in corners could be quickly extricated by the powerful power and torque of the engine, but now he is driving a car with a power output reduced by 200 horsepower. Even the driver's small mistakes may bring huge time loss, which means that the new engine will "amplify" the driver's mistakes.

When the power and torque are reduced, it will be beneficial to those drivers who have a smooth driving style and can slow down and turn at the same time, because only in this way can the highest cornering speed be guaranteed, which is especially obvious in middle and high-speed corners. I believe that fans who have played racing games are well aware of this, which is also the theoretical basis for Barton to boast that his driving style will benefit from the new engine rules.

Third, the core revision content of the new engine rules.

1, and the V-shaped structure with an included angle of 90 degrees must be adopted uniformly;

2. The cylinder diameter shall not exceed 98 mm, and the cylinder spacing must be kept between 106.5 mm (+/-0.2 mm);

3. It is forbidden to use variable intake manifold;

4. The distance from the center of crankshaft to the reference plane of vehicle bottom should be greater than 58mm;

5. The engine mass shall not be less than 95kg.

6. The distance between the center of gravity of the engine and the reference plane of the vehicle bottom shall not be less than165 mm;

Fourth, the new engine rule analysis

The above clause seems simple, but it may actually be the most stringent engine rule in the history of F 1. It puts almost insurmountable obstacles for the engine engineers of F 1. What is the density? Let's analyze them one by one.

1, and the V-shaped structure with an included angle of 90 degrees must be adopted uniformly;

F 1 For the first time in history, the FIA made a rigid stipulation on the included angle. Technically, this will not bring too much obstacle to the manufacturer, but you can guess one thing, which will undoubtedly make it easier for FIA to evaluate the later limiting indicators, such as the height of the engine center of gravity.

The influence of included angle on the engine mainly includes the strength of the engine block, the height of the center of gravity of the engine block, the volume of the engine block and the layout of the engine system. Last season, only Renault's RS25 engine included a smaller angle of 72 degrees instead of 90 degrees. Rob White, director of Renault Engine, believes that the body with small included angle has higher strength, which is very consistent with the new rule of two stops and one engine. However, from the beginning of this season, V 10 will become history, and Renault will have no difficulty in completing the transition from 72 degrees to 90 degrees.

What needs special reminder here is not to confuse the cylinder angle with the above-mentioned equally spaced combustion angle.

2. The cylinder diameter shall not exceed 98mm, and the cylinder spacing must be between 106.5mm (+/-0.2mm);

In fact, the most fatal limitation of the new rule begins with this article for the following reasons:

As we all know, high power is the first goal pursued by F 1 engine. The most direct way to improve engine power is to increase the speed. However, the engine speed does not increase indefinitely, and the first constraint it receives is the wear of the piston.

Common sense tells us that the higher the engine speed, the longer the piston runs in unit time, and the more serious the wear will be. So how to overcome this problem? At this time, people may first think of using more advanced wear-resistant materials, but unfortunately, now the FIA has introduced stricter material restrictions (see the translation of the new engine rules at the end of the article). In this case, we must think in a different direction and shorten the piston stroke.

The reason is that shortening the piston stroke means shortening the running distance of the piston at the same speed, which of course can reduce wear, yes! But the displacement must remain constant; Therefore, the cylinder must be flattened, with the result that the diameter of the cylinder increases. Seeing that the goal is about to be achieved, now the FIA has blocked this road: the cylinder diameter should not exceed 98 mm, which is the fatal point of the new rules.

Look at the restrictions in the second half: the cylinder spacing must be between 106.5mm (+/-0.2mm); What does this mean? To solve this problem, we need to do some mathematical operations.

The cylinder spacing is 106.5 mm, that is, the four cylinders of the engine are measured side by side, and the axial distance between any two cylinders shall not exceed 106.5 mm. Under this requirement, we will find that the current cylinder spacing is = 106.5mm-98mm x2 = 8.5mm, which is obviously greater than the current V/kloc. That is to say, under the new rules, not only the degree of freedom of the cylinder is further reduced, but also the size of the engine cannot be shortened, which will directly narrow the difference in engine size.

3. It is forbidden to use variable intake manifold;

Variable intake manifold is a technology to adjust the torque output performance of engine, which is very mature and widely used by civil vehicles. Its technical principle is to adjust the combustible gas flow into the cylinder by changing the length of the intake manifold (some even install special valves in the intake manifold), thus adjusting the engine torque output curve.

The advantage of using this technology is to strengthen the torque of the engine at both ends of the speed (especially at low speed), and the torque curve of the whole engine is smoother. The specific performance is that the acceleration performance of the car is stronger at low speed, the cornering speed is higher, and the influence of driver's error on lap speed is weakened. Because the curve is smooth, the car is easier to drive, but from next year, this technology will be banned, which will be another blow to the engine under the new rules.

However, prohibiting the use of variable intake manifold does not mean that only one type of intake manifold can be used throughout the year. Allow engineers to select a specific length of intake manifold according to the characteristics of each game. Mario Tai Sen, engine director of BMW, said that today, the track layout and weather will be the main factors that determine the length of the intake manifold. For racetracks like Monza and Indianapolis, engineers prefer to use the same length of intake manifold, while in Monaco and Hungary, it will be another length.

4, a) the engine mass shall not be less than 95kgb) The distance between the center of gravity of the engine and the reference plane under the vehicle shall not be less than165 mm; C) The distance from the center of crankshaft to the reference plane of vehicle bottom shall be greater than 58mm.

The reason why these three factors should be analyzed together is that they all involve the same problem: the mass and weight distribution of the engine. Let's first understand a set of data:

Engine code 055-v10ra05e-v10rs25-v10p84/5-v10f010r-v10054-v/.

Engine mass (kg) 94 88105 92 92 94 95 91

The above table is the quality list of eight engines from seven engine suppliers last season. From this, we found that except Renault RS25-V 10 (in fact, it was controlled within 90kg by the end of the season), others were below 95kg. This table is to tell you that it is completely wrong to think that using V8 engine will make the engine lose weight. Because even the "big" V 10 engine, its mass is all less than 95kg, but now the FIA requires that the V8 after cutting off two cylinders should not be less than 95kg. Moreover, not only the above viewpoint is wrong, but also the idea that the new engine can improve the freedom of racing counterweight is a misunderstanding.

Kenxiong Kimuchi, director of Honda's engine development, said: Even with last year's technology, a V8 engine usually won't exceed 80 kilograms, but now the FIA requires that the mass must reach 95 kilograms, which means that engineers must add extra weight to the engine. Technically, this is a retrogression. Because the current work is not how to make it lighter, but artificially add a burden to it, and this burden cannot be casually carried.

As we all know, the most direct way to achieve low center of gravity is to add a counterweight at the bottom of the engine, but Mosley tells you that this can't be done yet, and the distance between the center of gravity of the engine and the reference plane of the vehicle bottom can't be less than 165 mm, and what's more cruel is that the height of the center of the engine crankshaft from the reference plane of the vehicle bottom is more than 58 mm

As we all know, in order to reduce the vibration of the engine, it is necessary to reduce the installation position of the engine on the one hand and the vibration source of the engine on the other hand, and the crankshaft is the core component. In order to achieve this goal, people invented the dry oil bottom technology. But now, the FIA requires limiting the height of the crankshaft, which runs counter to the high performance required by F 1 racing car.

Through the analysis of the above three items, we can draw a simple conclusion: the new regulations will greatly narrow the original technical gap between engine manufacturers. For example, Honda's advantage in engine quality control will disappear. But this is exactly what the FIA wants. Because their philosophy is: balanced strength, there will be more exciting games.

5, more stringent material restrictions

It is forbidden to use magnesium alloys, metal matrix composites and alloys containing more than 50% beryllium, iridium and rhenium. When we analyzed the second article of the new rules, we mentioned the substantive issues, but we didn't expand them at that time, in order to analyze them together here.

In fact, the FIA's restrictions on materials did not start this year, but they have never been so strict as they are now. Almost all materials except steel, iron and aluminum are not allowed to be used, which has once again become a stumbling block to the development of V8 engines. As we all know, materials are the cornerstone of technological progress. Without the constant discovery of new materials, the speed of technological progress is very limited.

To give a simple example, in order to increase the engine speed, engineers must use new materials with lighter weight, more wear resistance and high temperature resistance, but now this road is blocked. To achieve the development goal, we must find another way, and the slowdown is self-evident.

Here, we would like to mention the topic of saving by the way. Restricting the application of materials now will inevitably lead to the suspension and closure of the original material research and development department of the team, and its direct economic loss is self-evident. In order to improve performance, engineers must transfer their investment to other areas. So, has the FIA achieved the goal of saving money?

A little summary

The above long analysis is just my humble opinion, and most of them are based on stating the facts, hoping to help you understand V8 engine and enjoy the game.

I remember that for a long time after the V8 was finalized, everyone was worried about whether it would become a high-cost GP2 chariot. But when Davidson broke the record by driving RA 106 in Valencia last week, all his worries vanished. Although this is not entirely due to the engine (using softer tires and constantly upgrading aerodynamic design), it conveys a fact to fans: the speed of the F 1 equipped with V8 engine will never be worse than before, and there will be more surprises waiting for us to discover in the race!

Chapter 5: Engine

5. 1 engine specifications

5. 1. 1 Only four-stroke reciprocating piston engine is allowed.

5. 1.2 Engine displacement shall not be greater than 2.4 liters.

5. 1.3 supercharger (exhaust gas pressurization and turbocharging) is disabled.

5. 1.4 An 8-cylinder engine with a 90-degree V-shaped included angle must be adopted, and each cylinder must be conventional circular.

5. 1.5 Each cylinder must use two intake valves and two exhaust valves, and only reciprocating valves are allowed.

5.2 Choose one of the two engines:

This rule only applies to 2006 and 2007. The FIA reserves the right for any team to use the 2005 engine, but it must accept the FIA's maximum speed limit.

5.4 Engine size:

5.4. 1 The inner diameter of the cylinder shall not exceed 98mm.

5.4.2 The cylinder spacing must be kept at106.5mm (+/-0.2mm).

5.4.3 The distance between the crankshaft centerline and the datum plane shall not be less than 58 mm.

5.5 Quality and center of gravity:

5.5. 1 The minimum mass of the engine shall not be less than 95kg.

5.5.2 The center of gravity of the engine shall not be lower than the reference plane165mm.

5.5.3 The center of gravity of the engine shall not exceed the circumferential area with a radius of 50 mm centered on the geometric center of the engine. ..

5.5.4 The engine shall include: air intake system, air filter, fuel circuit, injection system, ignition system, engine sensor, circuit, generator, coolant pump and oil pump.

5.5.5 The engine shall not contain fuel, exhaust manifold, insulation board, oil tank, water storage system, radiator and hydraulic system (such as pump, pressure storage tank, servo valve, solenoid valve, etc.). ) When Article 5.5 of these Rules is satisfied. Except for the servo valve and activation device used for engine throttle control, the fuel pump and any other components shall not be assembled on the engine when testing the racing car.

5.6 Variable geometry system:

5.6. 1 It is forbidden to use the variable intake manifold;

5.6.2 Variable exhaust system is strictly prohibited;

5.6.3 It is forbidden to use variable valve timing and variable valve lift systems.

5.7 Fuel system

5.7. 1 Fuel injection pressure shall not be greater than 100 bar. Sensors for directly testing fuel injection pressure must be equipped, and these numbers must be provided for FIA data automatic measurement.

5.7.2 Only one fuel injector is allowed in each cylinder, which must be directly injected into the top or side of the cylinder.

5. 13 materials and manufacturing (abstract):

5. 13. 1 Unless otherwise specified, the following materials are not allowed to be used anywhere in the engine:

A) magnesium alloy

B) metal template synthetic material

C) metal composite materials

D) Alloys with beryllium, iridium and rhenium content exceeding 50%.

5. 13.2, if the thickness of the covering material does not exceed 25% of the entire axial section thickness of the underlying foundation material, the covering material can be used freely. In all areas, the thickness of the covering material should not exceed 0.8 mm.

5. 14 materials and manufacturing (detailed rules):

5. 14. 1 Piston must be made of aluminum alloy, including silicon aluminum alloy, copper aluminum alloy, zinc aluminum alloy and magnesium aluminum alloy;

5. 14.2 The piston pin must be made of iron-based alloy and must be machined from a single piece of material.

5. 14.3 The connecting rod must be made of an alloy based on iron or titanium and must be machined from a single piece of material. Welding and joining (excluding connecting rod head cover and end bushing) are not allowed during assembly.

5. 14.4 Crankshaft must be made of iron-based alloy. There shall be no welding between the front and rear main support shafts, and the material density shall not exceed 19000kg/m3.

5. 14.5 Camshafts must be made of iron-based alloy. Each camshaft and cam must be made of a single piece of material, and welding between the front and rear main support shafts is not allowed.

5. 14.6 Valves must be made of alloys based on iron, nickel, cobalt and titanium, and sodium, lithium and similar materials can be used for hollow cooling of valve stems.

5. 14.7 reciprocating and rotating parts:

A) Any reciprocating and rotating parts shall not be made of graphite, metal synthetic materials and ceramic materials. Note: This restriction does not apply to clutches and any sealing mechanism.

B) Rolling elements of bearings must be made of iron-based alloy.

C) The timing gear between crankshaft and camshaft must be made of iron-based alloy.

5. 14.8 static components:

A) Engine crankcase and cylinder head must be cast or forged with aluminum alloy. It is not allowed to use synthetic materials or metal template composites in the whole or part of the area.

B) Any metal mechanism located inside the engine whose main or secondary function is lubrication or cooling must be made of iron-based alloy or aluminum alloy, including silicon-aluminum alloy, copper-aluminum alloy, zinc-aluminum alloy and magnesium-aluminum alloy.

C) All fasteners must be made of alloys based on cobalt, iron and nickel. Synthetic materials are not allowed.

D) The valve seat embedding mechanism, valve guide rail and any other bearing parts can be fabricated by metal infiltration prefabrication and other methods, but they cannot be used for reinforcement.