Simulating e-fuel combustion for motorsport

In today's market with increasing emissions regulations aiming for a net zero future, racing team manufacturers are taking the lead in introducing categories requiring the use of e-fuels or non-carbon fuels. Adopted by MotoGP which from 2024 requires 40% of fuel to be non-carbon based and Formula 1 which from 2026 will switch to a fully sustainable fuel, the design challenge is simulate the combustion properties of e-fuels and compare with traditional fuel performance.

In the initial stages of development physical prototype modelling is expensive, requiring virtual simulation tools to answer many of the 'What ifs' before committing to a design path. Engine combustion simulation is at the heart of vehicle performance predicting available power, speed, fuel usage, emissions, friction losses and durability over a range of racing drive cycles.

Our software provides in-cylinder combustion tools to model non-carbon fuel performance in an engine modified for alternative e-fuels.

WAVE is a 1D Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) tool that solves the Navier-Stokes equations governing the transfer of mass, momentum, and energy for compressible gas flows, and includes sub-models for combustion and emissions.

VECTIS is a 3D CFD tool that uses cutting edge kinetics, flame propagation and emissions models for conventional hydrocarbons, e-fuels and synthetic fuels including hydrogen.

FEARCE-Vulcan uses a unique iterative Finite Element solution that considers all the heat paths in detail to deliver a reliable and accurate predictive tool for conclusive structural investigations for all fuel types.