12/10/2011
Yesterday in Mokpo, a group of LRGP’s finest personnel took time out from getting the R31 ready for this weekend’s Korean Grand Prix to investigate an engine which couldn’t be more different from the RS27-2011 used at Grands Prix.
Near to the Korean International Circuit is a massive ship building industrial zone, where the joint WÄRTSILÄ-Hyundai engine building operation is located. They kindly invited LRGP and Renault Sport along to have a look at their wares.
The WÄRTSILÄ 50DF is used in super tankers or power stations and comes in a variety of configurations from a straight 6 to a V18, with an output of 950/975 KW per cylinder – almost twice the power output of the total produced by the V8 RS27.
Whereas the RS27-2011 is a svelte 95 kg, the WÄRTSILÄ weighs between 96 and 240 tonnes depending on the configuration. The Renault revs to 18,000 rpm, whilst the 50DF has a more leisurely engine speed of either 500 or 514 rpm.
In keeping with the RS27, the 50DF runs a dry sump set-up for marine applications, however it is also available with a wet sump for when used in power stations.
There’s no team member with a starter motor to coerce this bad boy to life, rather it’s air that gets the 50DF going with a pneumatic in-cylinder starting system. A starting limiter prevents the engine from starting if the turning gear is engaged – so no bump starting it.
In Formula 1, engines are treated as sealed units at the track with the season allocation meaning opening up the engine to work and replace parts no longer occurs to any extent. In contrast, the 50DF is designed to be worked on in situ, with pistons able to be overhauled without dismantling the big-end bearing, and conversely the big-end bearing can also be inspected without removing the piston.
Formula 1 will have to wait until 2014 for the return of turbo charging – an area of particular Renault speciality in the past – but the 50DF is equipped with a Spex (single pipe exhaust) turbo charging system giving both pulse and constant pressure charging.
The WÄRTSILÄ 50DF tri-fuel is billed as the ultimate ‘fuel flexibility’ engine. It’s a four-stroke engine which can run on natural gas, light fuel oil (LFO) or heavy fuel oil (HFO). It can even change from LFO to HFO and back again whilst the engine is running.
It employs twin needle injection valves with a larger needle for LFO or HFO operation and a smaller one for gas mode and also cooling in liquid fuel operation.
Changeover from fuel oil to gas operation can take place when the engine is at 80% or less of full load. The fuel oil is gradually substituted by gas, and the entire switchover takes less than a minute. The transfer from gas to fuel oil is even more impressive – at any load instantaneously and automatically.
Despite its obvious qualities, LRGP has no plans to fit the WÄRTSILÄ 50DF to next season’s R32. Not even for fun.
Credit: Lotus Renault GP (www.lotusrenaultgp.com)
No comments:
Post a Comment