A
tuned mass damper, also known as a harmonic absorber, is a device that is attached to structures in order to reduce the strength of
vibrations passing through them.
Tuned mass dampers are used in buildings across the world to reduce the effects of earthquakes and strong gusts of wind. In the
Renault R26, this technology was used for a more benign purpose. It was used to keep the front of car stable over kerbs and through slow and fast corners. Keeping the front of the car stable is crucial to the
aerodynamic efficiency of the car because changes in ride height - caused by bumps on the road or changes in
downforce levels due to speed - can alter the way that air passes over the front wing of the car and therefore the rest of the car's
aerodynamic efficiency also suffers. The
Tuned mass damper in the Renault R26 was invented by
Renault engineer
Rob Marshall. The
mass damper itself was a cylinder, standing upright, with the mechanical components inside. Inside the cylinder sat a 9 kilogram disc which rested in between two
springs. The disc was free to move on the Y-axis with its only hindrance, the springs that it was attached to and the damper fluid within the cylinder. The whole assembly was attached to the
chassis inside the nosecone of the car. The device was then 'tuned' to the needs of each track by either changing the clearance between the disc and the cylinder bore or by adjusting the size of two-way
valve within the disc itself. The
Tuned mass damper on the Renault R26 vibrated in the opposite direction from the chassis due to inertia, with its magnitude calculated by the 'tuning' variables mentioned above. This counteracting force stabilized the front end of the car over kerbs and through slow and fast corners.
Renault first introduced the technology in its 2005 challenger,
Renault R25 at the
2005 Brazilian Grand Prix and had been deemed to be legal by the
stewards. During the first half of the
2006 season,
Renault had built up a comfortable points lead over their main rivals
Ferrari. However, at the time of the
German Grand Prix at the
Hockenheimring the
FIA decided to ban all the teams from using
tuned mass dampers in their car. Even though the system was deemed legal for over half a year, the
FIA decided that it broke the rule that no moving part can influence the
aerodynamics of the car.
Renault claimed that the loss of the system cost them 0.3 seconds a lap. The ban hurt the
Renault team more than their competitors because
Renault had designed their whole car around the technology, meanwhile, their competitors had just included the technology as an after-thought after seeing
Renault's implementation. This was clearly visible because
Ferrari won 5 of the 7 remaining races in the
season. However, the French team managed to defend both championship titles successfully. Image:F1barca06.JPG|Alonso and Fisichella took a front row at the
Spanish Grand Prix. Image:Fernando Alonso 2006 Canada.jpg|Alonso in chassis R26-03 at the
Canadian Grand Prix. Image:Renault RS26 engine 2006.jpg|Renault RS26 engine. Image:Alonso cheste 2006-02.jpg|Alonso driving the R26 in a testing session held in February 2006 at
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