Aston Martin AMR22 Rear Wing Endplate Legality Analysis
picture reference:
https://www.racefans.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/racefansdotnet-21-07-29-10-33-18-13-470x313.jpg
https://tekdeeps.com/2022-formula-1-hungarian-grand-prix-2nd-free-practice/
Aston Martin has introduced some inventive idea before summer break in Hungary. They seem to have found some way to create the rear wing end plate, which the rule definitely did not intend to.
One of the fundamental purpose of an end plate is to increase wing's efficiency by limiting the spill flow and reducing the wingtip vortex. This indeed could be a very powerful device for downforce gaining, drag management, etc.
The article below is the wingtip part of the 2022 Formula 1 technical regulation with my comments comparing it with the Aston Martin wing tip.
Note that I'm just a university student, not a professional engineer, so there can be some mistake.
All the pictures below were made or edited by me.
The red letters below are my comments checking its legality.
3.10.5 Rear Wing Tip
Bodywork declared as “Rear Wing Tip” must:
a. Lie within the RV-RW-TIP.
- It should be. This is the reason why the end plate looks a bit small and has a little kick upward as it following the shape of the rule box.
b. Be a single volume with no apertures.
- It should be.Furthermore:
c. The following must apply to the intersection between the Rear Wing Tip and any plane that contains the X-aligned axis [Y, Z] = [480, 670]
- The navy-colored rectangle is one of the planes that contain the X-aligned axis [Y, Z] = [480, 670]. The end plate profile seems to be giving one closed cross-section as above. Notice the angle of the end plate edge highlighted in green, which made it possible.
ii. The distance between adjacent sections must be no more than 15mm at their closest position.
- Since the end plate forms one cross-section, we do not have to worry about this.
iii. When measured in the X-direction, each section must be larger than 100mm and no more than 40mm of this may overlap, in X, any other section in the same plane.
- Same again.
d. The intersection between the Rear Wing Tip and any Z plane between Z=660mm and Z= 670mm must produce a single closed section.
- This has nothing to do with the end plate. You can refer where Z=670mm is.
e. Its complete surface must be tangent continuous, and any concave radius of curvature must be greater than 20mm. Furthermore, any surface visible from the side or above must not contain any concave radius of curvature smaller than 50mm.
- We can see the concave radius larger than 20mm at the inner surface of the end plate. Since the inner surface cannot be seen from the side or above, no worries for the 50mm limit.
f. Curves produced by the intersection of the Rear Wing Tip with any X plane must:
i. Be tangent continuous and not contain any radius less than 20mm forwards of XR=550.
- This specifically limits "any radius" for X plane cross-section. The rounded top edge of the end plate is due to this.
ii. Not contain any concave radius less than 1000mm if formed from any surface that is visible from the side or any surface forwards of XR=550 that is visible from above.
- Again, the inner surface that needs to be concave cannot be seen from the side or above due to the blunt top edge of the end plate.
The sole purpose of the external surfaces of the Rear Wing Tip is to create a smooth transition, with no discontinuities, between the Rear Wing Profiles and the Rear Wing Endplate Body. Provided this purpose is observed, and the following are only used at the leading and trailing edges of the sections used to create this transition:g. Compliance with Section (f) of this Article is not required in the following regions of the Rear Wing Tip:
i. within 10mm of the forward-most point of each individual closed section described in (c) and (d).ii. within 3mm of the rearward-most point of each individual closed section described in (c) and (d).
- This has not much to do with the end plate of Aston Martin. Below (h)-(ii) gives a lot more freedom to the area that requires some sharp edges.
h. Compliance with Sections (e) and (f) of this Article are not required in the following regions of the Rear Wing Tip:
i. Regions not in contact with the external air stream after the Rear Wing Assembly is complete.ii. Within 30mm of a single “Junction Point”. This Junction Point must lie above Z= 670.
- (ii) made the connection between the blunt end plate top edge and wing tip body possible. It seems that they declared the junction point at the leading edge of the rear wing 2nd element tip(red point) so that it can include the small fillets(yellow lines in the pictures below) within the 30mm distance(red circle(which is actually a sphere) in the picture below). Thanks to this, they could be freed from (e)(20mm concave radius limit) and (f)(20mm concave and convex radius limit of x-plane cross-section). It seems a bit tight to be in the 30mm radius sphere but probably it works.
It seems declaring the "Junction Point" at that particular area is the key idea which made this end plate possible. The rounded top edge of the end plate should be able to shadow the inward surface of the end plate so that it can be free from 1000mm concave radius limit of (f)-(ii), and this made the end plate require minimum height about 75mm, not to violate (e) and (f). This 75mm gap should converge somewhere, and the 30mm radius sphere is a very important tool for this. Since the 2nd element is naturally "raised" due to the gap between the trailing edge of the 1st element, the sphere could make enough space for the end plate convergence and the required sharp fillets.
In conclusion, the end plate seems indeed legal.
Comments
Post a Comment