Damn impressive to discover a new mechanical system just from gears and flywheels.
cadamsdotcom · 1h ago
Seems the flywheel in the device is what does the magic - dampening oscillations (which would demand the flywheel turn faster/slower, which its intertia will resist). Then it gets put in series with normal dampers that reduce compression/expansion. The inerter cancels vibrations & high frequency movement while the usual shock absorption components handle the rest of the shock absorption, making a great team.
Have I understood it right?
Daneel_ · 36m ago
The key takeaway for me was that it actively resists the oscillations, making it a more effective damper than a shock absorber in a range of situations, but it doesn't replace the shock.
As far as my understanding goes, it's basically a low-pass filter that also provides momentum in the direction of movement - this actively dampens spring oscillation (as opposed to a shock absorber, which passively dampens oscillation). It should be installed in parallel with the spring and shock.
epolanski · 1h ago
It's quite insane to think how much faster F1 could be, especially on older regulations without development and budget limitations.
Regulations have been trying to limit the speed of the cars for decades, with only partial success.
gausswho · 31m ago
Not just speed nerfing. The cars now are ~50% larger than they used to be, while the tracks haven't gotten any wider. As a result, there's hardly any overtaking unless an egregious mistake is made. The lame solution they have to this is to allow cars one second behind to mechanically reduce their drag in selected spots of the track (DPS).
And don't get me started on the tire regulations.
F1, from the cars to the drivers, is peak manufactured drama.
MindSpunk · 3m ago
Just about every motorsport series is manufactured drama. The rules and restrictions are arbitrary. Anything with a large televised audience will have the rules impacted by trying to make a spectacle. It's not exclusive to F1.
F1 certainly has its issues though, the cars are just too big. Monaco has been a joke of a race for a while, the "race" is won in qualifying. 2026 might be better as the cars are getting smaller again.
Damn impressive to discover a new mechanical system just from gears and flywheels.
Have I understood it right?
Donut Media actually has a great video on the topic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t58qjcNwEbo
As far as my understanding goes, it's basically a low-pass filter that also provides momentum in the direction of movement - this actively dampens spring oscillation (as opposed to a shock absorber, which passively dampens oscillation). It should be installed in parallel with the spring and shock.
Regulations have been trying to limit the speed of the cars for decades, with only partial success.
And don't get me started on the tire regulations.
F1, from the cars to the drivers, is peak manufactured drama.
F1 certainly has its issues though, the cars are just too big. Monaco has been a joke of a race for a while, the "race" is won in qualifying. 2026 might be better as the cars are getting smaller again.