In a sport where the remainder between winning and losing is assess in thousandths of a sec , squeezing every last oz. of speed out of your F1 racecar is absolutely imperative . A novel collaboration between GE and Caterham train to do just that — by leveraging the power of grownup data and stuff science .
First of all , it ’s deserving advert how vehicles used in F1 race differ from NASCAR . Unlike the high - speed ovals that American NASCAR sports fan are mostly used to , where a eminent top speed and unfaltering treatment are vital , F1 cars are designed for nimble speedup , tight crook , and vehicular agility . What ’s more , they arenotoriously dispute to operate . As such , Caterham is focusing on four region with which to improve it ’s racing fleet : data analytics , fiber - optic , composites , and heat management .
Each fomite , officially get laid as the Caterham CT03 , is infuse with more than 500 sensor throughout the office plant , drive train , and suspension — including cutting - sharpness fiber opthalmic sensors that evaluate the amount of downforce impart on the car ’s front wing . This regalia of sensors mother nearly 1,000 information point of data point per instant , which amounts to whole gigabytes of data every lap . This data is sent to Caterham HQ , where it is analyze and used to improve forthcoming soundbox and chassis design .
Besides make them smarter , GE is making the car bodies both lighter and more efficient . While Caterham ’s auto are already made almost solely of lightweight composite materials , a few engine , exhaust and drivetrain components are still construct from atomic number 13 . GE is currently working to produce composite variation of the vehicle ’s atomic number 13 cooling tubes for the forthcoming 2014 season .
Also new for the 2014 time of year ? A smaller locomotive displacement limit of just 1.6 liters . The current time of year ’s Renault RS27 - 2013 is nearly 50 percent larger , a 32 - valve 2.4 liter V8 .
Incredibly , Caterham ’s novel engines will still produce the same 700 hp end product despite the wither engine , and will do so while consuming a third less fuel . The locomotive will be equip with a stage set of powerful turbochargers puzzle out in tandem bicycle with an intercooler system to press incoming air before it run into the fans . What ’s more , the railroad car will also integrate an active energy recovery system to further cut its fuel consumption .
With these improvements in place , Caterham could top the pack in the 2014 time of year — and using the data they cull from each subspecies , these cars will only get smart . [ CaterhamviaGE Reports – range of a function : Caterham ]
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