The Application of Physic in Sport

8/14/2019 The Application of Physic in Sport

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INTRODUCTION

Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1, and currently officially referred to as the FIA

Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of auto racing sanctioned by

the Fdration Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The "formula" in the name refers to a set

of rules to which all participants and cars must comply. The F1 season consists of a series of

races, known as Grands Prix, held on purpose-built circuits, and to a lesser extent, former

public roads and closed city streets. The results of each race are combined to determine two

annual World Championships, one for the drivers and one for the constructors, with racing

drivers, constructor teams, track officials, organizers and circuits required to be holders of

valid Super Licences, the highest class racing licence issued by the FIA.

F1 involve many physic to make sure the cars are optimized when racing. The physic were

similar to a fighter pilot where its technology are advanced compared to any other racing cars.

Engineers works tirelessly to enhance their teams car to obtain the world championship. To

make dreams come true in engineering F1, money is needed, and physics in this sport does

not come cheap. Regardless of this factor, many teams are able to compensate and actually

made many progress in the team.

In this assignment, we will discuss the physics involved and where the physics are applied.

This what make the F1 not only a remarkable racing machine but also at the highest state of

an art. Thanks to internet for all the information provided. Without it, many unknown law of

physic are undiscover thoroughly.

WHAT IS THE PHYSICS?1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%A9d%C3%A9ration_Internationale_de_l'Automobilehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formula_racinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Formula_One_Grands_Prixhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Formula_One_circuitshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Formula_One_World_Drivers'_Championshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Formula_One_World_Constructors'_Championshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Licencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formula_racinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Formula_One_Grands_Prixhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Formula_One_circuitshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Formula_One_World_Drivers'_Championshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Formula_One_World_Constructors'_Championshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Licencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%A9d%C3%A9ration_Internationale_de_l'Automobile


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A formula one car is engineering that has been lifted to such a high level that it's art. It

generates so much down force it could drive on the roof of a tunnel at 160 km/h.The down

force makes the car stick to the road so well that through corners the driver can be subjected

to forces of 5 Gs - where their 70-kg body suddenly weighs 350 kg. Five Gs can stop them

from breathing, and make their head weigh 25 kg.

To achieve this, engineers in formula 1 need to apply physic onto the cars to make them faster

in straights and smoothly in sharp corners. It is in the late 80s the engineers started to realize

and found the technique because at that time the cars are getting faster and fast cars need to be

handle approriately. To make sure the team wins the championship, serious research must be

done.

Then they came across this finding, using flipped aircraft wing. How do the wings work?

What is the physic?

The principles which allow aircraft to fly are applicable in car racing. The only difference

being the wing or airfoil shape is mounted upside down producing down force instead of lift

The Bernoulli Effect means that: if a fluid (gas or liquid) flows around an object at different

speeds, the slower moving fluid will exert more pressure than the faster moving fluid on the

object. The object will then be forced toward the faster moving fluid. The wing of an airplane

is shaped so that the air moving over the top of the wing moves faster than the air beneath it.

Since the air pressure under the wing is greater than that above the wing, lift is produced. The

shape of the f1 car exhibits the same principle. The shape of the chasis is similar to an upside

down airfoil. The air moving under the car moves faster than that above it, creating downforce

or negative lift on the car.

Airfoils or wings are also used in the front and rear of the car in an effort to generate more

downforce.

Downforce is necessary in maintaining high speeds through the corners and forces the car tothe track. Light planes can take off at slower speeds than a ground effects race car can

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generate on the track. In addition the shape of the underbody (an inverted wing) creates an

area of low pressure between the bottom of the car and the racing surface. This sucks the car

to road which results in higher cornering speeds.

The total aerodynamic package of the race car is emphasized now more than ever before.Teams that plan on staying competitive use track testing and wind tunnels to develop the most

efficient aerodynamic design. The focus of their efforts is on the aerodynamic forces of

negative lift or downforce and drag. The relationship between drag and downforce is

especially important. Aerodynamic improvements in wings are directed at generating

downforce on the race car with a minimum of drag. Downforce is necessary for maintaining

speed through the corners. Unwanted drag which accompanies downforce will slow the car.

The efficient design of a chassis is based on a downforce/drag compromise. In addition the

specific race circuit will place a different demand on the aerodynamic setup of the car.

A road course with low speed corners, requires a car setup with a high downforce package. A

high downforce package is necessary to maintain speeds in the corners and to reduce wear on

the brakes. This setup includes large front and rear wings. The front wings have additional

flaps which are adjustable. The rear wing is made up of three sections that maximize

downforce.

A race car traveling at 200 mph. can generate downforce that is approximately twice its own

weight. Generating the necessary downforce is concentrated in three specific areas of the car.

The ongoing challenge for team engineers is to fine tune the airflow around these areas.

1. Front wing assembly

2. Chassis

3. Rear wing assembly

THE PHYSICS INVOLVEDScience Behind F1 Aerodynamic Features

Engineered with perfection, the loud and aggressive Formula One (F1) racecar is the ultimate

racing machine. Its reputation has been defined by its amazing speed and handling

characteristics, which are for the most part, a product of its aerodynamic features. The success

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of these features relies primarily on the appropriate and efficient harnessing of drag and

downforce both of which are ruled by physical principles explained by Bernoullis equation.

Bernoulli's Equation

Investigated in the early 1700s by Daniel Bernoulli, his equation defines the physical laws

upon which most aerodynamic concepts exist. This now famous equation is absolutely

fundamental to the study of airflows. Every attempt to improve the way an F1 car pushes its

way through molecules of air is governed by this natural relationship between fluid (gas or

liquid) speed and pressure. There are several forms of Bernoulli's equation, three of which are

discussed, in the succeeding paragraphs: flow along a single streamline, flow along many

streamlines, and flow along an airfoil. All three equations were derived using several

assumptions, perhaps the most significant being that air density does not change with pressure

(i.e. air remains incompressible).Therefore they can only be applied to subsonic situations.

Being that F1 cars travel much slower than Mach 1, these equations can be used to give very

accurate results.

In this situation, there exists a relationship between velocity, density and pressure. As a single

streamline of fluid flows through a tube with changing cross-sectional area (i.e. an F1 air

inlet), its velocity decreases from station one to two and its total pressure equals a constant.

With multiple streamlines, the total pressure equals the same constant along each streamline.

However, this is only the case if height differences between the streamlines are negligible.

Otherwise, each streamline has a unique total pressure.

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Mathematical and pictorial explanation of Bernoullis Equation as applied to fluid flow

through a tube with changing cross-sectional area.2

As applied to flow along low speed airfoils (i.e. F1 downforce wings), airflow is

incompressible and its density remains constant. Bernoulli's equation then reduces to a simplerelation between velocity static pressure.1

(pressure) + 0.5(density)*(velocity)2 = constant

This equation implies that an increase in pressure must be accompanied by a decrease in

velocity, and vice versa. Integrating the static pressure along the entire surface of an airfoil

gives the total aerodynamic force on a body. Components of lift and drag can be determined

by breaking this force down.

In order to discuss lift and

downforce, it may be helpful to

provide an additional explanation

of the relationship that occurs with

the above form of Bernoulli's

equation. If a fluid flows around an

object at different speeds, the slower moving fluid will exert more pressure on the object than

the faster moving fluid. The object will then be forced toward the faster moving fluid.8A

product of this event is either lift or downforce, each of which is dependent upon the

positioning of the wing's longer chord length. Lift occurs when the longer chord length is

upward and downforce occurs when it is downward.

Downforce

Downforce, or negative lift, pushes the car onto the track.It is accomplished by use of anairfoil mounted such that its longer cord length is facing downward. As air flows over the

airfoil, a low-pressure region is created on the underside of the wing. A high-pressure region

then develops on the upper side of the wing, creating a downward force. This pressure

difference causes the net downforce.

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Downforce is necessary for maintaining speed through corners. Due to the fact that the engine

power available today can overcome much of the opposing forces induced by drag, design

attention has been focused on first perfecting the downforce properties of a car then

addressing drag.

The teardrop shape, previously discussed, displays ideal aerodynamic properties in an

unconstrained flow and is well suited for aeronautical applications. However, when this shape

is incorporated into the design of an F1 vehicle, it is subjected to constrained flow, which

causes different flow behaviors. This is due to the simple fact that these cars are very close to

the ground. The presence of the ground prevents the formation of a symmetrical flow pattern.

The results of this flow behavior are an unfavorable increased drag coefficient and generation

of a very favorable down force. Fortunately, the downforce created is highly valuable and the

increased drag can be overcome with array of aerodynamic strategies

Drag

The remarkable speed of the F1 racecar is achieved from the careful combination of its

powerful engine and expertly crafted aerodynamic body features. In the early years of F1

design, the engine was the primary variable in determining the racing success of a car.

Applicable engine technology had far exceeded the maturity of vehicle aerodynamics. Those

historic years embodied a simple algorithm. Speed was nearly a direct function of horsepower.

Although still improving almost annually, engine performance levels among the cars of each

racing season today have comparable performance record speed achievements now hinge on

a different design issue aerodynamics and drag plays a major role.

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F1 aerodynamics engineer, Will Gray, has noted that "Top speed is determined other factors

[car weight, fuel strategy, and good low-end engine power], but the main factor which

separates the victors from the valiant in this area is aerodynamic performance too much drag

and you're pulling unwanted air along with you.

One form of drag occurs as air particles pass over a car's surfaces and the layers of particles

closest to the surface adhere. The layer above these attached particles slides over them, but is

consequently slowed down by the non-moving particles on the surface. The layers above this

slowed layer move faster. As the layers get further away from the surface, they slow less and

less until they flow at the free-stream speed. The area of slow speed, called the boundary

layer, appears on every surface, and causes one of the three types of drag, Skin Friction Drag.

The force required to shift the molecules out of the way creates a second type of drag, Form

Drag. Due to this phenomenon, the smaller the frontal area of a vehicle, the smaller the area

of molecules that must be shifted, and thus the less energy required to push through the air.

With less engine effort being taken up in the moving air, more will go into moving the car

along the track, and for a given engine power, the car will travel faster.

Another factor that plays a role in aerodynamic efficiency is the shape of the car's surfaces.

The shape over which air molecules must flow determines how easily the molecules can be

shifted. Air prefers to follow a surface rather than to separate from one. Interestingly,

researchers of aerodynamics have found the 'teardrop' shape, round at the front and pointed at

the back, to be most efficient at propelling through air while providing a suitable surface for

the air to easily move across. With this shape there is little or no separation.

It is important to note that sharp frontal areas, rounded ends, sharp curves or sudden

directional changes in a shape should be avoided since they tend to cause separation, which

increases drag.

The final type of drag is Induced Drag. It is noted as such because it is caused by or "induced"

by the lift on the wings. Induced drag is an unfavorable and unavoidable byproduct of lift (or

downforce).It occurs on wings of standard or inverted position. In fact, the potential ofdisplaying induced drag exists for all bodies that exhibit opposite pressures on their top and

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bottom surfaces. Being that air prefers to move from high to low-pressure regions, air from

low-pressure regions has a tendency to curl upward around the ends of a wing, for example. It

travels up from the high-pressure region to the low-pressure region on the top of the wing and

collides with moving low-pressure air. Wingtip vortices are a result of this situation. These

vortices occur on both airplane wings and F1 car wings even though end plates may be used

to prevent this type of drag .It should be noted that the kinetic energy of these turbulent air

spirals acts in a direction that is negative relative to the direction of travel intended. In the

case of induced drag on F1 cars, the engine must compensate for the losses created by this

drag.

WHERE DO THE PHYSICS APPLIED?

1.Downforce

Rear Wing:

The rear wing is a crucial component for the performance of a Formula One racecar. These

devices contribute to approximately a third of the cars total down force, while only weighing

about 7 kg.10Figure shows a rear wing. Usually the rear wing is comprised of two sets of

aerofoils connected to each other by the wing endplates. The upper aerofoil, usually

consisting of three elements, provides the most downforce, therefore varied from race to

race.The lower aerofoil, usually consisting of two elements, is smaller and provides some

downforce. However, the lower aerofoil creates a low-

pressure region just below the wing to help the diffuser

create more downforce below the car.

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The rear wing is varied from track to track because of the tradeoff between downforce and

drag. More wing angle increases the downforce and produces more drag, thus reducing the

cars top speed. So when racing on tracks with long straights and few turns, like Monza, it is

better to adjust the wings to have small angles. Conversely, when racing on tracks with many

turns and few straights, like Austria, it is better to adjust the wings to have large angles.The

section on the left shows Michael Schumacher in Austria while the section on the right shows

Ruebens Barrichello in Monza. The section on the left clearly shows an increased wing angle

compared to the section on the right.

Splitting the aerofoil into separate elements as seen in is one way to overcome the flow

separation caused by adverse pressure gradients. Multiple wings

are used to gain more downforce in the rear wing. Two wings will produce more downforce

than one wing, but not twice as much. Figure shows the relationship between the number of

airfoils with both the lift coefficient and the lift/drag ratio. The lift coefficient increases and

lift/drag ratio decreases when increasing the number of aerofoils. The position of the wings

relative to each other is important. If they are too close together, the resultant forces will be in

opposite directions and thus cancel each other.

Front Wing:

The relationship between the front wing and the track is a delicate one; with the wing

generally being more efficient the closer it is to the track. Therefore, the front

wing is low to the ground to obtain as much advantage from ground effect as possible, and

generally has one full spanning flap. Developments usually concentrate on the profile of the

wing, and the use of flaps. However, Ferrari recently angled the leading edge of the wing toform a forward racing V-shape. This comes from flow

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visualizations on the wing, which shows its suction power is so strong that it pulls air in from

angles not straight with the centerline. This means that the air is approaching a normal,

straight leading edge at an angle to it, and therefore not working the wing to its full potential.

By turning the edge by the correct angle, maximum efficiency will be obtained.The part of the

front wing, which tends to change most in design, is the endplate. The primary function of this

feature is to stop

the high-pressure air on the top of the wing from being encouraged to roll over the end of the

wing to the low-pressure air beneath, causing induced drag. Additionally, the design aim of

the endplates is to discourage the dirty air created by the front tire from getting under the floor

of the car. Further to these, some teams use 'splitters', which are vertical fences, attached to

the undersurface of the front wing, to assist the endplate

2.Drag

Over time, as the wheels were moved closer

to the chassis, the front wings overlapped

the front wheels when viewed from the

front. This created unnecessary turbulence

in front of the wheels, further reducing

aerodynamic efficiency and thus

contributing to unwanted drag. To overcome

this problem, the top teams made the inside

edges of the front wing endplates curved to direct the air towards the chassis and around the

wheels. Many teams later introduced sculpted outside edges to the endplates to direct the air

around the front wheels. This was often included in the design change some teams introduced

to reduce the width of the front wing to give the wheels the same position relative to the wing

in previous years. The interaction between the front wheels and the front wing makes it very

difficult to come up with the best solution, and consequently almost all of the different teams

have come up with different designs

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Lift due to exposed wheels is a major problem for F1 racecars

since regulations prohibit enclosing the wheels within the

bodywork. Exposed wheels generate upward lift forces that

decrease the downforce created by the wings and other

structures. This positive lift may reduce downforce by

approximately 11% on a typical F1 track.To alleviate this

problem, engineers design flip-ups on the rear section of the side

pods, in front of the rear tires. Flip-ups as seen in Figure guide

air over the rear wheels while creating some downforce.

REFERENCE

http://www.f1-country.com/f1-engineer/aeorodynamics/racingphysics.htm Retrived by 4th

November 2009

http://www.motorengineers.com.au/motor-engineers-articles/2004/3/4/rocket-science-and-

brain-power/ Retrived by 4thNovember 2009

http://www.f1-country.com/f1-engineer/aeorodynamics/racingphysics.htm Retrived by 4th

November 2009

http://www.f1-country.com/f1-engineer/aeorodynamics/bernoulli.html Retrived by 4th

November 2009

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http://www.f1-country.com/f1-engineer/aeorodynamics/racingphysics.htmhttp://www.motorengineers.com.au/motor-engineers-articles/2004/3/4/rocket-science-and-brain-power/http://www.motorengineers.com.au/motor-engineers-articles/2004/3/4/rocket-science-and-brain-power/http://www.f1-country.com/f1-engineer/aeorodynamics/racingphysics.htmhttp://www.f1-country.com/f1-engineer/aeorodynamics/bernoulli.htmlhttp://www.f1-country.com/f1-engineer/aeorodynamics/racingphysics.htmhttp://www.motorengineers.com.au/motor-engineers-articles/2004/3/4/rocket-science-and-brain-power/http://www.motorengineers.com.au/motor-engineers-articles/2004/3/4/rocket-science-and-brain-power/http://www.f1-country.com/f1-engineer/aeorodynamics/racingphysics.htmhttp://www.f1-country.com/f1-engineer/aeorodynamics/bernoulli.html


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APPENDICES

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