Formula 1 technology secret unveiled: That's why Ferraris Heck smokes
Ferrari draws attention to itself with a smoking tail during the Formula 1 test drives. Motorsport-Magazin.com knows what's behind it.
It is well known that Ferrari is still financially supported by a tobacco company, although its logo may no longer appear on the cars. Is that why Ferrari is now doing surreptitious advertising and letting smoke escape from the stern? Of course not, but the question why smoke regularly rises above the diffuser has interested many readers.
Motorsport-Magazin.com has therefore taken a closer look at the Ferrari and knows what is behind the smoke signals. Strictly speaking, not only the Ferrari smokes, but all Ferrari-driven vehicles, including Sauber and Haas. Especially when driving slowly or standing, it smokes a lot.
The smoke emanates below the exhaust, which is why if you look at it briefly, you might think it smokes out of the exhaust. In fact, however, at the end of the rear crash structure there are slits above and below the LED flashing light. The smoke flows from these openings. Ferrari, Haas and Sauber have such slots - the other teams do not.
But where does the smoke come from? It comes from the so-called catch-can, often called catch-tank. It sits on the engine and catches, as the name suggests, something - namely oil. More about this oil soon. This oil does not need to be cooled because it is no longer needed. However, one wants to dissipate the waste heat and this is done via a hose to the rear crash structure. The oil is not burned.
Now it would be clear where the smoke comes from. But why doesn't the Ferrari engine start this year? Finally, the engine regulations remained stable. Not quite. The FIA has been trying to fill in gaps over the winter. Specifically, this concerns the illegal burning of oil.
2018 Formula 1 cars with Catch-Can
Ferrari and Mercedes were suspected of deliberately carrying oil into the combustion chamber in order to achieve more power. In addition to a maximum consumption of oil, the FIA has also initiated technical changes. Active valves between oil tank and intake tract are prohibited.
In order to understand what exactly happens, you have to look at the steps of a four-stroke combustion engine. First air is sucked in and mixed with the gasoline. Then the mixture is compressed. Ignition is only initiated in the third step.
The problem lies in compacting: The forces are so high that the sealing rings cannot seal one hundred percent between piston and liner in the engine block. This causes a small part of the mixture to escape. However, the mixture does not simply disappear, but wanders past the connecting rod towards the crankcase.
Prevent overpressure in the oil circuit
The crankcase contains oil to lubricate bearings and cool the parts. Since pressure is created by the gasoline air mixture entering the tank, there is a venting system. Small quantities of oil escape through this opening. This oil is actually transported directly into the intake tract and then burned.
Due to the fact that an unnaturally high oil consumption was observed in some engines, the conclusion was obvious that it was deliberately followed up here and transported oil towards the intake tract. This pipeline is therefore prohibited. So that the oil does not suck in the tail, there is the so-called Catch-Can. This is a mundane container that collects this separated oil.
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