Formula 1 (Automotive/Engineering Vocabulary)
Si tu nivel de inglés es un nivel B2, superior o amas los carros y la velocidad, te recomendamos este artículo en el cual aprenderás vocabulario que te ayudará a perfeccionar tu writing; y aprender más sobre el facinante mundo del automovilismo. También te incluimos un glosario al final de esta lectura que ayudará a lograr un mejor entendimiento de este artículo. ¡Léelo y buena suerte!
It’s back! For all you speed freaks and motorheads, another season of fast-paced action is just beginning! Yes, that’s right, the new formula 1 season has just kicked off in Australia and it promises to be another great one.
With top speeds of 220mph (miles per hour) the appeal of formula 1 is its speed, but the question is, how do those little cars go so fast?
Power Unit
At the heart of each F1 car is one of the most advanced engines ever created. These relatively small, 1.6-litre V6 engines (that’s similar in size to a small saloon) can rev up to 15,000rpm (revolutions per minute), a limit imposed to increase their reliability. A modern power unit combines one of these engines with a turbocharger, to help increase volumetric efficiency and power, as well as a KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System). The idea behind KERS is that an electric generator harvests kinetic energy from braking and when excessive torque is being produced, and converts it into electrical energy that can be used to propel the car in tandem with the “regular” gasoline/petrol engine. Although exact specifications are kept secret by the engine manufactures in the sport, figures of between 900 and 1000hp (horse power) are considered accurate. Quite a lot when compared 100-200 horses a family car produces; however still less than the monstrous 1,400hp believed to have been produced by an iteration of the BMW M12/13 in 1986, when the sport followed different rules.
Fun Fact: Turbochargers rotate at approximately 100,000rpm but they are only the second fastest spinning thing made by man. The fastest is a dentist’s drill at up to 400,000rpm!!!
Aerodynamics
Most racecars, especially formula 1, appear very “alien” when put next to standard road cars. From the wings, fins and inlets through to open cockpits and exposed suspension, the two could not be more visually different. Of course, all of this is a result of teams striving for the maximum aerodynamic efficiency (lowest drag and highest downforce), while also trying to cool power units and brakes. There isn’t a randomly designed surface on an F1 car, with aerodynamics so important they often dictate the exact location of other components on these amazing machines, as well as pushing materials development and manufacturing to a point where elaborate, but incredibly strong components can be made. But again, the main aim or aerodynamics isn’t to develop other areas of the car, although that is a nice side effect, it’s to make the cars as slipstreamed and fast in a straight-line as possible, while also pushing them onto the road to they can corner, accelerate and brake more like a jet fighter than a car. In fact, the same principles that allow an aeroplane to stay in the air are used in reverse to keep sports cars “glued” to the track.
If you want to learn more feel free to google terms such as ground-effect, venturi effect/Bernoulli’s principle, downforce, gurney flap, end-fence, barge-board and drag.
See how F1 aero works.
Chassis
When we speak about a chassis, we are generally talking about the “body” of the car. Technically, the term chassis refers to the body structure and the suspension. Now, unlike a road car, where the chassis is made and the engine, seats and other components are added, an F1 car integrates all these components together. The reason is to save weight and space, while keeping torsional rigidity high so that the dynamics of each car in motion can be accurately predicted and the springs and dampers (the suspension) tuned to allow the car to run flat while also cushion the driver over bumps. Mostly made from carbon fibre and Kevlar, as well as other exotic materials, the survival cell (the part where the driver sits) of an F1 car can crash into a solid wall at over 150mph (miles per hour), experiencing a force of 75g (75 times the force of gravity) and the occupant can get out and walk away. This monocoque can weigh as little as 35kg (kilograms) while the car including the driver only weigh 722kg! Simply amazing but this was below 600kg at one time when the cars we simpler! These changes have made F1 as safe as it is today and saved a lot of lives in the process.
A-maz-ing monocoques!
Big Crash. Driver OK.
Tires/Tyres
If asked, most people wouldn’t think of tires as being all that complicated or important to the performance of a racecar; however, they are without doubt, the most important, most complex and least understood part of any car. Not just a piece of rubber mounted on a wheel, they are the only part that touches the track and the various areas of science and engineering that need to be understood to predict tire behaviour go beyond what modern super-computers can model, hence testing is the only way to really know how they will perform. In fact, the performance of a tire can change from lap to lap, depending on wear, temperature and the driver’s driving style, just to name a few.
Others
Getting an F1 car racing is a very complex process, involving electronics, logistics, testing, simulation and R&D (research and development). Don’t forget to look into these when you have the chance!
Drivers
The final component for success in formula one is the driver, or more specifically the driver’s ability and fitness. Yes, fitness. Most people believe that driving a car is easy, and for most people, driving on the road doesn’t require much, if any, physical exertion. Driving an F1 car, on the other hand, is not even close to taking your hatchback out for a casual Sunday drive. It’s much more like a rollercoaster, where high g-forces are experienced under acceleration, braking and corning, so basically constantly for up to two hours. Now, imagine that in 30 to 40-degree heat and needing to focus on breaking points, other cars, changing brake-balance and engine settings, and speaking to your team on the radio, just to name a few things. F1 drivers have to be top athletes and can be seen competing triathlons in respectable times. Probably the driver known best for his fitness is the legend, Michael Schumacher, who would get out of his car looking fresh while is competitors were soaked in sweat and gasping for breath. It’s that supreme fitness combined with his talent that helped him break every record in formula one.
It wouldn’t be much of an F1 blog without the greatest driver of all-time on the greatest track.
Get well Michael Schumacher. Simply stunning!
Glossary
speed freak - loco por la velocidad
motorhead - Amante de motores
power Unit - Unidad de poder
engine - motor
saloon - sedán
turbocharger - turbocompresor
volumetric efficiency - eficiencia volumétrica
power - poder
kinetic energy - energía cinética
generator - generador
harvest - recolectar
braking – usar los frenos
torque - esfuerzo de torsión
propel - impulsar
in tandem - juntos
horse power - caballos de poder
aerodynamics - aerodinámicos
wing - alerón
fin - aleta
inlet - entrada
cockpit – cabina de piloto
suspension – suspensión
drag - Resistencia aerodimámica
downforce – carga aerodimámica
slipstreamed - aerodinámico
corner - arrinconar
accelerate - acelerar
ground-effect - efecto suelo
venturi effect – efecto venturi
Bernoulli’s principle - principio de Bernoulli
gurney flap - Gurney
end-fence - placa final
barge-board - deflector
chassis - chasis
integrate - integrar
torsional rigidity – rigidez torsional
dynamic - dinámico
spring - resorte
damper - apagador
tuned - afinado
driver - conductor
gravity - gravedad
monocoque - monocasco
tires/tyres – llantas
wheel - rueda
track - pista
science - ciencia
engineering - ingeniería
predict - predecir
perform - ejecutar
performance - desempeño
lap - etapa
wear - desgaste
temperature – temperatura
electronics - electrónicos
logistics - logística
testing - pruebas
simulation – simulación
research – investigación
development - desarrollo
fitness – estado físico
physical exertion – esfuerzo físico
hatchback - hatchback
a drive – paseo en carro
rollercoaster – montaña rusa
g-forces – fuerzas g
settings - ajustes
