If FOTA manages to change the technical regulations as it wishes to do, pit stops for fuel will be banned from 2010. This means that the fuel tanks of the Formula 1 cars will double in size, and the cars will therefore need to carry enough fuel to run the entire race.
 |
| Flexible bladder with the side opening for the refueling hose. |
In Formula 1, the fuel tank is located in the centre of the car, away from the red-hot exhaust pipes, the brakes and the engine. The rule stipulates that the fuel tank must be located between the seat of the driver and the engine, and must not exceed the width of the chassis.
Fuel is poured inside a bladder that is placed inside the monocoque of the car, well protected within a sort of box made of several layers of composite material.
The bladder is flexible and must fit the profile of the monocoque. This is why they are made by hand and sports funny shapes.
Several exotic materials are used in the fabrication of the bladders. "Our flexible bladders, called X-Cells, are made of high modulus fibres, synthetic elastomers, sealants, bounding agents and adhesives," told us Kevin Molloy, director ay Aero Tec Laboratotries, better known as ATL.
"The lamination process and the fabrication require three different materials, four types of elastomer and six bounding agents. The bladder is made of two layer of rubber sandwiching a third layer of composite fibres. It is so strong that a one-inch wide strip can lift a weight of 750 kilos," Malloy added.
 |
| CAO drawing of the automatic fuel hatch. |
"About 80% of the fabrication process is done by hand. The technicians make more than 100 folds, and install joints, inserts and reinforcements. The first custom made fuel cell of a new F1 car may require up to 200 hour/man of work. But after that, each cell will call for 120 hour/man of work to be fabricated."
 |
| CAO drawing of the Ferrari F2002 showing the location fo the fuel cell in white. |
It is interesting to know that a bladder weighs only 5% of the total mass of fuel it can hold. While the fuel tank is the biggest, single part of the car, it represents only 1% of its total weight.
Each bladder costs about $30,000 to make, to that you must add a few dollars for the development, the research, the design, and the regular inspections. During a typical season, a Formula 1 team can use up to 15 fuel cells in five different cars.
The bladder has pre-determined life expectancy. Once this "mileage" is reached, each bladder is stripped from its internal components (pumps, filters, pipes, sensors, overflow reservoirs, etc), tested at ATL for possible leaks and carefully inspected before it is returned to the team. However, a bladder can never exceed its maximal life limit of seven years.
 |
| Front side of the bladder with the notch for the driver's seat. |
Imprimer