Drivers Advised to "Jump" From Cars

[The Ruptured Duck]

http://formula-one.speedtv.com/article/ ... from-cars/

Seems like this could be resolved easily by creating a ground which drags from the bottom of the cars which discharges the electricity, but I'm no engineer.

[Mushroom_Farmer]

 I think the issue pertains to any possible short circuit in the system. Electricity will always follow the path of least resistance and it doesn't discriminate over whatever that path may be. The real danger is in the amount of voltage and the frequency used.
 

[expat]

http://formula-one.speedtv.com/article/f1-kers-to-make-drivers-jump-from-cars/

Seems like this could be resolved easily by creating a ground which drags from the bottom of the cars which discharges the electricity, but I'm no engineer.

The problem is that an earthing strap under the car, would it be in constant contact and at the same time being eroded, with the added problem of bits coming off it. The other posibility is a deployable strap at slower speeds, say in conjunction with second gear to earth the car. This brings up the question of what happen if it fails........pit stop and 18 mechanics all doing the dying fly( )
Another problem with with any static charge, how do we earth the driver without giving him a zap? It is reported that there may be "special boots" for the drivers in development, so that when they touch the ground, they are earthed. Great, so they get out of the car insulated, a walking capacitor and they then zap the first person to shake hands with them.........I have won am everyone is running away from me Maybe Williams are not so wrong after all :-?

Matt

[Craig.]

the interesting one is pitstops. Yes there are earthing strips in the pitbox but as a BMW mechanic found out they dont always work. So now teams have a device which tells them the car is safe, and no one can touch the car till it is. So expect to see longer pitstops this season. That or a pitlane full of expats "dying flys"  ;D

[expat]

[quote]the interesting one is pitstops. Yes there are earthing strips in the pitbox but as a BMW mechanic found out they dont always work. So now teams have a device which tells them the car is safe, and no one can touch the car till it is. So expect to see longer pitstops this season. That or a pitlane full of expats "dying flys"

[Sir_Crashalot]

I don't see the problem. When the car comes in for a pitstop, touch it with an earth rod. Static electricity will flow away immediatly and work can be done safe.

Crash (don't say it doesn't work, it's daily bussiness for me)

PS: Voltage doesn't kill, Amps do....

[expat]

Crash (don't say it doesn't work, it's daily bussiness for me)

PS: Voltage doesn't kill, Amps do....

That kills the thread off.....so, you are wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong and double wrong

Matt

[Sir_Crashalot]

Sorry to be the threadkiller here.

So, let's assume they never heard of a simple copper wire, how high does Kimi have to jump?

Crash

[expat]

Sorry to be the threadkiller here.

So, let's assume they never heard of a simple copper wire, how high does Kimi have to jump?

Crash

3' 7"

Matt