F1 Racing - UK (2019-12)

consuming,to make a drop-in fuel than a simple alcohol-type fuel

such as ethanol.Equally there are no plants or refineries in theworld

capable of making enoughsynthetic fuel,or e-fuel as it’s sometimes

called, to supply F1 – let alone the larger automotivecommunity.

Although alcoholfuel s may nothave high energy densitythey do

possess other advantages,such asvery high resistance to knock,an

uncontroll ed andviolent ignition whichis detrimental to bothpower

and the very structure of theengine.

Let’s considernow the engine itself. The lawsof thermodynamics

show thatengine thermal efficiency, in otherwords its efficiencyat

convertingchemical energy to mechanical energy, is a function of

compression ratio. This is themain reason

diesel engines are so efficient. CurrentF1

enginesrun veryhigh c ompressionratios but

they’re limited byknock. The prop ensity of

an engine to knock depends on thefuel it ’s

run on – and gasoline,while good,isn’t the

best inthis respect.

Tailoredfuels, madefrom advanced

sustainablebio resources, matched to

enginesspeci fically designed to exploit

the characteristics of the fuel could move

us forward to thenext steps of efficiency.

After all, theeasiest way toreduce our

carbon footprint, and to reducecost tothe

consumer,is to reduce the amount of fuel

burned no matter what its source.

INSIDER

PATSYMONDS

UNDER

THE

HOOD

Inlastmonth’scolumnwe looked at the

need for F1 not just to embrace environmental

sustainability butalso to promote, using itssheer

persuasive power,the path to an ultra-lowcarbon

economy. Thismont h we’ll dig deeper into howwe

may achieve this, but first we need to expand a little

on fuel chemistry.

Many fuels are madeof combinations ofcarbon

and hydrogen atoms. Oneof the most simple

comes from combining four hydrogen atoms

with one of carbon to giveCH4 – a gasknown as

methane.Ethanol, the mostcommon automotive

bio-fuel, is made by combining two carbon atoms,

six hydrogen atoms and oneoxygen atomto gi ve

C2H5OH. Ethanol hasthe advantage of being easy

to make and therefore cheap, but unfortunatelyit

doesn’thave theenergy content of gasoline.

For every litre of conventional fuel burned we

would need to burn 1.5 litres ofethanol toget

the same energy. However, accepting thatthese

hydrocarbon fuels can bemade from atoms, we can

alsomakethebasisofgasoline,whichisasubstance

known as iso-octane.This is made fromeight

carbon atoms and 18 hydrogen atoms – C8H18.

This would then be what isknown as a ‘drop-in’

fuel, meaning it could be used in an existingengin e

without requiringany modifications.It would still

need some additives, but these would bethe same

as are currently added toconventional gasoline and

has a further advantage of not having someof the

undesired elements, such as sulphur, in it.

While this may seem the perfect answer

unfortunatelyit’s much moredifficult, and energy

THE NEXT STEPS

ON THE ROAD TO

A GREENER F1

INSET

:SHUTTERSTOCK

;ILLUSTRATION

:BENJAMIN

WA

CHENJE

@F1Racing_mag

facebook.com/

f1racingmag

PICTURES

22 F1 RACING DECEMBER 2019

Ethanol,themostcommonbio-fuel,ismadefromcombiningcarbon,hydrogenandoxygenatoms.

Easytoproduce,thedownsideisthatitdoesn’thavetheenergycontentofconventionalfuel

consuming,to make a drop-in fuel than a simple alcohol-type fuel

such as ethanol.Equally there are no plants or refineries in theworld

capable of making enoughsynthetic fuel,or e-fuel as it’s sometimes

called, to supply F1 – let alone the larger automotivecommunity.

Although alcoholfuel s may nothave high energy densitythey do

possess other advantages,such asvery high resistance to knock,an

uncontroll ed andviolent ignition whichis detrimental to bothpower

and the very structure of theengine.

Let’s considernow the engine itself. The lawsof thermodynamics

show thatengine thermal efficiency, in otherwords its efficiencyat

convertingchemical energy to mechanical energy, is a function of

compression ratio. This is themain reason

diesel engines are so efficient. CurrentF1

enginesrun veryhigh c ompressionratios but

they’re limited byknock. The prop ensity of

an engine to knock depends on thefuel it ’s

run on – and gasoline,while good,isn’t the

best inthis respect.

Tailoredfuels, madefrom advanced

sustainablebio resources, matched to

enginesspeci fically designed to exploit

the characteristics of the fuel could move

us forward to thenext steps of efficiency.

After all, theeasiest way toreduce our

carbon footprint, and to reducecost tothe

consumer,is to reduce the amount of fuel

burned no matter what its source.

INSIDER

PATSYMONDS

UNDER

THE

HOOD

Inlastmonth’scolumnwe looked at the
need for F1 not just to embrace environmental
sustainability butalso to promote, using itssheer
persuasive power,the path to an ultra-lowcarbon
economy. Thismont h we’ll dig deeper into howwe
may achieve this, but first we need to expand a little
on fuel chemistry.
Many fuels are madeof combinations ofcarbon
and hydrogen atoms. Oneof the most simple
comes from combining four hydrogen atoms
with one of carbon to giveCH4 – a gasknown as
methane.Ethanol, the mostcommon automotive
bio-fuel, is made by combining two carbon atoms,
six hydrogen atoms and oneoxygen atomto gi ve
C2H5OH. Ethanol hasthe advantage of being easy
to make and therefore cheap, but unfortunatelyit
doesn’thave theenergy content of gasoline.
For every litre of conventional fuel burned we
would need to burn 1.5 litres ofethanol toget
the same energy. However, accepting thatthese
hydrocarbon fuels can bemade from atoms, we can
alsomakethebasisofgasoline,whichisasubstance

known as iso-octane.This is made fromeight

carbon atoms and 18 hydrogen atoms – C8H18.

This would then be what isknown as a ‘drop-in’

fuel, meaning it could be used in an existingengin e

without requiringany modifications.It would still

need some additives, but these would bethe same

as are currently added toconventional gasoline and

has a further advantage of not having someof the

undesired elements, such as sulphur, in it.

While this may seem the perfect answer

unfortunatelyit’s much moredifficult, and energy

THE NEXT STEPS

ON THE ROAD TO

A GREENER F1

INSET

:SHUTTERSTOCK

;ILLUSTRATION

:BENJAMIN

WA

CHENJE

@F1Racing_mag

facebook.com/

f1racingmag

PICTURES

22 F1 RACING DECEMBER 2019

Ethanol,themostcommonbio-fuel,ismadefromcombiningcarbon,hydrogenandoxygenatoms.

Easytoproduce,thedownsideisthatitdoesn’thavetheenergycontentofconventionalfuel