Formula 1 Sound

[blindwhite]

Hello Everyone,

I'm curious to know WHAT MAKES an F1 car, or any other engine, "Zing". I would think that it's the exhaust of course.

What makes the sound as the engine rev's up??

[ales]

The sound of the exhaust gases escaping, the sound of the explosions of fuel (?), the sound of the working valves (?).

Think about this one: 19000 rpm means 316.6 revolutions each bloody second! Ouch! My brain really can't grasp how this can be done.

[blindwhite]

Originally posted by ales
The sound of the exhaust gases escaping, the sound of the explosions of fuel (?), the sound of the working valves (?).

Think about this one: 19000 rpm means 316.6 revolutions each bloody second! Ouch! My brain really can't grasp how this can be done.

I want an answer for a question of a question now. I mean wherever that 'Zing' sound comes from when someone revs the engine; How is that sound acheived?

I already know about that 18500+ rpm.

Does anyone seriously know how it makes that distinct sound as it passes you by in the grandstand?

[ales]

As I said, it's most likely to be the exhaust gases coming in impulses from the engine through the ehaust syeem. The revs were brought as an example how many impulses there are.

[blindwhite]

Originally posted by ales
As I said, it's most likely to be the exhaust gases coming in impulses from the engine through the ehaust syeem. The revs were brought as an example how many impulses there are.

like what you said, "I think:" and "..most likely".

[JWatson]

It's also the fact that the exhaust is directed straight up out of the body work. Open headers are very loud.

Jeff

[blindwhite]

Originally posted by JWatson
It's also the fact that the exhaust is directed straight up out of the body work. Open headers are very loud.

Jeff

Wouldn't open headers sound more like explosions rather than high pitched singing?
They do not place some type of resonator?

[JWatson]

The sounds are explosions...just happening a lot faster. No resonator...
just wide open headers.

[blindwhite]

So at low RPM's does the sound sound like a low grumble of an everyday car? if so, at what RPM does it start to sound high pitched, and can it be acheived with a normal car with just headers at 8,000 RPM?

[JWatson]

Sorry to say...but your street car will never sound like an F1 car.

Jeff

[Big Pat]

So at low RPM's does the sound sound like a low grumble of an everyday car?

Well, it would, if it went that low... Idle speed on a F1 must be around 8000 rpm.

The sound may also be attributed to the fact that not only does it rev at 19000 rpm, it has 10 cylinders - so 5 "explosions" every revolution, or more or less 1600 detonations per second - above the human ear discrimination threshold. That is why you only hear a constant ear-splitting scream, not a series of discreet explosions.

Also, if you are sitting in the grandstand (say at Indy), you also have the doppler effect to take into account. That is the distortion of sound emanating from a fast moving source. That is why an F1 sounds very high pitched when coming towards you and lower pitched when moving away.

That said, just putting a straight header on your car will not make it sound like an F1. It WILL be loud, but will sound nothing like it. In order for a 4 cylinder to have the same number of explosion as an F1 at 19000, you would have to rev it to 47500 rpms - good luck with that! Even then , it may not sound like an F1. The firing order on a 10 cylinder engine makes it sound different from a 4 banger or V8. Have you ever heard a Viper or an Audi? It has a very distinct auditive signature. And if you listen carefully, when an F1 car is move out of it's garage at slow speed, you can recognise this signature for a brief moment.

Another thing that helps an F1 engine being so loud, is the fact that no thought whatsoever is given to noise consideration and vibration, appart from resonance that may break the engine apart. I know that in the 60s, Honda used neddle bearings in its F1 engine to reduce friction and that made the engine quite loud - maybe they are using that now as well...

And if by zinging you mean the sound it makes when they blip the throttle, that can be attributed to the fact that these engine have very little rotational mass - in any case, much lower than your average engine. This helps tremendously to reduce the forces involed in the making an engine rev at 19000 rpms and in making the engine more responsive. It also removes any kind smoothness at low speeds - hence the need for a 8000rpm idle (well, that and the fact that the cams must be extremelly aggressive!)

I hope this helps.