Marko Hanželic
Improvements on the road
Whichever way we turn, F1 car drive unit is a real technical gem, no doubt the drive unit with the highest efficiency on the planet. If the latest V6-hybrid engine compared to the atmospheric V8 used in F1 until 2013, the former has it compared to the latter 20 percent more power, but at the same time releases into the atmosphere 26 percent less greenhouse gases. In the automotive world, the concept of internal combustion engine efficiency represents the ratio of energy received to energy input. It is therefore the percentage of energy in combustion that is actually converted into kinetic energy and not into losses in the form of heat energy.
In the era of V8 engines, there is thermal efficiency reached 29 percent, at the very beginning of the V6-turbo hybrid period it grew to 40 percent, today is close to fifty percent.
In just six years, the powertrain of a Formula 1 car has become as much as ten percent more efficient.
And yes, forced-filled hybrids are faster than loud eight-cylinder ones. On the longest track in the Formula 1 calendar, the race for GP of Belgium v Spa-Francorchamps je Sebastian Vettel z Red Bullom set the fastest lap time: 1: 50.756 and spent approx 135 kilograms of fuel. This year he managed to run the lap in a time of 1: 46.409 and spent through the race only 100 kilograms of fuel. And that in a heavier race car.
Precisely because of the savings in fuel consumption, it is not surprising that we also encounter Formula 1 technologies in everyday life. Mercedes AMG Project One, powered by a 1,6-liter forced-injection V6, the same as in the F1 race car, is a bit of an extreme example, but Mercedes also uses hybrid technology in conventional cars, and the steering wheel "blades" for shifting are a constant star in all slightly more sporty models.
Also KERS, the braking energy release system is not only at home with hybrid passenger cars - it benefits also used in buses, which are therefore more environmentally friendly in cities. On the island of Eigg, which is not connected to the British electricity grid, a system similar to KERS makes sure that residents have electricity in their houses.
To victories in other sports
The knowledge and expertise of Formula 1 teams in the aerodynamics and development of carbon fiber parts is names such as McLaren Williams and the rest also took to sports that have nothing to do with gasoline. McLaren is with the company Specialized could produce a wheel with a carbon fiber frame, which is also more durable than conventional racing bikes, making it a popular means of transportation for cycling champions.
Red Bullov engineer Adrian Newey and McLarn's boss Martin Whitmarsh they with their knowledge of aerodynamics, which they also transferred underwater (hydrodynamics) also celebrated in the development of a sailboat that successfully competed on America's Cup.
Technologies that change cities
Urban public transport is also better due to Formula 1 inventions. McLaren Applied Technologies namely, with the help of technology developed for the purposes of participating in the F1 Championship develops a 5G network, which connects roads, railways and the metro, and Formula 1 sensors are also used in public transport in Singapore.
Air traffic has fewer delays due to McLarn's knowledge about large databases and running simulations that reveal what they are main causes of aircraft delays. This saves a lot of money for airports and airlines, and all this is reflected in greater passenger satisfaction and less emissions in the atmosphere.
F1 technologies save lives
Sometimes we hear comparisons about being racers and their engineers in a similar relationship as doctors and their patients. In both cases, vital data is exceptional, sometimes even vital weight. It is also at the forefront in this area McLaren, which with its programs for database management provides hospitals with better care for patients in intensive care. In surgeries, surgeons use sensors from Formula 1, which enable more precise movements and more precise interventions.
In hospitals like these Great Ormond Street Hospital in University Hospital of Wales they mimic the synergy between mechanics during a stop in the pits for better communication between surgeons, nurses, and anesthesiologists, which actually saves lives. Pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline following the example of a stop in the pits, he designed the production line on which they now manufacture twice as many toothpastes in the same unit of time as before, while maintaining high product quality.
Reducing emissions
aerofoil system developed jointly by Aerofoil Energy in Williams Advanced Engineering, reduce cold air losses in refrigerators in stores, which of course means energy savings, less greenhouse gas emissions and more heat, and a more pleasant purchase for customers.
Formula 1 is a spectacular sport, but it also has global impact to the environment in which we live, even though the whole thing may not be visible at first glance.
