F duct
April 26, 2010
Posted by: Suneet Sankar
The F duct or as McLaren calls it RW80 has been all over news since the start of the season.
McLaren has an apparent advantage over the others in the straights. An advantage of about 6MPH, which is in fact a great deal in a sport where differences is measured in fractions. For that same reason, all most every other team is hard at work to churn out their own versions of the f-duct. So many are the reports and articles on this 'monkey see monkey do' business that I am straying away from it.... for now at least.
The F duct really fascinates me. There is f shaped nozzle that acts as an air intake. The nozzle through a pipe leads to the cockpit. From the cockpit, a pipe extends to the rear wing. The result is the air from the F-duct negates the drag on the rear wing and thus improves the overall aerodynamics of the car making it faster.... or at least in the straights. When approaching a corner, the driver in order to obtain more downforce, simply rests his left knee on the opening in the cockpit where the nozzle lets in the air. This prevents the air coming into the cockpit and going to the rear wing. The technology at its essence sounds so remarkable yet simple that it makes me ask "Why didn't anyone think of this before"?
This really got me thinking and one thought led to another to another and finally another. Everything in the world is in a way or another inspired from nature. So instead of wondering why no one else thought of it, I spent the rest of the afternoon wondering what gave them the idea.
Then it came to me. Why did it take me so long to realise this?
They got the idea from wild cats! Of course!
While chasing prey, on the straights, the wild cat keep its mouths wide open. The air enters makes its way through the oesophagus, and through the kilometres of tubing and finally exits out the other end, adding to the velocity of the cat. Depending on what the cat had for breakfast, the outward jet of air might have additives that complement his speed, propelling him even further. The presence of dust and other impurities hinders the performance and thus the cat would wash down the pipes or at least the entry with water after the chase. At turns, depending on the extent of the turn, the size of the entry is adjusted. A smooth, gradual turn meant the mouth can be reasonably open and wide. A sharp turn meant that the mouth had to be shut to prevent the entry of air and thus increasing the drag temporarily in order to make the turn. As soon as the turn is made, the mouth reopens and the jet of air re-emerges. Watching the Discovery network had its benefits.... ask the McLaren F1 team!
The F duct really fascinates me. There is f shaped nozzle that acts as an air intake. The nozzle through a pipe leads to the cockpit. From the cockpit, a pipe extends to the rear wing. The result is the air from the F-duct negates the drag on the rear wing and thus improves the overall aerodynamics of the car making it faster.... or at least in the straights. When approaching a corner, the driver in order to obtain more downforce, simply rests his left knee on the opening in the cockpit where the nozzle lets in the air. This prevents the air coming into the cockpit and going to the rear wing. The technology at its essence sounds so remarkable yet simple that it makes me ask "Why didn't anyone think of this before"?
This really got me thinking and one thought led to another to another and finally another. Everything in the world is in a way or another inspired from nature. So instead of wondering why no one else thought of it, I spent the rest of the afternoon wondering what gave them the idea.
Then it came to me. Why did it take me so long to realise this?
They got the idea from wild cats! Of course!
While chasing prey, on the straights, the wild cat keep its mouths wide open. The air enters makes its way through the oesophagus, and through the kilometres of tubing and finally exits out the other end, adding to the velocity of the cat. Depending on what the cat had for breakfast, the outward jet of air might have additives that complement his speed, propelling him even further. The presence of dust and other impurities hinders the performance and thus the cat would wash down the pipes or at least the entry with water after the chase. At turns, depending on the extent of the turn, the size of the entry is adjusted. A smooth, gradual turn meant the mouth can be reasonably open and wide. A sharp turn meant that the mouth had to be shut to prevent the entry of air and thus increasing the drag temporarily in order to make the turn. As soon as the turn is made, the mouth reopens and the jet of air re-emerges. Watching the Discovery network had its benefits.... ask the McLaren F1 team!
