Renault engine nivel

[Monstrobolaxa]

Well...controversy again...in the August issue of F1 Racing they ask Trulli about the 72º Renault engine for 2004......so.....back to were I started!!! LOLOL Seems to me we just have to wait and see....

[SpeedTech]

Just read an article in Racecar Engineering. July issue, inside patrick Lints writes.....about the 110 degree engine not being exploited enough.

Patrick says that the engine could benifit from a repackaging treatment. having the exhaust on top of the engine ...and the air intakes under the heads where the exhaust was.

That'll get you thinking

[joseff]

We don't have that mag in our part of the world

However, how do you put the exhaust on top, and get the intake air through (or around) the engine while keeping it cool?

One way to do it is to get the engine to get its intake air from inside the sidepods. In this case, you can get rid of the big airbox and have two separate airboxes for each bank. But I think this is illlegal, since there's a rule requiring the airbox (?!?) And this means less radiator surface area, since you'd need a separate intake channel in the airbox. Or keep the "traditional" airbox intake for an oil cooler

However, getting the engine exhaust on top should free space around the coke-bottle area, so you can have extra radiators here.

IMHO designing a car with this layout would result in tall but narrow sidepods, something like the MP4/18.

Interesting...

[SpeedTech]

...its a shame that you don't get that mag.
But in the same token not every newsagency has a copy I get my due to asking my local newsagency

It dose make for some good reading

Just out of curiosity who else read's this magazine?

[KeithYoung]

actually the regulation only says there must be bodywork up there, in other words some form of roll protection for the driver, i would have the think something similar to carts hoop behind the drivers head would cover this, how long it would be allowed is a different question.

[joseff]

Come to think of it, it's only natural to have cooler air coming up from below...

The only reason to have exhausts below the vee is that in road cars you need to route the exhaust around the cabin, right? I'm not exactly a mech engineer, so correct me if I'm wrong. In a race car, having hot gases flow above the block makes more sense.

Just curious, wouldn't this be doable with a 90deg V10 as well? Or is it too narrow? Also, how do you prevent dirt & dust from getting inside the engine, when it's such a bottom feeder?

And I still can't imagine a place to put the radiators...

[MOrenault]

Sh3d....exactly Cumprimentos means that!!! In terms of the Supertec engine...I a F1 Racing magazine last year they went to the Supertec headquarters and they showed the "behind the scenes" and they said that every component in the 108,5º engine is first tested on the 72º supertec engine! According to them the 72º engine is basicly used as a testing engine! What Renault plannes to do is develop next years engine using the 72º Supertec engine becuase they already have tonnes of data from 72º!

Two corrections -

1. The company 'Supertec' no longer exists, so I doubt that they have headquarters...

2. Renault have officially stated that they will be using a 90-degree config next year.

[SpeedTech]

see ..... can't believe everything you read

[-shr3d-]

hey all.....
yes i had read that renault were ditching the wide v design and were gonna use an engine based on the old supertec model and would be 90deg instead of the old 72deg model....
there seems to be a lot of misleading stories bout this flying around and will be interesting to see what the result is....
in the meantime, Renault seem to be accelerating the progress of the wide v engine with updates at almost every race lately.....which has served them well.

[Monstrobolaxa]

When I said Supertec....I ment Mechachrome.....

[MOrenault]

When I said Supertec....I ment Mechachrome.....

er, you're wrong again.

Mecachrome have very little association with Renault nowadays, so I doubt that Renault would be building and testing their engine's in Mecachrome's HQ.

Renault's engine's are designed, built and tested in a Renault Sport engine factory at Viry-Chatilion in France.

Yes, the Mecachrome/Playlife engine's in the 1998 Benetton and Williams were modified Renaults. These engine's were then purchased and re-badged by the defunct 'Supertec' company.

[Steven]

ah well those people are testing every part for their engine first on their old 72° supertec engine.

Mecachrome was delivering engines in 1998 I think, a modded version of the championship winning 97 Renault engine.
Then we had Flavio Briatore, who took over Mecachrome, renamed it to Supertec... have you noticed who is in the middle chair at the Renault pitlane these days

Anyway... that official statement... I'm not sure of that, first one at Renault said a 72° is the very best compomise for maximum power, and now it's again the 90° engine ... I hope they manage to build a highly competitive engine though, that car will sport a wonderful chassis. Just hope those irritating Japanese don't get a grip on Renault's technical director

[MOrenault]

Anyway... that official statement... I'm not sure of that, first one at Renault said a 72° is the very best compomise for maximum power, and now it's again the 90° engine ...

Yes, around the time of the engine announcement - Renault stated that a 72-deg would be the best config. However, a lot of people interpreted this to mean that Renault would indeed be using the 72-deg and that's where all this confusion started...

Dudot has (engine cheif at Renault) clearly stated in one of his press releases that it would be a 90-deg config next year.

[-shr3d-]

hey all,

yes i guess gascoyne has answered all his doubters in the last 2 years hey. before then there were many rumors as to whether he was the real thing. glad to see he is.... and yes i hope he stays at renault for a couple more years yet...... but toyota will be pushing hard for him.... the have a lot of money and not a lot of success yet...

[Monstrobolaxa]

Thanks MOrenault for the explanation.......I'm living and learing....