Efficiency is the new performance

With new and stringent rules coming up for Formula 1 cars from 2014, minimum laps times can only be achieved by maximum efficiency. As a leader for the 2014 season, Mercedes AMG Petronas has been continuously investing in engineering to make their cars faster and at the same time efficient as well. And then they have to synergise these learning to their road going cars also, which is an even harder job. “We are often asked the question of whether there is actually any technology transfer between race and road car engineering. The answer is resoundingly ‘yes’ – but it’s a more subtle process than bolting bits from one car onto another”, says Paddy Lowe, Executive Director (Technical), Mercedes AMG Petronas.

Imagine this; back in 2007, the first KERS system weighed 107 kg and achieved an energy efficiency of 39 percent. By 2009, it came down to just 25.3 kg at 70 percent efficiency. The system weighed less than 24 kg and achieved 80 percent efficiency by the year 2012. Similar studies are then carried out for road going cars wherever possible. Current key areas of cooperation include,

HYBRID: The development team at both Formula 1 and road car division benefit from in-house technologies like electric motors, batteries, and control systems. The next step in this development would be wireless recharging of the battery.

SIMULATION: Formula 1 division is driving innovation in simulation in terms of process, how to optimise for relevant problems and techniques that are developed, and most importantly how are engineers doing it that is transferable.

AERODYNAMICS: At first sight the aerodynamic design of F1 cars and road cars do not have much in common, however both use many similar tools, in particular the wind tunnel and CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics).

TURBOCHARGING: Achieving high-rpm harmony of the Formula 1 system components (optimising dynamics) was crucial to the development journey of turbocharging for both race and road cars.

LUBRICATION: The cutting-edge technology developed in the proving ground of Formula 1 drives the creation of class-leading lubricants for passenger cars, including high-performance Mercedes-AMG road cars.

SURFACES: This is where NANOSLIDE is used by the new Mercedes F1 V6 Turbo engine because the friction between piston and bore liner is one of the single biggest frictions in the engine, and of paramount importance. Since 2006, this technology has been employed for over 200,000 road going engines so far. Initially starting with the AMG V8, the application scope was widened and Mercedes-Benz will roll out this technology even wider in the near future.

LIGHTWEIGHT CONSTRUCTION: Looking across all vehicle segments, Mercedes-Benz is among the manufacturers employing the greatest amounts of aluminium in car production today. Also in the use of carbon fibre composites Mercedes-Benz is at the forefront in the industry. In 2003, the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren was the world's first series-produced car with a front crash structure made entirely from carbon fibre. The extensive use of light weight materials in Formula 1 gives Mercedes-Benz a test bed for mass production employing these materials. But in both disciplines it is not a simple question of the material used, but rather a question of extensive usage of finite element simulation and of optimising routines, as well as using the right material for the right function.