Scuderia Ferrari arrives in Las Vegas, the twenty-second occasion of the 2024 Method 1 racing season, the third-to-last race of the World Championship. Confidence in potential efficiency is current. On the Nevada monitor, low temperatures and lengthy straights make the tire subject central as soon as once more for the race weekend. The principle problem for the Maranello technicians and drivers will probably be on the entrance, the place the automotive’s axis is much less burdened by lateral forces, making it extra vulnerable to dangers of graining and the associated phenomenon of understeering. To handle these points successfully, the Maranello workforce has carried out “indoor testing” beneath excessive situations on the tires.
The objective was to look at the mathematical mannequin of the tires to make sure that the technique for managing the compounds is as correct as doable, offering the flexibility to extract the optimum vitality profile, each in qualifying and within the race. Immediately, we wish to analyze the difficulties confronted by Ferrari’s tire and efficiency engineers in defining an correct mannequin to convey to the monitor. Moreover, we are going to attempt to perceive how necessary acceptable tire evaluation is after every free apply run for the setup deliberation.
Within the try and predict tire habits, the issues lie in the truth that the three attribute parameters of every tire, masses, footprint, and temperature, are solely estimated. Basically, there isn’t any chance of utilizing a sensor to completely outline vertical load or working temperature; assumptions have to be made. Moreover, tire habits is totally nonlinear. Subsequently, the outlined fashions could generally be incorrect, offering non-ideal output values.
All of it begins from the exams carried out inside the sports activities administration with Ferrari, who, nonetheless within the struggle for the Constructors’ Championship, determined to dedicate appreciable time to this issue through the two-week break earlier than Las Vegas. The technicians at Ferrari use a “magic system,” outlined by engineer Hans Pacejka within the Nineteen Eighties. An equation that requires enter of 18 parameters offered by Pirelli, which outline a type of identification card for the tire. These values have to be mixed with the three standards talked about above by way of dynamic simulations on the circuit.
Since they don’t have the race tires in-house, as every F1 workforce should return the tires on the finish of each race weekend, simulations are carried out utilizing software program. The Prancing Horse has primarily based its simulations on knowledge collected on the monitor throughout this season, altering the encompassing situations to simulate the Las Vegas race, additionally utilizing knowledge gathered through the earlier version. Within the dynamic program, vertical forces and the form of the contact patch with the bottom are modified, simulating the camber acquire of the tire all through the lap.
If the load estimation on every tire is appropriate, the software program is robotically in a position to present the perfect temperature on the tire’s core as output. This fashion, the perfect working window for the tire in varied situations is outlined. In fact, all of that is thought-about with the understanding that, as at all times, sure components can solely be seen on the monitor, and the workforce have to be expert in adjusting the technique to completely exploit the compounds. It’s a actually sophisticated job, one which appears really troublesome inside the present regulatory framework, particularly in sure aggressive contexts.
In the true world, figuring out vertical power, the scale of the contact patch, and the temperature on the coronary heart of the tire is way more sophisticated than within the simulation atmosphere, the place basically it’s only a matter of inputting a worth. The ensuing vertical forces, for instance, are influenced by the displacement of the lateral load in corners and the longitudinal load throughout acceleration or braking. An identical dialogue applies to the footprint, which relies upon each on the vertical power because the tire is deformable, however particularly on the camber acquire chosen by the technicians working within the dynamics division.
The rotation of the tire in a nook, across the axis parallel to the movement, subsequently, adjustments the portion of the floor in touch with the monitor floor, and in flip, the distribution modifies the strain contained in the compound. The temperature on the coronary heart of the tire should even be estimated, in search of a worth inside the vary outlined by the simulations, to maximise grip. This estimate defines the majority temperature, which refers to a woven steel cloth inserted between the tread and the carcass. That is essential for making the tires work.
We are saying this as a result of it’s the worth on which the era of grip for the compound is predicated. The majority is inserted beneath the tread, so it isn’t doable to make use of a sensor to straight decide its temperature. Technicians should subsequently estimate it by making a prediction derived from the temperature on the monitor floor, crossed with each exterior and inside temperatures inside the tire. The latter worth is strongly influenced by convective warmth phenomena, generated by the brakes, which go by way of the rim after which warmth the inside a part of the tire.
The temperature enhance is outlined utilizing a sensor that determines the rise in strain, exploiting the linear relationship between the 2 values. The final parameter measured, by way of an infrared sensor, is the exterior temperature of the tread, the one sure worth accessible to the engineers. These two final temperatures warmth the majority by way of convective phenomena: from the within by way of the carcass and from the skin by way of the tread, permitting the estimation of the temperature on the core. Nonetheless, the majority temperature is much less risky than the floor temperature.
A component that enables technicians to measure it straight on the tire as quickly as it’s faraway from the automotive is the “puncture” carried out by the Pirelli delegate, for Ferrari in addition to for different groups, passing by way of the compound to succeed in the majority and measure its temperature. This measurement, which doesn’t puncture the tire, is essential as it’s the solely measurable and true parameter associated to the core temperature of the compound. A price that enables for changes, if obligatory, to what’s estimated by the mathematical mannequin.
This is a matter that Ferrari has not at all times managed with consideration. One solely must recall the assorted race weekends the place the 2 SF-24 automobiles, regardless of having excessive potential, confirmed performances beneath expectations. Due to this, the Italian workforce was typically pressured, when the values differed from what was assumed, to regulate the estimated knowledge to supply consistency to the mathematical mannequin. Sadly, this work has not at all times been profitable. Nonetheless, expertise helps in these instances, and after 21 races, the Scuderia is aware of its issues very properly.
Limits that stem partly from the traits of the suspension layouts. Regardless of this, Ferrari’s predictions have develop into more and more correct, bettering each in-house simulations and the reliability of monitor knowledge. By cautious evaluation of the majority temperature after every run, the Italian workforce has gained related insights into the SF-24. Extra particularly, we’re speaking in regards to the temperatures on the coronary heart of the tire, that are measured on the inside half (close to the suspensions), on the heart, and on the outer a part of all 4 tires.
The objective is to attain uniformity throughout the complete width of the tire. If the temperature within the inside or outer half is just too excessive, it implies that the static camber angle when stationary isn’t optimum. If, alternatively, the temperature within the heart of the tire is analyzed, it signifies whether or not the chilly strain is appropriate or not. In Las Vegas, it’s anticipated that Ferrari’s weight distribution will probably be shifted to the entrance. This fashion, the vertical load on the entrance axle will be elevated, with the clear purpose of accelerating the quantity of vitality utilized to the tires.
Moreover, particularly within the tire preparation laps, Ferrari’s engineers will have the ability to depend on their drivers who, by way of the suggestions offered, will validate a exact warm-up technique. Technically, shifting the brake steadiness to the entrance may help. This fashion, the better braking power generates a better temperature on the brake discs, selling convective results and bringing the tire to temperature extra simply. In keeping with our info, Ferrari believes it will probably handle the tire subject properly, contemplating it essential for the weekend.
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