Regular Gas2 readers may remember Toyota’s announcement of their hybrid race car prototype – the green(er) car will be running in Le Mans this year, if all goes well, along with some other races. Testing started this week in the south of France.
One aspect of the TS030 prototype that stands out is that it sounds a little peculiar. There’s no engine sound at all as it rolls down the pit lane during testing, and only when it’s out of sight is the roar of its 3.4-liter V8 engine audible. Of course, that’s because the hybrid starts out running on electric only.
Check out the video for the sound (or lack thereof):
The goal is to save some of the massive amounts of fuel used (something like the KERS hybrid system currently in use in Formula1 cars, although whether KERS actually saves fuel or just makes it easier for drivers to pass each other is a subject of many, many hours of intense debate). Since a lot of energy is dissipated during braking, the idea is to harvest that and then give the car a speed boost coming out of the turn (which makes for easier passing, but more passing makes for more exciting racing, and you can see exactly where I stand on this issue).
The use of KERS in Formula1 aside, racing has always been a place to develop innovative technology that’s then applicable to perfectly normal street cars. Greener tech in race cars is, in my opinion, the best possible place designers can go.
Questions? Opinions? Want to tell me exactly how KERS has ruined Formula1 forever? Let us know in the comments, below.
Source: Jalopnik.
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About Charis Michelsen
KERS is super-sweet, and has made F1 mega-AWESOME! WTF you talkin’ about!?
I can’t wait for 2014 where they double the output to 120kW for the motor and go from 400kJ to 4MJ! That will be sweet and then people will start to see the advantage of the torque in an EV.
There’s a reason why the diesels dominate in Le Mans racing right now. Wait till those diesels have to deal with someone that has an electric kick in the ass to give them more power!
PRESS RELEASE
January 3, 2012
Reference: US Patent 7,931,107 B2
VEHICLE KINETIC ENERGY UTILIZATION TRANSMISSION SYSTEM. (KERS)
This recent patent enables the reduction of fuel consumption in motor vehicles by the storage of kinetic energy for reuse. This technology incorporates an infinitely variable transmission (IVT) in the form of an eddy current induction device (called a Modulator) coupled to a gear system to conquer the torque flow management problem caused by infinitely varying bi-directional energy flow between a moving vehicle mass and an associated rotating flywheel mass created by the fact that the respective mass velocities move in an inverse acceleration relationship.
To illustrate this phenomenon, observe that as kinetic energy passes from the moving vehicle to, and is captured by, the flywheel it is caused to accelerate, however the vehicle is consequently caused to slow; but to function efficiently, the flywheel requires an ever increasing input-speed factor from a source which is ever slowing. This always changing speed dichotomy can only be effectively managed by an infinitely variable transmission, and, other than that offered by the above patent, none have been successful for the subject purpose.
The technology reflected in this patent involves very few parts, and is therefore economical to manufacture. It is in addition, long lived, requires little maintenance, and is very durable. Importantly, this system is suitable not only for passenger car use, but also for delivery vans, trucks, and buses.
The conservation of kinetic energy through the use of battery energy-storage technology is exceedingly inefficient while such a mechanical approach is well known to be very high in efficiency. As may be realized, existing battery hybrid technology was developed because it was a way around this, now solved, torque-management problem. As these complicated and costly battery-related electric energy arrangements only avoid, and do not solve this problem, the penalty for this has been the great loss of efficiency as compared to a mechanical storage system such as that proposed by the subject patent.
Thank you,
South Essex Engineering
“The conservation of kinetic energy through the use of battery energy-storage technology is exceedingly inefficient while such a mechanical approach is well known to be very high in efficiency”
It always cracks me up when people say things like that. They site the conversion from mechanical to electrical energy as the reason why flywheels are so much more efficient. Then they IGNORE the fact that the CVT which helps store and then release that energy is only between 85-90% efficient…ONE WAY! So in total, the CVT itself is only between 72% – 81% efficient LOL And that does not include any of the other losses for the flywheel itself or any other components.
No, when you consider the whole end to end system, they are about the same in efficiency and if you claim different then you are cherry picking statistics which ignore the entire system. And battery systems will benefit from gallium nitride (http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/32430/).
Now, if you want to talk cost, then a flywheel system may have an advantage at this point. And if this patent is so wonderful, the fine, create a system that miraculously solves all the efficiency and cost problems and the world will beat a path to your door. You won’t have to bad mouth other technologies to prove your point….it will be self evident.
Of course, I’m referring to South Sussex Engineering here, not you John.
I just get tired of people trying to push their latest idea by trying to make everyone else look bad.