FCx IMF, part of the global flow control specialist FCx, is expanding its involvement in Formula One in 2001 as more and more manufacturers opt to use its valves in the quest for speed and reliability. This year, three engine manufacturers will use the French company’s high-pressure spring-loaded valves, which are used to control the engine valves. Two other engine manufacturers have ordered prototype versions for their own F1 engine projects. It is a highly demanding application, as Formula One engine can operate at 18,000rpm, well over twice a normal road vehicle. Formula One engines are also now much smaller and more compact than before, and are designed to run much hotter than in the past, so that radiators can be smaller, allowing more freedom aerodynamically for designers looking for speed improvements of hundredths of a second per lap. FCx IMF valves regulate to an accuracy of 100 millibar with an outlet pressure from 12 to 20 bar and help the engines perform at their most efficient levels, whatever level of heat they may be generating internally.
