Williams Hybrid Power Launched
By Williams F1 Team
April 28 2008
| Williams Hybrid Power Launched |
Williams F1 today announced that it has acquired a minority shareholding in Williams Hybrid Power Limited is developing a flywheel for potential use as the energy storage element of Williams’ kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS), a technology that will be allowed by regulation in Formula One next year. This technology stores kinetic energy generated under braking that would otherwise be dissipated. Williams is exploring a number of energy storage options. The Williams Hybrid Power system is based on a flywheel rotating at speeds of up to 100,000rpm that would capture this energy for later release. The competitive rigour of Formula One requires quickly deployable solutions to technical problems, as well as ensuring any such solutions are lightweight, robust and high performance. Williams Hybrid Power hopes to build on the Formula One experience to transfer its technology to other types of vehicle. Ian Foley, Williams Hybrid Power’s Managing Director said, “As AHP, we had begun to develop our own advanced flywheel technology for application in vehicles. As Williams Hybrid Power, we will make use of the higher profile and Formula One development programme to accelerate development and bring it to market more quickly.” |
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Some estimates say that 20 million will go into developing KERS. Which may be OK for manufacturers who get road car spinoff, but personally I don't this burden should be on independent, low budget F1 teams.
As I understand it, the horsepower available will be restricted, so not even a competitive advantage will be gained.
Williams and proud of it.
Quote:pgj
...and we are supposed to be seeing F1 costs being reduced!
It's another Max' legacy baby.
There's a duplicate thread on this. I do think it is very savvy of Williams to set up another company so that at least they can sell on the technology developed - which maybe no use at all to F1. Really bright thinking.
I've tried to get my head around the math of this stuff but it is very fuzzy. Batteries, high tension wires, electric motors, flywheels . . none of which you can attach to an engine 'cause they're frozen. Then regulating the output in Kw per BHP to an FIA norm . . . the mind boggles.
So yes . . wonderful techno fascination that only money can solve.
You can just imagine Massa being given a 10 place grid penalty for an 'inductor coil resistor infringement'.
Max is loony tunes, end of story.
There can be exceptions but I think they are focusing and spending alot on what they gain, atleast about its effect on racing.
Quote:Mehryar
I have problems with this Tech too...I was wondering how it should improve racing when the usage of the energy is limited per lap or during the whole race and as long as overtaking chances are limited around a circuit, the usage of it will be the same for both cars who are racing with each other.
It isn't just you :-)
The way it has been explained is, 'push button to overtake'. But yes, the guy you are overtaking has this button too . . . but maybe he will use his recovered energy on the next straight while your AA batteries are recharging . .
Turbos and superchargers - similar recycling power principle - never made a whole heap of difference once everyone had them. They just cost a fortune in blown engines.
Not for overtaking, but imagine spinning that thing up under braking, and engaging it for a @#$%&-tonne of torque for accelerating out of the corner only to spin it back up at the entrance of the next corner. You could even save up the spinning mass because you naturally have to brake longer from faster speeds, but some front straights have short straights after the first corner, so you might still have some energy left before you have to brake again, making the acceleration out of the corner after that even faster because you have even more reciprocating mass.
Come to think of it, you could trick the other driver into out-braking themselves a tad and squirting past them after the apex.