Already in 2022, Aprilia had caused a lot of ink to flow regarding its aerodynamic revolutions developed for its RS-GP, first at Mugello by introducing a spoiler on the rear part of its RS-GP, which is reminiscent of the one present on the F1, then to Barcelona, where Noale engineers brought a major aerodynamic evolution by concentrating their work not on the front fairing but on the side panels, with the aim of using ground effect, a solution that has been patented by Italian engineers. But during 2024 pre-season testing, a strange antenna appeared on Miguel Oliveira's RS-GP. What is it for ?
Aerodynamics plays an increasingly fundamental role in MotoGP over the last five years, Aprilia and Ducati have been the most innovative factories in this area, also thanks to the previous experience of their technicians. The Pitot tube debuted on the Aprilia several years ago, on the front of the RS-GP's fairing, it is used to measure the actual air speed at the front of the bike. This Tuesday, during the first day of official testing at Sepang, engineers from the Noale factory used sensors well known to F1 fans, called “Aero Rake” on Miguel Oliveira’s RS-GP.
These grilles are generally fitted to Formula 1 cars during winter testing sessions, in-season tests or even during Friday free practice sessions during Grands Prix. This is further proof of the importance, even in MotoGP, of finding the correlation of data between the work carried out in the wind tunnel or on the simulation programs and the track.
A trellis consists of a lightweight metal structure on which sensors are attached and connected to a management and data recording unit, often Pitot tubes but also Kiel probes. This device makes it possible to measure various parameters such as air speed, flow angle, pressure, and even temperature, at precise and defined locations. All these probes are connected to pressure sensors, which makes it possible to obtain an overall picture of the total static pressure and to study the air flow in a specific area of the motorcycle.
The information collected by these grids makes it possible, among other things, to easily visualize the vortices created by certain parts, as well as the air flow generated by elements such as tires (which the teams seek to control upstream and/or downstream to avoid any disturbance of the overall aerodynamic dynamics) and the ailerons. The teams developed software that processes raw data from sensors to produce images and video files, almost in real time today.
Once this table is drawn up, it then allows us to compare the data from the track and those from the digital simulation by CFD (computational fluid dynamics) and the wind tunnel, in order to verify that there is a good correlation while understanding why something that worked in theory does not work or not as well in practice. In the case of a design or fundamental problem, the teams' aerodynamics department can then work to correct/optimize the parts. And with more than 30 possible aerodynamic combinations, this can greatly help pilots make their choice!
The impact of aerodynamics on performance is becoming more and more important, which is why the ability to equip oneself with verification tools to evaluate whether the development carried out in the wind tunnel returns the same load points also on the track can allow faster development of prototypes in areas that are not subject to regulations.
We can expect to see the appearance very soon of flow-vis (flow visualization paint), the fluorescent paint composed of pigments with an oily matrix, mainly paraffin, which is sprayed with a jet on specific points of the fairing. This is a practice widely used in F1: while the paint will tend to dry, the oily part will evaporate, expanding along the elements that we wish to control, literally drawing the flow pattern which is created on the surface.
Roman Albesian Explain : “We designed the motorcycle by simulating the aerodynamic domain, that is, the airflow around the motorcycle and the rider, using computer programs. But every calculation must also be confirmed by an experiment and this is one of the possible experiments to confirm that the computer is telling the truth. You create an image by measuring air pressure and comparing it with what the computer says, much like in a wind tunnel, which is perhaps a more common tool for verifying computer calculation. Because the computer is essentially a virtual wind tunnel. »
Photo credit: MotoGP.com, F1.com
