Formula 1 Racing to Go Hybrid from 2009-2013
It’s not quite the same type of hybrid drive-train you’d see in street vehicles, but in an exciting announcement, Max Mosely of F1 has announced that all cars will become hybrid by 2013, along with other changes to the vehicles.
The hybrid system that will be phased in is known as KERS, which stands for Kinetic Energy Recovery System. KERS doesn’t store as much energy as a traditional hybrid system, but it only weighs 55 pounds and the limited energy storage capacity is well suited for Formula-style racing.
The biggest difference between KERS and a regular battery-electric hybrid is that KERS stores recovered waste energy in a rotating flywheel. Instead of converting waste energy into electricity and than back into useful energy again with an electric motor, KERS simply transfers the kinetic energy to a ~5kg flywheel in the F1 car’s transmission. The energy stored in the flywheel can then be used by the driver by pushing a “boost” button.
KERS is particularly exciting for us regular car drivers because the creators have claimed that it is twice as efficient as a standard hybrid system. If this system can be applied to production vehicles, it will be possible to realize huge improvements in fuel economy and pretty respectable reductions in GHG emissions.
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Wasn’t something like this already implemented in a real car?
[...] cars going hybrid in 2009 Well, not exactly. Formula 1 Racing to Go Hybrid from 2009-2013 : Gas 2.0 __________________ [...]
The problem is that this is a mandated. Formula 1 is supposed to represent the pinnacle of technology, but the powers that be have made changes to “reduce costs” and then they come up with this stuff. F1 needs to have these “cost reduction” measures tossed and allow the teams to concentrate on bringing the best technology they can to the track. If energy recovery is part of one teams strategy, then great, if not, fine. In the mean time F1 management is screwing thins up with things like a common ECU. If there is too much commonality then we have a spec series, and we may as well just have 1 manufacturer provide the cars. There are series like this already, but F1 is not supposed to be like that.
Well this is good news. Wonder if they announce this just in time for Earth Day?
Introducing KERS is a big mistake by the incompetent F1 and FIA bosses. First of all, if going green is the target here, they need to look into Hydrogen or Biofuel. Introducing KERS will not fully address the issue since their main fuel is still gas and WILL polute and the cost will go up because teams will spend more money in developing a more efficient KERS than the competition.
In a more general note, going hybrid will not address the issue if the main fuel still polutes and the car number increases; it just makes the general pollution increase less, and NOT necessary decrease.
Yeah right! Mosley can say what he likes about F1 seeing as he’s about to be fired for having, and I quote, “a Nazi themed bondage orgy with 6 hookers”, the videos are on youtube if proof is needed that this sicko shouldn’t go anywhere near a civilised discussion.
[...] Hybrid saw this and thought it was interesting: [...]
It’s about time that the F1 helps developping hybrid technologie.
It would seem that if this technology is so very good for recovering braking energy, city buses would be the best display of this technologies advantages. But it would not make headlines, just save energy money if it works.
James - F1 represents its proprietors’ wishes. It is also so expensive, that the competitive field has run out of independent teams. How much more advanced can an ECU get at the moment? They are clearly focusing on technologies that have a mainstream demand in the near future. That is the present state of the art.
I’m sorry you don’t have your flying jetcar yet.