They have been increasing the efficiency of the engines, thermal or otherwise.ISLAMATRON wrote:The teams have had ample time to increase the thermal efficiency of the engines, they could care less,
If they weren't, we wouldn't be seeing the power increases we do. If they weren't, we wouldn't be seeing the reductions in cooling requirements that we do (i.e. smaller rads).
I suggest you go ask someone like Mario Theissen if they care about engine thermal efficiency in F1, and you'll get a pretty quick answer.
Yeap.ISLAMATRON wrote: now you want them to carry around an extra tank for water for a 5th & 6th cycle
Assuming the steam stroke provides just half the energy of the ignition stroke, then you are looking at a 30% reduction in sfc.
If the steam stroke provides the same amount of energy,a s the ignition stroke your looking at a 30% torque increase with a 30% reduction in sfc.
Either way, you also remove virtually all of your cooling requirements for the upper engine.
It probably wouldn't be worth the teams while to investigate it without regulation, due to the highly tuned nature of current engines. However, it would definitely move it from a niche research area to a level of maturity where industry would consider further research on it with a view to use in road vehicles.
That is where F1 should be. We all know that very few technologies come direct from track to car, but fundamentals do, like CF brakes, or CFRP structural components.
Max is stupid enough to think F1 KERS applies in the general world, whereas in reality its far detached.
The 6 stroke engine requires further fundamental research. KERS does not.