ebm-papst has been an official Team Partner of MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS since 2014 and has developed a special cooling and heat extraction solution for the garage of the 2014 FIA Formula One World Constructors’ Champions. Ambient temperatures and humidity are very high in Malaysia and Singapore, and the working temperatures in the team garage can reach up to 40°C. An efficient and effective cooling system in the garage therefore critically improves the working conditions for both the team and its two drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.
MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS will be using the ebm-papst garage cooling system for the first time this season at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia. “We are really looking forward to having the ebm-papst cooling system operational in our garage this weekend in Malaysia. During the race weekend, the pace of work is extremely hectic, and it can be a really tough challenge for the drivers, engineers and mechanics in the particularly high heat and humidity locations. It will be a huge help to us if the temperature in the garage is comfortable, enabling the team to perform to the best of our ability” emphasises Paddy Lowe, MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Executive Director (Technical).
The garage provides space for the team’s two race cars, mechanics, aerodynamic, electronics and IT specialists as well as car parts and tyre storage areas. It’s a large area that is completely open at the front, allowing heat to come in. The specially developed water-cooling system cools the critical working areas of the garage down to room temperature. With dimensions measuring 1 m by 2 m by 90 cm and a modular air distribution system, the cooling unit can be configured for use in garages at the different Formula One circuit around the world, where dimensions and layouts can vary quite significantly.
Gareth Jones, Managing Director of ebm-papst Automotive & Drives (UK) Ltd, who was responsible for developing the garage cooling system, adds: “During the preparations for the garage cooling I always joked with the team that it is our mission to make MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS officially the coolest team in Formula One”.
ebm-papst, a global technology leader in ventilation and drive engineering, became an Official Team Partner of the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team last year. Prior to this, Formula One had changed its rules for the 2014 season to incorporate greater energy efficiency and hybrid technology. Fan specialist ebm-papst has since developed energy-efficient attachment cooling solutions for the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS F1 W05 Hybrid and F1 W06 Hybrid cars, which cool the temperature-sensitive components of the vehicles down to the optimum operating temperature. These fans in the sidepods and roll hoop openings of the car are an essential component of the car’s temperature management system. Furthermore, developers at ebm-papst and MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS hold technical working groups to share expertise and best practice on aerodynamics.
Keeping Cool in Malaysia – Feature at www.mercedesamgf1.com
Hello,
I’m Mohamed Ameur. I’m an independent researcher and interested in the diffusion of air in busy environment.
Indeed, we can assume that the air diffusion efficiency can be improved with a fabric diffuser.
However, there is one very important point that is not mentioned in your article. This point is about the uniformity of air at the outlet of the fabric diffuser. It should be noted that the holes partition you used in the fabric diffuser does not allow this uniformity. All the air comes out almost at the end of the fabric diffuser due to the increased pressure inside the tube (pressure regain).
I will be very interested to discuss with you as well as consider collaborating together to set up an optimal model.
Regards,
Mohamed Ameur.
Dear Mohamed Ameur,
Thanks for your interesting work on our air ducting!
Originally the holes that were put into the flexible duct where defined by the areas that needed to be fed with air. The diameter and spacing was defined by how far away they were from the cooling system and how much cooling was required in each area. There was some trial and error with additional holes being added after initial testing but now the system is performing well.
We may take a deeper look into optimising the duct at a later stage.
Best regards,
James Cooper