Posted on Tuesday 5 June 2007
Formula One is set for a dramatic change with the announcement today that a deal has been struck between two British engineering firms for the development of an energy recovering gearbox slated for introduction into F1 by 2009. The goal is to reduce the level of greenhouse gas emissions by recovering energy wasted during braking, and is part of FIA president Max Moseley’s dream to make F1 more cost-efficient, road relevant and environmentally friendly.
The design work is being handled by transmission specialists Torotrak and Xtrac, who will be forming a partnership to develop the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) first proposed by Moseley last month. The KERS is basically an efficient CVT gearbox joined to a flywheel that rotates when the cars undergo braking. The stored energy can then be used to boost acceleration for overtaking and cornering, and will work like the power-boost button seen in the A1GP.
This is just the first of a raft of new changes that are to be introduced into F1 by 2009. Some of the other proposed changes put forward by Moseley include downsizing the engines to 2.4L V8s or possibly 2.2L V6 powerplants, with rev limits set at just 10,000rpm. Sadly, it seems that the guys in charge of F1 are forgetting what it is that makes the races so interesting.
Official press release after the jump.
Torotrak and Xtrac transmission expertise will help F1 teams develop new, highly efficient, mechanical kinetic energy recovery systems … technology also applicable to road cars
Toroidal traction drive specialist Torotrak plc and vehicle transmission design and manufacturing company Xtrac Ltd are pleased to announce that on 4 June 2007 they entered into a licence agreement to enable Xtrac to develop highly efficient and compact continuously variable transmissions (CVTs) for use in the new kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS) proposed for Formula One (“F1”) motor racing.
In 2009, F1 is introducing new rules that will lower the environmental impact of the sport. Part of this is to recover deceleration energy that can be stored for acceleration. Xtrac will exploit Torotrak’s full-toroidal traction drive technology, for use in kinetic energy recovery systems within the motorsport industry, to assist its customers in meeting these new obligations.
Commenting on the co-operation between the two companies, Peter Digby, managing director of Xtrac, said: “The transfer of world-class transmission technology from Torotrak, combined with the added value of Xtrac’s expertise in the design and manufacture of transmissions for motorsport – and with clear potential to feed the resulting technical solution back into mainstream automotive use – is a good example of what I believe FIA president Max Mosley had in mind when he announced that Formula One should embrace an energy efficient future and open up the world of motorsport to new manufacturers.”
Dick Elsy, chief executive at Torotrak, added: “We are delighted to be working with Xtrac on this exciting new application of our transmission technology, to provide a highly efficient KERS solution for initial application in motorsport, but with a clear opportunity to apply the system in mainstream road cars to provide performance, economy and greenhouse gas emission benefits.”
Background
Some of the new KERS systems under development will be mechanically based and will utilise a flywheel to recuperate, store and subsequently discharge a moving vehicle’s kinetic energy, which is otherwise wasted when the vehicle is decelerated. The kinetic energy is stored during a braking manoeuvre and is then released back into the driveline as the vehicle accelerates.
The toroidal traction drive variator, being developed with Torotrak and using Torotrak’s patented technology, is a central element in these mechanical flywheel-variator KERS systems as it provides a continuously variable ratio connection between the flywheel and the vehicle driveline, via the vehicle’s gearbox. Torotrak has granted a licence to Xtrac to design, manufacture, assemble and distribute components or complete variator systems incorporating Torotrak’s technology to its F1 customers.
The innovative combination of a Torotrak variator – providing mechanical efficiency that should be in excess of 90 per cent – with a flywheel of advanced construction, results in a highly efficient and compact energy storage system. Whilst Xtrac will supply variator units to its customers, the flywheels for these energy recovery systems are being developed separately by the Formula 1 teams themselves and their specialist suppliers. Torotrak will provide the control system expertise.
Torotrak and Xtrac believe that the variator-flywheel solution provides a significantly more compact, efficient, lighter and environmentally-friendly solution than the traditional alternative of electrical-battery systems.
“The variator weighs less than 5kg in these applications and provides a high level of mechanical efficiency, enabling the overall mass of the mechanical KERS systems to be minimised,” says Chris Greenwood, technology director at Torotrak. “This mechanical efficiency, combined with the variator’s ability to change ratio very rapidly, helps to optimise flywheel performance.”
The two companies consider that the system is applicable to other motor sports and everyday vehicles and see the potential for wider applications – particularly on high-performance road cars – as an aid to performance and also as a means of developing future vehicles with reduced CO 2 emission levels.
The system supports the current trend in powertrain design for engine downsizing by providing a means of boosting acceleration, overall performance and economy independently of the vehicle’s engine and without the need for complex electrical-battery hybrid architectures.
A CVT-controlled flywheel is particularly suited to stop-start driving situations when real-world fuel economy is often at its worst. In these conditions, the variator-flywheel system can assist the launch of a vehicle which has slowed down or come to a standstill, by utilising the kinetic energy stored in the flywheel. In heavily congested traffic, where a car is frequently stopped and restarted, the system can help alleviate the heavy fuel consumption and emissions of greenhouse gasses normally associated with these conditions.
For the F1 applications, the stored kinetic energy can be applied by the driver on demand whenever required – at a rate and for a time period set by the regulations – to boost performance for rapid acceleration. The device is particularly beneficial when exiting corners or for tricky overtaking manoeuvres.
“The mechanical efficiency, compactness and mass of the variator system is critical since it directly influences the size and the ability to package such a system into an F1 car, or into a road vehicle,” says Adrian Moore, technical director at Xtrac. “The size, torque capacity and response of the unit is critical to take the full advantage of having a flywheel KERS system.”
Technical notes on Torotrak’s toroidal variable drive technology
The components within each variator include an input disc and an opposing output disc. Each disc is formed so that the gap created between the discs is ‘doughnut’ shaped; that is, the toroidal surfaces on each disc form the toroidal cavity.
Two or three rollers are located inside each toroidal cavity and are positioned so that the outer edge of each roller is in contact with the toroidal surfaces of the input disc and output disc.
As the input disc rotates, power is transferred via the rollers to the output disc, which rotates in the opposite direction to the input disc.
The angle of the roller determines the ratio of the Variator and therefore a change in the angle of the roller results in a change in the ratio. So, with the roller at a small radius (near the centre) on the input disc and at a large radius (near the edge) on the output disc the Variator produces a “low” ratio. Moving the roller across the discs to a large radius at the input disc and corresponding low radius at the output produces the “high” ratio and provides the full ratio sweep in a smooth, continuous manner.
The transfer of power through the contacting surfaces of the discs and rollers takes place via a microscopic film of specially developed long-molecule traction fluid. This fluid separates the rolling surfaces of the discs and rollers at their contact points.
The input and output discs are clamped together within each variator unit. The traction fluid in the contact points between the discs and rollers become highly viscous under this clamping pressure, increasing its ‘stickiness’ and creating an efficient mechanism for transferring power between the rotating discs and rollers.
Reduce greenhouse emissions of F1 cars???
How’s that for ridiculous!?
We are talking about such a small number of cars that they mean nothing in the global balance.
F1 is the top of car racing. It is about performance and fun, for millions of people. How much greenhouse gases they emit should be easily tolerated.
What’s next, pedal powered F1 cars??
i like this idea!
same principle as current hybrids, except with a mechanical rather than electrical “battery.”
same basic principle too, as winding up a spring to ABSORB energy, then making use of later, rather than letting it just go to waste as heat.
you guys ever considered how much HEAT is generated and must be disposed of, in braking a car from just 70 mph? now imagine the energy that 200 mph cars regularly dump!
F1 used to be the playground for auto engineers pushing the state-of-the-art in automotive technology. then it got into arcane rules, regs, politics, etc.
development of this energy recovery system WILL once again showcase leading edge tech.
You have failed to realize that cars are going electric because fuel is running out. Electric is simpler not more complex. 2 -4 bearings and one moving part. Look how complex this system is. Elec motor, Instant and ALL torque at 0rpm thank you. Everyone should look at the physics of electronics you will know that in reality mechanical things fail LONG before eclectically efficient things do. Always a switch or a relay fails. not the electronics. With nano tube technology, super efficient capacitors can store large quantities of energy and have amazing charge and discharge efficiency . With nano tech 1000kw motors the size of your fist maybe possible, at amazing efficiency. Once again mechanical engineers think they rule when it comes to reliability. Silicon valley is the future of cars, get used to it. Hello ever heard of fly by wire.
Very entrenched narrow minded path. Here I though F1 was going to embrace the awesome advantage of electricity, and show people what nano tube conductors and NANO CAPs and Titanate batteries can do, so disappointed.
Very interesting statements. First, F1 is realy a playground for engineers and the teams have a huge budget to follow all kinds of useful ideas. I love the idea to re-use the braking energy. Whether on a mechanical or electrical basis - it does not matter. However, the flywheel concept is not new a there is a certain experience available. In contrary, where are all the revolutionary electric concepts and solutions. A lot of ideas were presented in the past, but non of them is commercialized. Everybody is talking about Nano Technology and things that will have great impact to our lives. But again, where are these concepts and solutions? I would suggest, as long as the elctric engineers are working on their great ideas, which are very welcome - let the mechanical engineers introduce their solution which will function within a short period of time. There is always space for improvements and innovations. There is no reason to argue, just go ahead and make these ideas come true!
Electric recovery has multipoint losses. Mechanical efficiency of the solution is almost 2 better than electrical (70% efficiency in recovery). Also there is notorious problem of storage. Mechanical can be light whil electric system has heavy bateries. the advantage of electric in F1 is that parts can be distributed so weight can be distributed to bring good balance to the car. That is not possible with mechanical solution. Also mechanical storage system has gyroscope effect that is difficult to F1 engineers (vibration, induced tensions).
Also it is not the same as hybrid car systems. Those may recover energy from braking, but their principle is rather to run on electric energy from charging. In F1 we are talking about recovery from braking only. The energy from recovery is sufficient to give boost, but not sufficient to power car continuously.
And if you are interested how mechanical systems work and what issues were overome then search for company name Flybrid. They have built one of systems for F1 for 2009.
In answer to ‘biturbo’ (June 6) it’s not the racing that’s the emissions problem with F1. It’s the construction, testing and air transport of cars and equipment around the world. The Honda team estimates they emit about 12,500 tonnes of greenhouse gas every year. In Melbourne Australia, the F1 grand prix is held in a major public park on a temorary circuit. The set-up and take down of this circuit involves trucking in and trucking out 40,000 tonnes of race infrastructure. This is an environmental outrage. It’s not fun for the local residents.
To respond to Pewigo and others if they are looking fo greener racing alternatives as the FIA are doing why allow Berni Ecclestone to insist on and promote night racing just to fit in with viewing figures in europe
I understand how the energy is captured, but not sure I see how the captured energy is transformed into power that can be harnessed for the driver to use. How does the electrical energy get converted into a useful form?
Bruce
I’m glad the writer of the article said that Formula One is forgetting what makes it so interesting. How true. The cars are becoming spec cars like, shudder, Nascar. Yuk. Right now the engine development is FROZEN! These engineers, the best on the planet, can’t even come up w/ innovate designs anymore. Pretty soon the cars will all be basically the same. Boring. Yes, Formula One is a playground for the rich. It always has been, but it also has been the league that had the greatest names in auto racing associated w/ it, the best teams and the best drivers. Formula One, get it? Now all the rules are designed to slow the cars down and stifle development.