BUSINESS
Ansys HPC aids Red Bull
development The engineering simulation and HPC (high-performance computing) systems developed by US company Ansys have been vital in the successful development of Red Bull’s 2011 RB7 racecar. Using these facilities, the Red Bull Racing team continually and quickly optimised its car design in a virtual testing environment on the team’s suite of multi-core computer clusters. The insights gained gave them a decisive speed advantage on track. While fluid dynamics
simulation technology is widely used to predict and manage airflows around F1 cars to increase performance, time restrictions placed on all teams require quick, reliable and efficient simulations that maintain a high degree of accuracy. As a long-term user of ANSYS high-performance computing solutions, Red Bull Racing has benefited from recent technology advances. High- speed processors and related technologies are engaged to solve computationally-intensive problems. Because ANSYS delivers significant HPC enhancements with each new release, the Red Bull Racing team is able to solve not only many more smaller models within the same time period, but also to more quickly solve full-car models that contain hundreds of millions of cells. ‘ANSYS HPC technology has ensured that we can test and implement changes quickly and competitively,’ said Nathan Sykes, CFD team leader at Red Bull Racing. ‘This allows us to turn around simulation results for multiple designs between race qualifications on Fridays and Saturdays, and give our aerodynamics team the important and reliable evidence they need to base vital engineering decisions for the final races on Sunday.’ With the level of F1 competition fierce on and off the track, engineering teams race to develop their cars as quickly as possible. ‘To retain freedom to innovate and adapt the car quickly, we rely on a robust modelling process. This puts new designs on the track quickly.
Newman / Haas quits Indy for 2012
Newman / Haas racing, one of the USA’s most successful and best known single seater race teams, will not compete in the IndyCar series in 2012, stating that it is unable to operate in the current financial climate. The team, which has been in IndyCar since the reunification of the two top US single seater championships in 2008, guided Oriol Servia to fourth place in the 2011 championship and James Hinchcliffe to rookie of the year,
but has never reached the heights it did in its CART / ChampCar years. Team owner, Carl Haas, said: ‘The economic climate no longer enables Newman / Haas Racing to participate in open-wheel racing at this time.’ However, the team will not be closing and, while it’s been reported that it has laid off half its workforce as a result of the decision, it is believed to be looking at competing in other championships, including
Sportscars and, despite Haas’ quote, possibly single seaters, too. But it is thought to be highly unlikely that the team will switch to NASCAR. Newman / Haas was founded by Carl Haas and the actor and motorsport enthusiast, Paul Newman, in 1983 and was the dominant force in the last years of ChampCar, securing four consecutive titles with driver Sebastien Bourdais between 2004 and 2007.
Sebastien Bourdais celebrates his fourth ChampCar title in the Newman / Haas glory days between 2004 and 2007
Lola target new generation of engineering talent
UK engineering company, Lola Group, is specifically targeting the next generation of engineers as it continues to build on its legacy as a market leader in high-tech manufacturing. The composites technology
company, which has a well- established reputation as a supplier of products in UK motorsport, aerospace, defence, communications, renewables and automotive industries, recently hosted an ‘Employment Open Day’ at its facilities in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. The event attracted 255 interested future employees, consisting of many young engineers eager to work for the company. The company has
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www.racecar-engineering.com • February 2012
also placed a special emphasis on attracting young female engineers. Currently, only nine per cent of UK engineering professionals are women, with the UK falling significantly behind the rest of Europe. Lola Group is looking to continue the expansion of its workforce of 170 (up from 151 in 2010), having recently expanded its graduate placement and apprenticeship schemes, taking on 10 new recruits in 2011. However, like many other businesses in the UK, Lola is keen for the government to reduce the bureaucracy surrounding the employment laws that currently exist. Lola’s employment drive
follows UK Prime Minister, David Cameron’s, call to ‘re-balance the economy so that Britain makes things again’ with ‘high-skilled, high-value manufacturing and engineering [being] a central part of our long term future.’ Robin Brundle, managing
director of Lola Group, said; ‘Our Employment Day has been a tremendous success and demonstrated that there is a great deal of hunger and talent amongst Britain’s young engineers. The Prime Minister has rightly called for manufacturing to lead the UK out of recession. We have a fantastic heritage in this sector in the UK and today has proved the future is extremely bright.’
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