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Ansys + Oracle Red Bull Racing

Oracle Red Bull Racing has chosen Ansys simulation
solutions to solve their toughest challenges. From
aerodynamics to cooling to material data control to crash
testing, Ansys software is providing data for the team’s
engineers to make the cars faster and safer in the most
efficient way, giving Oracle Red Bull Racing the best
chance of winning a race on any given weekend.
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Formula 1 represents the pinnacle of motorsport, bringing together world class drivers and the best
engineering talent to deliver innovations that push the boundaries on the track and often influence design and
innovation in the automotive industry. Winning only happens when driver and machine are in perfect harmony
– neither can do it alone.

The greatest chance of victory comes by securing the coveted pole position – the prime starting position at the
front of the grid – by setting the fastest lap in qualifying. Yet pole position is often decided by hundredths or
thousandths of a second. It is therefore down to the engineering teams to deliver every possible advantage to
their drivers, however small that may be.

With such fine margins, engineers must balance a multitude of competing design objectives. What is the
balance of aerodynamic efficiency versus downforce to trade straight line speed for cornering ability? What
materials do we use to ensure reliability for the race duration while meeting weight targets? How do we
prevent the incredibly powerful engines and powertrains from overheating when they are constrained into
the cramped environment of the car? And, of course, the paramount requirement is that the driver be safe
and protected in the event of an accident. Further complicating all of this is that every track is different – for
example, some have more corners than others or the temperature varies dramatically between different race
locations, changing the air density and drag characteristics of the car. So, the engineers must perform their
multidisciplinary design optimization studies not just once – but for every single race – often just 7 days apart.
This means that not only do they need highly accurate design tools that give them the ability to deliver a race-
winning advantage within the rules, but they also need the speed to do this between races.

Since 2008, as part of an Innovation Partnership with Ansys, Oracle Red Bull Racing has been using Ansys
simulation technology across a range of critical application areas. The focus of the partnership has grown from
an initial focus on aerodynamics simulation to solving cooling problems, managing and optimizing materials
usage and IP, and ensuring the vehicle is designed to protect the driver in the event of a crash.

As Oracle Red Bull Racing’s CIO Matt Cadieux says, “By Integrating Ansys’ technology into our design processes,
our team iterates aerodynamics designs much faster, giving us the edge against our competition on the track.”

/ Aerodynamics Simulations Using Ansys Fluent

Wind tunnel testing had long been the method of choice to measure the air
flow and drag over the external body of a race car moving at high speeds. But
regulations in Formula One and the speed of innovation in digital simulation
has changed this. For example, in the wind tunnel teams are limited to using a
scale model that Is no bigger than 60% of the full-size car, which can introduce
inconsistencies. With the evolution of CFD, the “virtual wind tunnel,” teams
have been able to iterate designs faster, before manufacturing models for test
in the physical wind tunnel. Furthermore, significant limitations have been
imposed on the amount of on-track testing time that teams have to develop
their cars — just three days of pre-season testing are now allowed. In 2021,
Formula 1 also introduced significant regulations involving CFD and wind tunnel
testing, limiting wind tunnel and CFD development time based on a team’s
championship positions in the previous year. These imposed limitations mean
The Aerodynamics Team at Oracle Red Bull Racing use
that the team at Oracle Red Bull Racing is constantly tasked with optimizing
Ansys Fluent as a key part of their design and decision-
processes, tools and technologies to ensure they are putting the best possible making processes, underpinning aerodynamic development
cars on the track each week. processes using CFD.

Ansys + Oracle Red Bull Racing // 2

Starting in 2008, Oracle Red Bull Racing engineers began to leverage
Ansys technologies in response to these changes. The Aerodynamics Team
uses Fluent as a key part of their design and decision-making processes,
underpinning aerodynamic development processes using Computational
Fluid Dynamics (CFD). They use simulation results to hone the external
aerodynamic design of the car. By simulating in the digital world, the team
has more data to inform decision-making on the more performant design
for each race track.
Ansys’ meshing and solver solutions have been benchmark tested and
integrated into a cohesive, automated workflow. Oracle Red Bull Racing
has found that Ansys provides the best combination of simulation accuracy,
robustness, speed and efficiency compared to other simulation software
companies. They have made Ansys Fluent Meshing their pre-processing
tool of choice for generating models and creating computational meshes, Simulating in the digital world informs decision-making in the
and they have chosen Ansys Fluent CFD as the core component in their design process, to drive performance on the track.
virtual wind tunnel.
The main benefit of these choices is that the process is totally automated from submission to results, enabling more aero simulation
efficiency. Engineers can set up a simulation and let it run without having to monitor it, freeing up their time for other key tasks. They
don’t have to be experts on the equations underlying the software because Ansys CFD solutions have been proven to be accurate in many
applications across industries over the years. The team uses its resources more efficiently and gets results quicker using CFD simulation as
compared to wind tunnel testing.
Because Ansys continually improves on all its software products, issuing two new releases each year, Oracle Red Bull Racing engineers can
influence the course of new developments in Ansys software by conveying their needs to the Ansys Support and Development team. They
are also invited to participate in beta testing of Ansys software, giving them another chance for input.

/ Power Unit Cooling Using Ansys Fluent

As opposed to the aero bodywork, which undergoes constant design
iterations through a season, the cooling components must be designed
and manufactured right the first time. However, they need to be adjustable
for each race circuit as track characteristics, weather and altitude all affect
cooling needs. Obviously, a race run in the heat of Saudi Arabia will require
more cooling of the car’s engine than one run in the cooler climate of the
UK or Canada. Variations in air density with altitude also require adjustment
of the cooling system for races run at high altitude compared to sea level.
The Oracle Red Bull Racing team uses Fluent to develop the cooling circuit
and cooling capability of the car, related to the Power Unit (PU). The
Formula 1 Power Unit includes the Internal Combustion Engine, Energy
Store, MGU-K, MGU-H and Turbo, which are developed by their partner,
Honda. They are responsible for designing and developing PU components Oracle Red Bull Racing’s engineers are invited to participate in
as well as internal cooling for all ICE and energy recovery systems. Oracle beta testing of Ansys software, ensuring that they continue to be
Red Bull Racing engineers are responsible for the design and development at the cutting edge of technology.
of the cooling circuits and heat exchangers for the Honda PU.
Fluent enables the Oracle Red Bull Racing team to simulate fluid flow inside the cooling pipes and radiators. The simulations help them to
optimize and evolve the design of cooling components, such as sizing, shape and volume, with their radiator partner, PWR.
Using Fluent, the Oracle Red Bull Racing team is able to design the cooling system to maximize the PU’s performance within the
regulations, with virtual simulation reducing the need for on-track testing. In addition, because the team can perform more simulations
through efficient CFD workflows, they can run more iterations in a shorter period to optimize the cooling parameters.

/ Materials Control and Tracking Using Ansys Granta MI

A Formula 1 race car is made of many different materials, from metals to composites and more. Keeping track of the properties of all these
materials and ensuring that all members of the engineering team are using the same materials data is important to ensuring consistency
of design and quality of manufacturing. However, with frequent updates and new materials, the team found it was hard to be sure that
everyone had the most up-to-date information on the materials available.
To overcome these limitations, Oracle Red Bull Racing adopted Granta MI materials information management software to store
information on all the materials used in its Formula 1 car. Granta MI is used throughout the team, in the design and development phase,
manufacturing and testing. In all these cases, the materials information in Granta MI is critical to the processes of getting parts from
design to the track. “Granta MI is leveraged across Oracle Red Bull Racing’s design and production teams to ensure every team member
has access to accurate information about the materials available for each car component,” says Jamie Wheat, Head of FEA Tools and Tools
Strategy, Oracle Red Bull Racing. “It’s so engrained that most of the team don’t realise they use it!”

Ansys + Oracle Red Bull Racing // 3

The Granta MI materials information management software is used to
keep a comprehensive, single source of truth for all material information
available to the team. Data uploaded into the system includes
information such as properties of the material, test results, processes
applied to the materials, etc. This allows all members of the Oracle Red
Bull Racing team to access accurate and up-to-date information on the
materials available to them during the design, manufacturing and testing
of any component.
Having one source of truth regarding all materials properties removes the
risk of team members accessing out-of-date information on locally stored
spreadsheets, and human error is removed due to automated validation
of materials data and through access control.
Decision making driven by data, enables the Oracle Red Bull
Racing team to prepare for each race weekend.
/ Impact Simulation Using Ansys LS-DYNA
Unfortunately, even with today’s advanced engineering software and the best drivers in the world, accidents still happen in motorsport.
A dangerous passing move may be necessary to have a shot at winning, and these Formula 1 drivers are highly competitive and daring or
they wouldn’t be behind the wheel. Prior to using simulation, the only way for Oracle Red Bull Racing engineers to understand how their
car design would respond to a crash was to perform expensive physical crash tests. Now, with simulation solutions like Ansys LS-DYNA,
engineers can test impacts using virtual models and collect even more data than is available from physical crash testing.
Ansys LS-DYNA is a simulation solution that has long been used for high impact testing, including drop tests of cell phones and other
consumer products all the way to the high impacts tested by the Oracle Red Bull Racing team. It is used in conjunction with other tools to
help define crash structures on the Oracle Red Bull Racing car by enabling the team to model, simulate and correlate impacts with real-
world testing. Through correlation the team can continue to improve the simulation of crash testing and reduce the amount of physical
testing required. This saves time and investment as the physical components do not need to be manufactured in order to get this very
important impact data. By designing cars that can withstand these high impacts and protect the drivers, Oracle Red Bull Racing engineers
are able to ensure that their cars meet the crucial safety regulations of the sport.

/ Summary
Today, digital simulation is a fundamental and integral part of Formula 1, as every team strives to engineer a winning car for each track that
keeps their driver safe. To achieve the miniscule margin of victory required, there can be no compromise on the accuracy of simulations.
And to meet the relentless demands of the race calendar, that accuracy must be delivered with unprecedented speed. Oracle Red Bull
Racing has chosen Ansys simulation solutions to solve their toughest challenges. From aerodynamics to cooling to material data control to
crash testing, Ansys software is providing data for the team’s engineers to make the cars faster and safer in the most efficient way, giving
Oracle Red Bull Racing the best chance of winning a race on any given weekend.

ANSYS, Inc.
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Ansys + Oracle Red Bull Racing // 4