Assignment 1b summary Draft 2 750 words

In the article, David introduces the PU106A Hybrid power unit (David, 2015). The main function of the PU106A Hybrid was to power the Mercedes W05, developed by the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team in the 2014 Formula One season. The PU106A Hybrid is the main V6 internal combustion engine (ICE) equipped with a turbocharger. According to Cummins, it allows more compressed air into the ICE to produce more power during the combustion phase. (Cummins, 2013). The Energy Recovery System (ERS) is the hybrid system of a modern F1 car. Blackstock (2022) said that the ERS consists of 3 components, Motor Generator Unit–Kinetic (MGU-K), Motor Generator Unit–Heat (MGU-H) and Energy Store (ES). The purpose of the 2 generator units is to generate and deploy energy to different parts of the car, as well as to store energy in the ES like a battery. During an interview conducted by Rene Fagnan, he asked Remi Taffin, director of operation about MGU-H and MGU-K. He said that the MGU-H is located between the turbine and compressor of the turbocharger and MGU-K is connected to the crankshaft which helps it to rotate when the throttle is applied by the driver(Fegnan, 2016). The PU106A Hybrid power unit made the key success of winning Formula One Team in the 2014 Formula One season but the team also modified the nose, configuration of the rear wing and the monkey seat which enhances the aerodynamic design of the car allowing a better chance of winning the race.

At the front of the vehicle, the team used a conjoined lower wishbone, decreasing the space between the two legs to create one considerably bigger aerodynamic fairing. This enhanced the functionality of the surface downstream and maintained the airflow flowing off the front wing in the proper position. (Somerfield, 2021)Mercedes also advanced their front turning vane assembly by using two prongs on the W05 that protruded out from the front of the chassis and connected with the bottom of the nose. This way the vanes may now operate on the airflow sooner because of this ingenious movement of the vanes into a more front position.

In the last few years having a high nose had been favoured for their aerodynamic gains. Hence, they made an inverted U- U-shaped nose-to-tip design which differs from the other cars. With this design it provides more airflow to make its way under the nose and by having an unexpected accident crashing at the nose of the car, the nose would still perform as expected.

Not only did the teams change the nose design they also had been very careful, employing a variety of rear wing and monkey seat configurations based on the load requirements of the track being visited. The combination of curves and straight lines on the racing track can affect the car's overall performance. To overcome this, they made 3 different subtleties for each situation to suit the particular track.

For high downforce configuration, the car is set up with a deep box area, a main plane that is the right size, and a top flap. A Gurney flap is added to the trailing edge of the car to increase downforce and balance, although it adds some extra drag. In the meantime, the direction of the exhaust plume is controlled by a sophisticated monkey seat setup.

For a mid to low downforce, the Gurney flap was modified from its standard design to reduce drag. To change the strength of the tip vortex, the outside corners of the upper flap had also been trimmed back. A simpler monkey seat was also deployed.

For low downforce, the main plane and top flap used at Monza have a smaller box area, and the pillars have a different form where they join the main plane. This is necessary to ensure that the pillars do not impede airflow due to the flaps' reduced surface area.

Lastly, the modification of the nose, the configuration of the rear wing and the monkey seat enhanced the aerodynamic design of the car allowing a better chance of winning the race, but PU106A Hybrid power unit was still the key component of winning. The engine has an innovative design feature of the car as the compressor and turbo were placed at the opposite ends of the internal combustion engine allowing the car to perform better which makes it different from other cars. In general, they had an advantage in terms of the engine, aerodynamic design and battery consumption which led them to success in winning the race.


 References 

Blackstock, E. (02 August, 2022). Motorsport Explained: Formula 1's MGU-H and MGU-K. F1's MGU-H and MGU-K are both part of the turbo hybrid power unit — but what do they actually do?, https://jalopnik.com/motorsport-explained-formula-1s-mgu-h-and-mgu-k-1849355365#:~:text=Instead%20of%20being%20attached%20to,top%20of%20the%20engine's%20power.

Cummins. (26 July, 2013). How a turbocharger works. https://www.cummins.com/components/turbochargers/how-a-turbocharger-works

David, D. (13 June, 2015). Mercedes F1 W05 Hybrid. Mercedes F1 W05 Hybrid, https://sportscardigest.com/mercedes-f1-w05-hybrid/

Fegnan, R. (24 June, 2016). Technique - The MGU-K and MGU-H explained. Motorsport.com asked Rémi Taffin, Director of Operations at Renault Sport F1, to explain what are the MGU-K and MGU-H, both essential components of a Formula 1 turbo hybrid Power Unit., https://us.motorsport.com/f1/news/technique-the-mgu-k-and-mgu-h-explained-791187/2986353/

Somerfield, M. (20 January, 2021). The car that began Mercedes' modern-era F1 success. Mercedes' dominance in Formula 1 has shown no signs of slowing down, as the W11 chassis helped the team to a seventh consecutive title double,                                https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/the-car-that-began-mercedes-modern-era-f1-success-5149433/5149433/#:~:text=Mercedes'%20first%20turbo%2Dhybrid%20challenger,that%20came%20in%20for%202014.

The Mercedes F1 W05 is unveiled. (28 January, 2014). Mercedes has unveiled its 2014 challenger, the F1 W05, at Jerez today ahead of the opening pre-season test., https://www.pitpass.com/50829/The-Mercedes-F1-W05-is-unveiled



 

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