It would be interesting to know why driver-activated rear wings are being allowed back after being banned for 40 years. Did something change in their design, or the design of cars, to make them safer?
I agree, Ann. It would also be nice to know how else this technology will be used. Will it only be used while trailing another driver (as is described here)? Or will drivers be adjusting it repeatedly throughout a race?
F1 officials say that this functionality will be controlled by "race control" (electronically) only on some straightaways and only when a car is trailing by one second or less. Seems like too much is being taken out of the driver's control. See this article.
I agree with you Ann - why the change of heart? The sport is dangerous enough without adding to it. Hopefully technology has caught up so that rear wings are safe enough now...but the article didn't mention any countermeasures to the previous danger.
And like you Charles, I am wondering when will activating the rear wings be allowed - according to the article:
"Drivers are now able to control the rear wing once they have been behind another driver for a set amount of time, thereby reducing drag on the straightaway and allowing greater opportunity for overtaking."
With the incredibly fast-paced movement of the vehicles into different spaces - how will the driver determine that "the set amount of time" has been met and what penalties will occur if the driver did not wait the correct amount of time - and how would all of this data be collected and processed?
I'm also interested in understanding how this set amount of time can be determined. Is there an additional safety risk if the driver activates the wings too soon?
The FIA allowed the use of these wings to increase overtaking for fan enjoyment. The aerodynamics of a car following are greatly affected when following another car that it is hugely difficuly to pass. I think the safety concerns of wings breaking (from aero or vibration loads) are behind us.
There is a timing mark on the circuit before the DRS zone (Drag Reduction System) that measures the time gap between cars (all the cars are equiped with tracking). If the time gap is less than 2 seconds then the driver is allowed to activate the wing and go for a pass. What is interesting about the system is that in qualifying the drivers are allowed to use the system where ever they want on the track. I recall a race this season where Michael Schumacher's wing was stuck inthe open position. He lost a huge number of positions from the lack of down force while he limped back to the pit to have it fixed.
Last season there was a driver adjustable front wing also. It was not restricted to its use onthe track. Many drivers would increase the wing angle when following to get some more downforce on the front tyres.
I'm not sure if one is allowed to post links in the comments but if anyone wants to peek into the F1 technical world a bit a great place to start is Scarb's F1 blog. it will come up in any search engine.
By experimenting with the photovoltaic reaction in solar cells, researchers at MIT have made a breakthrough in energy efficiency that significantly pushes the boundaries of current commercial cells on the market.
In a world that's going green, industrial operations have a problem: Their processes involve materials that are potentially toxic, flammable, corrosive, or reactive. If improperly managed, this can precipitate dangerous health and environmental consequences.
With LEDs dropping in price virtually every year, automakers have begun employing them, not only on luxury vehicles, but on entry-level models, as well.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 3
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
To save this item to your list of favorite Design News content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
If you found this interesting or useful, please use the links to the services below to share it with other readers. You will need a free account with each service to share an item via that service.
Tweet This
3 
