Honda have chosen to go their own way with the design of their 2015 power unit, dubbed the RA615H, and only time will tell if it pays off.
Unlike Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault, they have chosen to position their MGU-H (motor generator unit – heat) directly between the turbo compressor and turbine.
Many had expected the Japanese manufacturer to follow Mercedes lead by placing the MGU-H and compressor at the opposite end of the internal combustion engine, away from the hot turbine.
Mercedes did this to decrease the power units cooling requirements by splitting the turbo in two, as one – the compressor – is fed by cold airflow and the second – the turbine – by hot exhaust gases.
Meanwhile Renault and Ferrari went down the same path by placing the MGU-H within the engine, alongside the compressor which is connected directly to the hot turbine.
The problem with this is the compressor works less efficiently as it’s situated next to the hot turbine.
Honda has taken inspiration from Mercedes by splitting the compressor and turbine by placing the MGU-H in the middle of the two, though not to the same extent as last year’s dominant engine.
Another unique route taken by Honda is it’s top-mounted radiators – you can read our Tech Talk feature on there here.
When (or if) Honda resolves its reliability issues, it will be interesting to see if this approach pays off.
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