Blown Diffusers

So, no blown diffusers anymore, starting at Silverstone. Is this the end of Vettel's dominance? As is widely publicised, Red Bull are gaining between 0.5 and a full second over the other teams with the same technology.

This seems like a strange decision. The main reason, says Charlie Whiting, is that because the engine is moving to create downforce, it breaks regulations regarding moveable aero-parts. If this is the case, what about Red Bull's wing last year?
They decided that was just fine, but that was a time when if Red Bull slowed down, they would not have had a chance at winning the championship. But this year, they're pulling away and all of a sudden, 7 races in, they need to be slowed down, for entertainment reasons of course. Entertainment=revenue

So I have concluded, and feel free to tell me if you disagree, that this decision was made purely to slow Red Bull down. They were aware of the issue well before the season started and yet only now has a decision been made, when it's obvious Red Bull are flying and with no real Drivers Chamionship battle, less people will watch. So this decision has been made completely for spectator reasons. I'm happy with it and hopefully Vettel will now have to show that he IS the best driver and doesnt just have the fastest car, which he is yet to do.
 
im glad they are banned. Only hi-end teams were using it. Yes its a develpoment race and dominance but its a bit unfair for other teams that use different engines. Its only fair. It breaks regulations. It wasnt made to slow Red Bull, Ferrari and Maclaren and Renault were both using the same system except Red BuLL nailed it down. Like 2010 When Maclaren used the F-duct no1 whine and complained, all they did was come up with their own. that comment is irrelevant. Vettel is a kid. he has much to learn.
 
F-duct was a great piece of engineering, well within the rules. Red Bull complained, laughed out. Renault complained, also laughed away. But when Ferrari complained. Well you know the rest.
 
Lets be clear that the exhaust/diffuser itself is not being banned.
Its the throttle map setting that allows the engine the stay at high revs when the driver takes his foot off the throttle that is being banned.
The new rules mean that the engine can only run at a maximum of 10% throttle when 'off throttle'.
 
im glad they are banned. Only hi-end teams were using it. Yes its a develpoment race and dominance but its a bit unfair for other teams that use different engines. Its only fair. It breaks regulations. It wasnt made to slow Red Bull, Ferrari and Maclaren and Renault were both using the same system except Red BuLL nailed it down. Like 2010 When Maclaren used the F-duct no1 whine and complained, all they did was come up with their own. that comment is irrelevant. Vettel is a kid. he has much to learn.

As of Montreal, Virgin were the only team not using it, although they had developed it.
 
I will miss the crazy sound produced by this system :(

I don't think it will harm Red Bull Racing much, as Renault itself said that it will only increase the costs, not harm the performance. Then why is it banned? I have no idea...

But if this levels the car performances, then bring it on!!
 
I will miss the crazy sound produced by this system :(I don't think it will harm Red Bull Racing much, as Renault itself said that it will only increase the costs, not harm the performance. Then why is it banned? I have no idea...But if this levels the car performances, then bring it on!!
I think I remember hearing that for some of the teams the hot exhaust gases were being ignited to increase the gas being omitted onto the diffuser.From the FIA's perspective this could get out of hand and very dangerous, plus it doesn't really fit with the 'green' image that the FIA is trying to create as it uses a lot more fuel.
 
disappointed to see another innovative solution removed from the rules but agree with the green element to some extent. limiting max fuel for a race could have also solved the issue. if you want to burn fuel when no need to then that's your decision - you have to carry more and thus the weight, more efficient cars could run lighter or run higher revs for longer. it's a balancing act then.

i think you are in a grey area where you say its a moveable aero device cos you could in fact say the same of the car - which the driver controls with his right foot - push down = go faster = more downforce (does that make the throttle a moveable device too?) ;)
 
Well it looks like Red Bull will be the only team to challenge this decision. I may be wrong, but they might have shown their hand a little bit there.
 
Check out this excellent article from Formula1.com.
Offers a lot of explanation into how the system works and why it's being banned:

Formula1.com said:
What is a blown diffuser?
On road cars, the engine exhaust exits are normally located at the rear of the car. On a Formula One car they are deliberately located in front of the rear wheels so that the hot, fast flowing exhaust gases can be channelled towards the car’s rear diffuser. This increases airflow through the diffuser and in turn increases the amount of downforce the diffuser produces. This is perfectly legal under current F1 regulations.

What is an off-throttle blown diffuser?
Normally the engine will only produce exhaust gases when the driver is on the throttle. This means when the driver lifts off, the blown diffuser is suddenly robbed of the additional airflow. To get around this, some teams have modified their engine mapping so that when the driver lifts off, although fuel supply and ignition are cut, airflow through the exhaust - and hence to the diffuser -continues. This technique has become known as ‘cold blowing’ - the exhaust is still ‘blowing’ into the diffuser, but that airflow is now ‘cold’ since no fuel or ignition is involved.

What is ‘hot blowing’?
Some teams have taken things a step further. To make the off-throttle ‘blowing’ as similar - ie as hot and fast flowing - to the on-throttle ‘blowing’ as possible, they cut the ignition when the driver lifts off the throttle, but continue to inject some fuel through the engine’s valves into the exhaust. This fuel ignites on the hot exhaust, increasing the amount, speed and temperature of the airflow exiting towards the diffuser.

Why does the FIA want to clampdown on off-throttle blown diffusers?
The FIA has argued that the car’s exhaust system is there to exhaust gasses from the engine. It doesn’t do that when a driver is off the throttle and teams are now using it to instead influence the aerodynamic characteristics of the car, something the FIA believes infringes Article 3.15 of Formula One’s technical regulations, the final part of which states that ‘any car system, device or procedure which uses, or is suspected of using, driver movement as a means of altering the aerodynamic characteristics of the car is prohibited’. This clause was introduced for the 2011 season with the primary aim of outlawing F-ducts.

The FIA’s fear is that if they do not clamp down on off-throttle blown diffusers now, the systems will become more and more extreme and lead to spiralling development costs as those teams without the technology are forced to develop their own versions to remain competitive. Some commentators have also pointed out that it is probably not in the best interests of Formula One’s green credentials to have cars burning fuel when the driver isn’t even on the throttle.

As a result of the above, the FIA wants to ban off-throttle blown diffusers from next month’s Silverstone round and then outlaw blown diffusers completely for 2012, when regulations are expected to require exhaust exits be positioned at the very rear of the car.

How would the FIA police a ban on off-throttle blown diffusers?
Thanks to the fact that the FIA has access to the teams’ standardised ECU systems, the governing body can easily monitor the relevant engine mapping parameters, such as ignition, fuel and throttle levels.

Who stands to lose out most from a ban?
In theory, the teams with the most highly-developed ‘hot blowing’ systems have the most to lose, Red Bull being the most widely-cited example. However, there are differing opinions on just how much difference a ban will make. With the teams already working on revisions to engine mapping and car design in anticipation of a rule change, some feel any difference in their relative performance will be negligible. At the opposite extreme, some have suggested that with a ban in place, Silverstone could effectively herald the start of a ‘new’ 2011 championship.
 
So the official word is that as of the British Grand Prix, when the driver is off-throttle no more than 10% throttle can be generated.
As of 2012 the cars will have to have 'top-exit' exhausts, similar to this I guess:

32_overhead_F2009_26.jpg
 
From the BBC:

From 2012, pipes will have to extend to between 330-350mm beyond the rear wheel centre line, will have to be in a space between the lower rear wing and top of the diffuser and will need to be circular in dimensions, with a vertical cut-off.

That means they will be sticking out of the back of the car so it is not possible to add airflow to any part of the car. So they will be a lot further back than on the picture you have posted.
 

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