We're going be running a regular feature on the technical aspects of F1, exploring the latest developments, current trends and future proposals. In this the first article we're going to look at the hot F1 topics of the month, blown diffusers and engine maps.
So what is a blown diffuser? A standard diffuser is an aerodynamic aid, it is a shaped section of the floor on all F1 cars which accelerates air flow which in turn helps generate down force. Basically the more air that flows through it, the greater the down force, the more down force, the faster you can go round corners.
A blown diffuser gets its name because the engines high speed exhaust gasses, rather than exiting at the very rear of the car are blown through the diffuser to generate even more down force. In the case of the current Renault, the exhausts exit at the front of the car in order to gain an aero advantage over a larger portion of the car.
Blown diffusers are not a new technology, in fact they've been around since 1983 but the problem with them was that down force from the hot exhaust gasses was only generated when the driver was on the throttle. When the driver lifted off, the down force decreased which made the handling unpredictable.
Recent developments and the source of the latest regulation changes is to do with engine maps and what are known as hot and cold blown diffusers. In an effort to reduce the on/off throttle difference in down force, the top teams have modified the engine maps on their cars so that even when the driver is off the throttle the engine is still blowing the same amount of (cold) exhaust gasses through the diffuser and therefore still generating down force.
Diffuser technology has found its way onto a range of road cars such as this Ferrari Enzo, other examples such as this Ford Focus are just for show and not for go!
