While watching Formula One qualifying Thursday night on the Speed Channel, they announced that just this week, the FIA officialized the rules and schedule for 2009. Formula One will have the option of implementing "KERS" (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) on the 2009 cars, which will implement regenerative braking, battery storage, and electric motor assist. If it is an "option," why would the teams want to do this? Let's assume you already have 600hp, and you can add an extra 100hp from an electric motor assist; now you have 700hp and your opposition only has 600hp. But wait! Doesn't the weight of the batteries offset the horsepower advantage? Currently, Formula One has a minimum weight requirement, and many of the teams actually have to add weights to the car to bring it up to the minimum weight (most commonly ~150 pounds). So, they can toss 150 pounds of weights, add the batteries, and gain 100hp! So, why do YOU care? Because, Formula One has been the forefront of testing and refining most of the technologies that we use in our street cars today. When ABS, traction control, electronic transmission control, and electronic monitoring of our cars first made it to street cars, it was anything but perfect. But from refinement in Formula One racing, these technologies improved significantly to what we have in our street cars today. Now, Formula One will be refining the hybrid systems. Many Formula One teams spend $400 Million each season! That's a lot of research and development going into one car! Although I learned the above from television, here is an article that mentions KERS. Btw, the Japanese Grand Prix is tonight at 9pm California time, channel 318. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081009/ts_afp/autoprixjpnenvironment_081009163322
problem is that Prius HSD system is already much more advanced than KERS. Toyota engineers were not happy that KERS ended up very simple system, that recovers only 20% of brake energy, while (as much as I remember from an article that wrote about it), Prius does 70%, and race prepared GS450h did more than 90%. Obviously, reason was to make it an even ground for everyone, but in this case, F1 is not at forefront of technology.
Hopefully NASCAR takes the hint and also makes the switch to Hybrids. Possibly I'm mistaken, but an all Hybrid NASCAR would generate quite of bit of positive press for Hybrid technology with a large percentage of the US population that is anti-hybrid and hence anti-fuel efficiency.
I have little knowledge of the actual KERS technology. I'm going to Google it soon. If you have any good links, please post them. With F1, there is constant braking and accelerating, but with Nascar, it is like driving on the freeway the whole time. Hybrid technology would not make sense in Nascar. I agree that Nascar is excellent for marketing, but the actual type of racing would not benefit from hybrid technology. Maybe solar, Lol.
NASCAR still uses carburetors and they're trying to stay "low-tech" to keep costs down. The teams are embracing technology as allowed by NASCAR, but they're way behind F1. Maybe they'll call "bump-drafting" a hybrid technology. You bump into the car in front of you to help him go faster. You stay in his draft so that you go faster too.
Thanks go Wiki "The maximum power that can be released from such a system is restricted to 60 kW by the FIA." Regenerative brake - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia check out the Use in Motor Sports section...
Thanks! Good 'ol Wikipedia! That article has some cool history in it too, such as "Toyota has used a supercapacitor for regeneration on Supra HV-R hybrid race car that won the 24 Hours of Tokachi race in July 2007." (60kW)(1.34 hp/kW) = 80.4 horsepower.
Does this mean the driver's will be electrocuted when they crash? Or are going to be soaked in caustic battery fluid?
Here is article on UK ITV website with regards to Toyota F1 and KERS... Toyota talks KERS - Feature - F1 | ITV Sport But it's not all plain sailing as RedBull's KERS failure shows... autosport.com - F1 News: KERS failure caused Red Bull fire scare Also BMW had a technician electrocuted.. ouch.. BMW tries to explain what went wrong with KERS in testing - AutoblogGreen Here's a video of the techie getting zapped by the KERS! http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=fzaQ-t1ojPU Some of the teams are not using a battery system for KERS.. they are considering a flywheel mechanical KERS system. http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=4PcIt0FPvWQ 400Kjoules - 80HP per lap on a push button delivery system! Cool! The 2009 season should be fun for all! 2020 Prius... Flybrid Synergy Drive!?
and there was another article where they actually talked %, which I believe was 20% for KERS and >90% for sports hybrid they raced...
