Kinetic Energy Recovery System CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION: Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS) were used for the motor sport Formula One's 2009 season, and under development for road vehicles. Its being mainly used by Ferrari, renault, BMW and Mc laren. It raises the car's center of gravity, and reduces the amount of ballast that is available to balance the car so that it is more predictable when turning. Physicist Richard Feynman postulated the theory of transferring the vehicles kinetic energy using the method of Flywheel energy storage. The F1 Kinetic Energy Recovery System or KERS was subsequently confirmed for introduction for the 2009 season, specifying a system that can recover, store and reapply 400 kJ of energy per lap to and from the vehicle at a maximum rate of 60 kW. In order to promote technical development, neither the type of system (be it electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, etc), the weight of the system nor the strategy for reapplication of the recovered energy have been defined. However, one suggestion is that the hybrid system should provide a “Push to Pass” boost system providing 60 kW of boost for 6.67 seconds per lap (= 400 kJ) with the obvious impact on overtaking potential. The 400 kJ / 60 kW specification can be viewed as a surprisingly low power and energy recovery requirement given the quantity of energy dissipated by an F1 car under braking. Dept of mechanical engineeringPage 1
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Kinetic Energy Recovery System
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION:
Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS) were used for the motor sport Formula One's
2009 season, and under development for road vehicles. Its being mainly used by Ferrari, renault,
BMW and Mc laren. It raises the car's center of gravity, and reduces the amount of ballast that is
available to balance the car so that it is more predictable when turning.
Physicist Richard Feynman postulated the theory of transferring the vehicles kinetic
energy using the method of Flywheel energy storage.
The F1 Kinetic Energy Recovery System or KERS was subsequently confirmed for
introduction for the 2009 season, specifying a system that can recover, store and reapply 400 kJ
of energy per lap to and from the vehicle at a maximum rate of 60 kW. In order to promote
technical development, neither the type of system (be it electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, etc),
the weight of the system nor the strategy for reapplication of the recovered energy have been
defined. However, one suggestion is that the hybrid system should provide a “Push to Pass”
boost system providing 60 kW of boost for 6.67 seconds per lap (= 400 kJ) with the obvious
impact on overtaking potential.
The 400 kJ / 60 kW specification can be viewed as a surprisingly low power and energy
recovery requirement given the quantity of energy dissipated by an F1 car under braking.
However, when one recognizes that the existing engine remains unchanged, delivering well in
excess of 550 kW, then the safety implications of an additional power boost of greater than 60
kW are clear.
The 400 kJ / 60 kW specification will remain for the 2010 F1 season and discussions
regarding downsizing the engine and running a higher specification KERS of circa 200 kW is
under discussion for subsequent seasons. In addition, the system is also being discussed in other
areas of motorsport including Le Mans where the ACO are discussing KERS for the 2009
season.
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Kinetic Energy Recovery System
Keywords: Kinetic Energy Recovery System, Flywheel Energy Storage, Kinetic Storage,
Flywheel, Reluctance Motor, Electric Generator / Motor, Regenerative /Recuperative Braking.
1.1INTRODUCTION TO REGENERATIVE BRAKING:
A regenerative brake is a mechanism that reduces vehicle speed by converting some of
its kinetic energy into another useful form of energy - electric current, compressed air. This
captured energy is then stored for future use or fed back into a power system for use by other
vehicles.
For example, An Electrical regenerative brakes in electric railway vehicles feed the
generated electricity back into the supply system In battery electric and hybrid electric vehicles,
the energy is stored in a battery or bank of twin layer capacitors for later use. Other forms of
energy storage which may be used include compressed air and flywheels. Regenerative braking
utilizes the fact that an electric motor can also act as a generator. The vehicle's electric traction
motor is operated as a generator during braking and its output is supplied to an electrical load
[Fig. 1.1].It is the transfer of energy to the load which provides the braking effect.
Fig 1.1 Regenerative braking – kinetic energy stored in a battery
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Kinetic Energy Recovery System
Regenerative braking should not be confused with dynamic braking, which dissipates the
electrical energy as heat and thus is less energy efficient.
1.2INTRODUCTION TO FLYWHEEL ENERGY STORAGE:
Kinetic storages, also known as Flywheel Energy Storages (FES), are used in many
technical fields. While using this technical approach, inertial mass is accelerating to a very high
rotational speed and maintaining the energy in the system as rotational energy. Then energy is
converted back by slowing down the flywheel.
Flywheel mass is either mechanically driven by CVT (Continuously Variable
Transmission) gear unit [Fig. 1.2] or electrically driven via electric motor / generator unit