quattro Digest, Vol 9, Issue 62

[J123fs at aol.com]

In a message dated 7/23/2004 7:11:05 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
quattro-request at audifans.com writes:
RE: pitot tubes on race cars
> Neither seems terribly useful in a racecar with four perfectly good wheels
to measure speed from(and an accelerometer to tell when
> there's wheelslip, for example).  If you need an artificial horizon gyro
in a racecar, you're doing something wrong :-)

-You've told us the method the pitot tube uses to determine pressure (from
the quote you included), but you forgot to tell us how you use such
information....

Thanks,


The other reason they are on the F1/and other race cars besides aerodynamics 
is because it is integral with the engine management system.......air density 
and pressure has a lot to do with engine output, as it's directly proportional 
to how much oxygen is in the air that the engine can use. The engine 
management system uses this parameter to help determine fuel and ignition settings. 
And, as you might imagine the "ram" effect at higher speeds will effect how 
much pressure (and density) there is in the air box vs. at slow speeds...... 
And most upper level race cars try to use almost every conceivable variable that 
can be  monitored for maximum engine output, usually at close to real time.