9 replies to this topic

[Renault4ever]

Renault have gone awfully quiet lately about their camshaft-free engine ideas. I had the temerity to ask them about it on their recent technical web-chat with Jean-Jacques His, but the question was ignored (unless due to some web browser issue they simply did not receive my question - although one would reckon I would not have been the only person to ask a question along these lines yet none of the published questions and answers even touched on this issue).

Does the silence mean that:

a) They are close to perfecting it and don't want anyone to know, so as not to tempt their competitors into working on a similar system.

or

b) It was all too hard so they've given up and gone back to more conventional ideas?

[scarbs]

A lot of similar questions were raised in person to JJ His at the launch, he admitted that Renault (not necessarily RenaultF1) were single cylinder testing the set up, but it was no where near ready for use. I do not get the idea that camless engines are the principle direction they are heading in for F1 at the moment, I think the press whipped up a bit of a frenzy when they got wind of camless engines......

[Renault4ever]

In a recent edition of F1 Racing magazine in which they interviewed JJ His, the great man himself was quoted as saying that they would be racing without cams in 2003. I'm a cynical chap though, so I don't believe a lot of what I read in glossy magazines, though the pictures are nice.

But I still can't help wondering whether the main motive for their wide angle design was to enable a radical and heavy cylinder head to bolted on a later stage without causing the engine to suddenly become top heavy.

It would not necessary have to be an electromagnetic system as there are several other camless systems floating around in various stages of development.

Perhaps there is someone out there, with ears close to the ground, who can enlighten us ...

[perfectelise]

Originally posted by Renault4ever
It would not necessary have to be an electromagnetic system as there are several other camless systems floating around in various stages of development.
[/B]

Can you remind us of these please.

[Renault4ever]

perfectelise,

Here are a couple of links:

http://www.coateseng...m/products.html

http://www.dieselnet...04navistar.html

Another I've read about somewhere (can't remember where, possibly on atlasf1.com) involves a rotating cone around the top of the combustin chamber. The cone has a hole that will alternately be over the inlet then exhaust port during part of each rotation.

I've got an idea of my own to, but have no idea how well it would work.

[irineos]

That coats camless idea looks like the aftermarket buyers wettest dream. I wonder if they can sell me some of that good stuff for my impreza

[EvilPhil]

sources tell me that the wide angle V10 concept will be scraped before the 1 engine regs are brought in. Many Renault engineers believe the concept can not be reliable enough in the given development time. Which will mean further reductions in the variations of F1 engine designs.

Bring back the V8's and V12's

[Renault4ever]

Originally posted by EvilPhil
sources tell me that the wide angle V10 concept will be scraped before the 1 engine regs are brought in. Many Renault engineers believe the concept can not be reliable enough in the given development time. Which will mean further reductions in the variations of F1 engine designs.

That's a shame. I think radical concepts and new technologies add to the intrigue of F1. Personally I would like to see all regulations governing engine size, cylinders, configuration, materials etc abolished and replaced by one simple regulation stipulating the type and quantity of fuel used (for example it could be set at 150 litres of 98 octane unleaded pump fuel per race - with all teams supplied by the same tanker). Then things could get really interesting in the engine department, and return Formula1 to its defacto role as a cauldron of new engine technologies. Rather than tyring to limit speed by means of a raft of complex regulations which give fodder for layers as much as engineers, simply use litres of fuel per race as the lever for keeping horsepower at 'safe' levels. This would also have the side effect of making F1 a breeding ground for technologies which get more power out of each litre of fuel and thus F1 could much more easily justify itself on environmental grounds - which is very important in a future where global warming may tempt governments to become much more heavy handed in relation to such things as motorsport.

So in others words: roll-on new technologies and wacky engine configurations, and roll back the regulations.

[desmo]

I've said much the same for years.

[Scoots]

Here is yet another "me too" post ;)