The fuel flow meter and how it will affect this year's F1

[Mia 01]

With the trottle at full the engine only gets 100 kg/hr and thats it, after one hour the theres no moore fuel. And, they got only 100 kg fuel in the car.

I f you manipulate the fuel flow your enginé could for a shorter time produce up to moore than 1000 hp.

Horner hints that some teams are doing this, wonder which teams that is. Are they slower than RBR?

[SGWilko]

So, could you allow your fuel - post meter - to collect somewhere - being delivered at the collector at a constant 100KG/h and then delivering this collected fuel to the ICE at a greater flow rate at peak load for better acceleration?

[SGWilko]

I don't think that is the case. As I understand it they are given an allocation of 100kg of fuel for the race distance AND at any time during the race cannot exceed a flow of 100kg/hr. What I'm unsure of is if that would be max flow and only applies when using the throttle, so they would not burn through 100kg in an hour, or if that rate is averaged over a sector or a lap. But I think their are 2 constraints involved, the total fuel of 100kg and the max fuel flow rate of 100kg/hr

Ah, gotcha.

[Valve Bounce]

So, could you allow your fuel - post meter - collect somewhere - being delivered at the collector at a constant 100KG/h and then delivering this collected fuel at a greater flow rate for better acceleration?

We are getting into Bunsen and his spare tank scenario here!

[AndyL]

These seem to be the relevant rules:

5.1.4 Fuel mass flow must not exceed 100kg/h.
5.1.5 Below 10500rpm the fuel mass flow must not exceed Q (kg/h) = 0.009 N(rpm)+ 5.5.

and

5.10.3 Homologated sensors must be fitted which directly measure the pressure, the temperature and the flow of the fuel supplied to the injectors, these signals must be supplied to the FIA data logger.
5.10.4 Only one homologated FIA fuel flow sensor may be fitted to the car which must be placed wholly within the fuel tank.
5.10.5 Any device, system or procedure the purpose and/or effect of which is to increase the flow rate after the measurement point is prohibited.

That seems to leave a lot of questions unanswered. Surely there must be some sort of manifold between the tank and the injectors, which will inevitably act as a buffer to allow an instantaneous flow greater than the continuous flow measured at the feed from the tank. Why doesn't that contravene 5.10.5?

[Whyzars]

These seem to be the relevant rules:

5.1.4 Fuel mass flow must not exceed 100kg/h.
5.1.5 Below 10500rpm the fuel mass flow must not exceed Q (kg/h) = 0.009 N(rpm)+ 5.5.

and
[quote:v08tik1k]
5.10.3 Homologated sensors must be fitted which directly measure the pressure, the temperature and the flow of the fuel supplied to the injectors, these signals must be supplied to the FIA data logger.
5.10.4 Only one homologated FIA fuel flow sensor may be fitted to the car which must be placed wholly within the fuel tank.
5.10.5 Any device, system or procedure the purpose and/or effect of which is to increase the flow rate after the measurement point is prohibited.

That seems to leave a lot of questions unanswered. Surely there must be some sort of manifold between the tank and the injectors, which will inevitably act as a buffer to allow an instantaneous flow greater than the continuous flow measured at the feed from the tank. Why doesn't that contravene 5.10.5?[/quote:v08tik1k]


In a domestic system, if you need more volume to be "instantly" available then you make the fuel lines/rails thicker. Pressure/flow is unaffected up to maximum pump delivery.

The pump always flows more than is needed and regulators restrict the tank return lines to provide pressure. Fuel that isn't sprayed out an injector passes through the regulator and is returned to the tank.

[donKey jote]

clever sensors... ultrasound!
did I not know that.
Google GILL or translate from deutsch:
http://www.sportauto.de/motorsport/tech ... 54195.html
http://www.gillsensors.com/content/fuel ... ensor.html

Accuracy
52% of meters are within ± 0.1% accuracy of reading
92% of meters are within ± 0.25% accuracy of reading

[Robinho]

James Allen has a piece on the fuel flow rate. The max of 100kg/hr is measured at the rev limit of 10,500rpm and reduces with the revs in line with a formula.

[Valve Bounce]

As to accuracy of fuel flow meters, I have to take the word of RBR over the FIA . After all, RBR have had nearly 4 years' experience with fuel flow meters: they had one secretly installed in Mark Webber's car for 3 years already!!!! :

[kfzmeister]

The fuel flow rate limit is there to assure teams are not putting out more power than is allowed.

RB states that they got faulty readings during the weekend and took it upon themselves to install their own measuring device. They were warned multiple times to revert to the FIA metering device. They ignored those warnings and so were penalized.
Every other team had to use the same meter/ unit and "got on with it just fine."

Imo, RB were a little too arrogant in thinking this would fly. My question now is: Where, performance wise, are they really ranked?

Btw, both Ham and Seb had misfire issues not related to the device.