Fuel and strategy
Last updated
Last updated
Properties generated from fuel calculations. Calculations are based on very detailed algorithms (have a look in the repository if you wish) to give the most accurate feedback, enabling you to make the best strategy calls.
For all calculations based on fuel/lap data, there are two available sets of properties:
Based on dynamic fuel/lap calculations
Based on last lap fuel/lap
So the property FuelDelta will have a corresponding property FuelDeltaLL for calculation based on previous lap.
The thought is that if your last lap is more representative for the fuel consumption of the following laps (in case of fuel saving primarily; reaching a group of cars for draft or doing a lap with coast/lifting), you can see how the calculations are affected.
The Calculation Accuracy property is an imporant reference to the available data to make good calculations. If little info is a available, the plugin will still try to make some calculations. Based on SimHub native fuel properties, lap record or in worst case jsut the length of the track to estimate lap times. After driving a few laps, the algorithm will look at lap times and deterime if you've reached a steady race pace. As more and more data is available and the data becomes more consistent from lap to lap, the Calculation accuracy property increses in value.
0 (Poor): Calculations are very crude, only enough to point you in a direction.
1 (Decent): Calculations are now based on real, completed laps, but very few, or there have been recent changes in lap times.
2 (Good): More lap data, and if recent changes in lap times - they are starting to become consistent again.
3 (Very good): Calculations based on several consecutive, steady laps.
You're racing at Nordschleife combined, in a Porsche 911 with a 110L tank. You've calculated with 2 pit stops. A few laps into the race you see your FuelDelta is -209.8 L. Simple math tells you that if you stop twice you should be able to fill 2 x 110 = 220 liters, but FuelPitStops is 3.01. And FuelMinimumFuelFill is 1.1 L. Why?
You need about 12.7L of fuel per lap on this track. The algorithm will calculate how much room is possible to free up in the fuel tank by going as far as possible. In this case, 11.8 liters left in tank when you end the current stint, and you've only room for 98.2L on the first stop. The algorithm will also compute for all needed pit stops ahead, and can tell that on the second pitstop, there will be 10.7 liters left on the tank, only room for 99.3 L. In total 197.5 L. So you're actually missing 12.3 liters. This means a 3rd pit stop is needed. But still, FuelMinimumFuelFill is 1.1 L, why not 12.3? The algorithm has calculated that by filling 1.1 L, you can go an extra lap on the next stint, and will have room for more fuel on the 2nd pit stop. So 1.1 L is all you need. In this case, all you need to save. FuelMinimumFuelFill and will FuelMaximumFuelFill always find the amount of fuel that allows you to enter the pit box with 0.2 L fuel remaining on the next stint (given that you'll have at least 2 pit stops). No reason to fill the whole tank if that means you will have 12 liters left on the tank on next pit stop. That just means you drove around with an extra 12 kg for an hour.
The plugin menu has some settings relevant to fuel and strategy:
Fuel per lap target: Manually set the target
Fuel per lap offset increments: Set the resolution of offset adjustments in Dashboard
Lock fuel/lap target: When fuel target is set, its value will not change when fuel/lap changes. It will be static at the set target value and this value will be used for fuel calculations. Changing the fuel offset or using the CLEAR command (PitMenu1 + OK) will unlock.
Use target for calculations when set: If this is checked, the fuel/lap target lock will engange when setting a fuel target (PitMenu12 + OK).
Small Pitstop Fuel Adjustment Increment: Change the size of small fuel adjustments in Dashboard.
Large Pitstop Fuel Adjustment Increment: Change the size of large fuel adjustments in Dashboard.
Adjust remaining laps for pit stop duration: For timed sessions, a pit stop might last so long that the race will be 1 lap shorter than what you calculate for. With this checked, the pit stop time will be subtracted from the race duration for calculations, avoiding fueling for that lap that you're not doing. There is an inherent risk to this.
Margin for fuel calculations will add the safety margin to the fuel delta. So having a 1 liter margin on fuel calculation will mean you finish the session with 1 liter left on the tank. The calculations for amount of pit stops, % to conserve, minimum/maximum fuel add, pit window and more will also be affected by this margin.
Margin for fuel command will add this margin to the amont of fuel ordered when using the commands on PitMenu position 1:
"+" for fueling for maximum amount of laps
"-" for fueling for minimum to get through the session
This margin cumulates with the fuel calculation margin. So a reasonable mix of the two, or just one of them - depending on how you use the system. I prefer to leave the fuel calculations margin at 0, to get accurate strategy information, and then add half a liter to fuel command margin, since I usually use PitMenu1 + "-" to order my fuel.
Calculation accuracy
Information on the raw material for calculation of fuel/lap, pace and laps remaining of the race. All relevant to strategy calculations.
0 - 3
CalcFuelPerLap
Calculated, dynamic fuel consumption per lap
liters
CalcLastLapFuel
Meassured fuel consumption on previous lap
liters
CalcAverageFuel
Average fuel consumption on previous 1 - 8 laps.
liters
FuelDelta
Gap between what you have and what you're missing to make it to the end of the sessions.
decimal
FuelPitWindowFirst
The lap number then the pit window opens
integer
FuelPitWindowLast
The lap number when the pit window closes
integer
FuelMinimumFuelFill
The least you can fuel on your next stop
decimal
FuelMaximumFuelFill
The largest amount of fuel that makes sense to fill on next stop.
decimal
FuelPitStops
The amount of required pit stops for fuel this session. The decimals will give you an idea of how close/far you are from requiring an extra stop/saving a stop.
decimal
FuelAlert
Pit this lap, or run out of fuel.
boolean
FuelConserveToSaveAStop
Percent reduction in fuel/lap required to save enough fuel to avoid a pit stop
0-100
FuelSlowestFuelSavePace
The slowest lap time you can have for the rest of the race to make fuel saving/tire management worth it (given that you can save a full pit stop)
timespan
PitSavePaceLock
On/off locking in current pace for calculating FuelSlowestFuelSavePace
boolean
FuelSaveDeltaValue
How much fuel you're missing/excess to avoid a pit stop based on last lap calculations.
decimal
FuelPerLapOffset
The current added addition/subtraction to average fuel/lap for calculations.
decimal
FuelPerLapTarget
The set fuel/lap target.
decimal
FuelPerLapTargetLocked
The fuel/lap target is locked in for fuel/strategy calculations.
boolean
FuelPerLapTargetLastLapDelta
Delta to the set fuel/lap target on previous lap
decimal
Lap(1-8)FuelTargetDelta
Delta to the set fuel/lap target on the previous 8 laps
decimal
FuelTargetDeltaCumulative
The amount of fuel saved compared to target in total on this stint.
decimal
