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11th
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From FIA
One of the main talking points surrounding the new Formula 1 V6 turbo hybrid Power Units has been the sound they make. The FIA has come to an interesting conclusion.
Some have fixated on the idea that the noise made by current F1 is part of the allure and while the sonic signature is certainly part of the thrill it is but one element of the sport's appeal, allied to technical innovation, glamour, skill and heroism - all contribute to the ‘noise' that constantly surrounds the sport.
Having said that, it is true that the 2014 Power Units will make less noise than the V8 of previous generation. However, it is worth putting this decrease into perspective.
Formula 1 engine manufacturers estimate that the intensity of sound of the F1 powerplants with the former V8s was around 145dB. With the new units it is expected to be around 134dB.
The high pitch shriek of the old V8 engines made them sound louder.
“Quality of sound is a very difficult thing to assess, as we all have different taste,” says Fabrice Lom, former Renault Sport F1 engineer and now FIA Head of Powertrain.
“Some like rock, others classic music. In 1988, V6 turbo F1 engines were revving lower and had less capacity. Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost both had fans in those days and the show, as far as we remember, was quite good.”
The table below illustrates the difference in sonic intensity:
Threshold of hearing (TOH): 0 dB
Rustling leaves: 10 dB
Whisper: 20 dB
Normal conversation: 60 dB
Busy street traffic: 70 dB
Vacuum cleaner: 80 dB
Front rows of rock concert: 110 dB
Threshold of pain: 130 dB
Military jet takeoff: 140 dB
Instant perforation of eardrum: 160 dB
The difference of 11db, according to the physics of attenuation of sound in air, is equivalent to 2.5m if you are at 1m distance from the car, meaning that the difference will be hardly heard in the garage.
If you are 15m from the car, it attenuates to 35m - that roughly represents the difference you can hear from seating in the first row to seating in the last row of a grandstand.
One of the main talking points surrounding the new Formula 1 V6 turbo hybrid Power Units has been the sound they make. The FIA has come to an interesting conclusion.
Some have fixated on the idea that the noise made by current F1 is part of the allure and while the sonic signature is certainly part of the thrill it is but one element of the sport's appeal, allied to technical innovation, glamour, skill and heroism - all contribute to the ‘noise' that constantly surrounds the sport.
Having said that, it is true that the 2014 Power Units will make less noise than the V8 of previous generation. However, it is worth putting this decrease into perspective.
Formula 1 engine manufacturers estimate that the intensity of sound of the F1 powerplants with the former V8s was around 145dB. With the new units it is expected to be around 134dB.
The high pitch shriek of the old V8 engines made them sound louder.
“Quality of sound is a very difficult thing to assess, as we all have different taste,” says Fabrice Lom, former Renault Sport F1 engineer and now FIA Head of Powertrain.
“Some like rock, others classic music. In 1988, V6 turbo F1 engines were revving lower and had less capacity. Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost both had fans in those days and the show, as far as we remember, was quite good.”
The table below illustrates the difference in sonic intensity:
Threshold of hearing (TOH): 0 dB
Rustling leaves: 10 dB
Whisper: 20 dB
Normal conversation: 60 dB
Busy street traffic: 70 dB
Vacuum cleaner: 80 dB
Front rows of rock concert: 110 dB
Threshold of pain: 130 dB
Military jet takeoff: 140 dB
Instant perforation of eardrum: 160 dB
The difference of 11db, according to the physics of attenuation of sound in air, is equivalent to 2.5m if you are at 1m distance from the car, meaning that the difference will be hardly heard in the garage.
If you are 15m from the car, it attenuates to 35m - that roughly represents the difference you can hear from seating in the first row to seating in the last row of a grandstand.