2018-11-13 Press Release
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A two-man bobsled is being built by BMW for 2022.
Too many instances of the term “bobsled” will make it sound amusing. So let’s get started: BMW is working with the German Bobsleigh, Luge, and Skeleton Federation to build a two-man bobsled (BSD).
The prototype shown above will undergo its initial ice-track tests before the end of the year. BMW intends to incorporate its impressive car-making expertise into bobsleds. Starting with a “innovation driver,” they will go on to analyze performance using the measurement system developed by BMW Motorsport.
According to BMW’s Thomas Hahn, “Aerodynamics, chassis development, and carbon fabrication are areas where BMW is working at the highest level, and which are also vitally important for a racing sled.” Yes, you read that correctly: RACING SLED.
There isn’t much technical information available about the BMW bobsled at this time, other than the fact that it will probably be made of carbon fiber and have a livery in the classic BSD colors of yellow and black. Also mentioned by Hahn is the team’s “very excited anticipation of the exciting further development over the next years.”
Bobsleds Made by BMW Are Trying for Gold in the Olympic Winter Games
Together with BMW, the USA Olympic Bobsled and Skeleton team has been vying for gold in the Winter Olympics since 2013. Before the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, the collaboration’s first product was a bobsled created by BMW. The American squad is currently competing in South Korea while utilizing advances created by the German company.
The BMW-developed solution managed to return from Sochi with three medals in its first competition, and there is optimism for even more this year. The USA Bobsled/Skeleton team received a fleet of six brand-new BMW U.S. two-man bobsleds in October 2013, replacing a 20-year-old design. As a result, Steven Holcomb and Steve Langton won a bronze medal, giving the United States its first medal in the men’s two-man bobsled competition since 1952. The resulting sled was hailed “the ultimate sliding machine.”
Elana Meyers and Lauryn Williams won a silver medal, and Aja Evans and Jamie Greubel took home a bronze medal for the two-man women’s teams. Since 2014, the USABS athletes, coaches, and engineers from Designworks, the BMW Group’s global design studio with headquarters in California, have been involved in a highly iterative development process that entails constant dialogue and immersion on-site.
BMW creates the German Olympic team’s bobsleigh.
The PyeongChang, South Korea, 2018 Winter Olympic Games are scheduled to begin in about a month. Teams from all across the world are starting to make their last adjustments. The German bobsleigh team is attempting to edge out the opposition locally. No, they’re not recruiting John Candy to be their coach; instead, they’re looking to BMW for some bobsleigh design assistance.
The bobsleigh, also known simply as a “bob,” is made of carbon fiber. BMW is highly accustomed to working with this material. BMW employs it not only in the production of its automobiles but also in the design of other sports equipment, such as the sailboat hulls used in the America’s Cup. In terms of aerodynamics, ergonomics, and structural study of the bobs, this aids BMW’s technical capabilities.
With computer simulation, everything begins. To optimize its proportions, the bob is digitalized and then placed in a simulation. Using this digitally improved model, a computer-controlled precision mill is used to make a mold. The prototype carbon bob is made using the mold and then tested in actual conditions.
The prototype bobs are then brought by BMW to the wind tunnel for aerodynamic analysis. One of the biggest and most advanced wind tunnels in the world is located at BMW. It is capable of producing winds up to 186 mph. BMW can optimize the bob in the same way it optimizes its automobiles by using the data obtained from the wind tunnel.
BMW’s 3D simulation expert, Holger Gau, stated: “The same way we optimize our automobiles, we can do the same with these bobs. In order to reduce resistance, we consider turbulence, examine pooling locations, and employ suitable form alterations, such as different seating arrangements. We analyze and virtually optimize the aerodynamics of the bob and team combination using high-performance software technologies. The wind tunnel is then used for verification and fine-tuning. It all comes down to figuring out how best to combine the benefits of both the digital and real-time worlds in the wind tunnel.”
After a dismal Olympic campaign in 2014, the German bobsleigh team is hoping to rebound with a high-tech bob that showcases the finest of German expertise.
Does BMW produce every bobsled?
BMW has previously worked on the German bobsled team’s racing overalls, helmets, and other accessories. The entire bobsled (seen above) was created by BMW of North America specifically for the American team competing at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
What is the price of a BMW bobsled?
“Everything kind of started out as a joke because Francesco thought it would be amusing if his name was on my sled,” said the man. Most teams need all the assistance they can get because bobsleigh generally costs a four-man team roughly 400,000 euros ($452,520) in an Olympic year and 250,000 euros in other years. Added Maier
Who is the manufacturer of German bobsleds?
German and BMW collaborate to create a bobsleigh track simulator for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
Are all bobsleds constructed the same way?
Two-person or four-person teams compete in today’s bobsled races. Whether they are designed to hold two or four competitors, bobsleds feature the same fundamental parts. Every bob has:
- an iron frame
- a fiberglass hull with an open rear and a closed front, often known as a cowling.
- A shifting group of front runners
- a set of fixed rear runners
- Push-bars that collapse for the driver and crew
- Brakemen’s fixed pushbars
- Only applied after the bob has crossed the finish line, this lever-mounted, jagged metal brake
- a steering mechanism
The International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation (IBSF) establishes regulations for the make-up, size, and overall weight of bobsleds. To create the greatest sled design, bobsled manufacturers collaborate closely with bobsled teams and designers.
Each style of bob has an empty weight limit and a weight limit when loaded with bobsledders and their gear. The bobsleds’ weight restrictions are:
Teams that fall short of the maximum occupied weight may add ballasts to make their bob heavier since heavier sleds travel quicker. At the conclusion of the run, officials weigh the sleds to confirm that they comply with the weight limit. The fiberglass hull, sometimes referred to as the cowling, is built. Bobsledders can hop in and out because it is open in the back and closed in the front. The hull cannot be transparent or weak enough to shatter in collisions. Although hulls are frequently constructed from two sections, steering is instead accomplished by movement of the front runners [source: IBSF].
The actual steel runners are pointy. They are reduced in friction with the ice by being polished to an extremely smooth finish. The IBSF has regulations governing runner width since small runners are faster and minimize friction even more. It is forbidden to heat the runners or to plate, coat, or lubricate them. Before the race, race officials electronically measure each runner’s body temperature and compare it to that of a reference runner who has spent at least an hour outside. The reference runner and the bob’s runner cannot have temperatures that differ by more than 4 degrees Celsius (7 degrees Fahrenheit) without being disqualified [source: IBSF].
Bobsledders utilized a steering wheel to control the bob until the 1960s. Nowadays, drivers operate a steering system that consists of two ropes fastened to a steering bolt that rotates the bobsled’s front frame. The driver can direct the sled to the right or left by pulling on the rope with the right or left hand, respectively. When the bob reaches the finish line, the brake, which is at the end of a lever between the brakeman’s knees, remains in place [source: IBSF].
We’ll then examine how the competitors operate the steering rings, handles, and other bobsled components during competition.
The first women’s bobsleds produced were very similar to men’s bobsleds. But because they tend to be smaller and have different proportions than men, women frequently sustain hip and back injuries while racing. To better support women’s bodies, newly created women’s bobsleds have more inner shapes.
Who builds the bobsleds in the US?
Geoff Bodine, a former NASCAR driver and the winner of the 1986 Daytona 500, created Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project, Inc. in 1992 to work together on the design, production, and supply of American-built racing sleds for the United States Bobsled and Skeleton Federation (USBSF).
The undertaking is categorized as a 501(c)(3) non-profit entity. Its sleds are made in Joey Logano’s race facility in Huntersville, North Carolina, where he competes in the NASCAR Cup Series.
How are Olympic bobsleds created?
ATHENS — One sport that has most certainly drawn the interest and curiosity of fans as the Winter Olympics enter their last week of competition is bobsledding.
Well, maybe not always. Yes, the sport’s objective is as straightforward as it gets: race other competitors to the bottom of a tight, ice track. But unlike other sleds, the bobsled requires more focus and strength to perfect.
According to NBC, the sled’s main components are two sets of steel runners, a steel frame, and two axles that link the runners together. The runners are also constructed of fiberglass. A device comprised of two ropes fastened to a steering bolt allows athletes to maneuver the sled. Drivers can turn the front of the sled to the right or left as they speed down the track by pulling in either direction.
The sled also has a brake installed, according to NBC, to stop drivers from slamming into the track. As a result, the rider at the front of the sled steers while the rider at the back brakes.
Sound simple enough? Now take into account the fact that sleds are very hefty and can travel at speeds of more than 90 mph.
According to NBC, a two-person sled weighs about 375 pounds, a four-person sled weighs 403 pounds, and a women’s sled weighs about 364 pounds. And it doesn’t even include the riders.
The overall weight drivers must be able to shift and manage starts to resemble this when a few athletes are added, along with any equipment, according to the same NBC data:
- 860 pounds for two men.
- 1,389 pounds per four men
- female: 716 pounds
However, it’s also crucial to consider that weight while considering the start of any race, which is always the most crucial moment.
Each team must be able to launch as swiftly and forcefully as possible before diving in as the sled accelerates down the course.
Since so much strength is required at this crucial time, competitors from other sports are frequently asked to join the squad, only to get that extra boost before following along for the duration of the race.
Are you able to steer a bobsled?
China’s BEIJING — A pilot steers the sled as it hurtles down an ice track at speeds of more than 90 mph during bobsled competitions at the Winter Olympics.
A sled is made up of a frame, four runners, two axles, and a main hull. Additionally, a steering system and a brake are built into it.
The bobsled’s front frame is turned by the steering system, which consists of two ropes connected to a steering bolt. A driver can direct the sled to the right or left by pulling on the rope with their right or left hand, respectively.
The main hull, sometimes referred to as the cowling, is made of fiberglass. In order for bobsledders to enter the sled, it is closed in the front and opens in the back.
Steel makes up the frame. The sport’s international association standardized the frame’s construction in 1984.
The sturdy steel parts that the sled runs on are divided into two sets of two runners. They cannot be heated, nor can they get anything that might make sliding easier.
Additionally, there are two axles, one of which joins the two front runners and the other which joins the two rear runners.