Formula one kers how does it work

It would be easy to lose all of the KERS lap time potential if these points are not well considered. But, provided you can settle upon the ideal solution and get the gearing of your car right, the 60kW boost to the engine should aid overtaking, at least between KERS cars and non-KERS cars. Subscribe Newsletter. Your special offer X. Subscribe now. This MGU converts the kinetic energy into electrical energy which is then stored in batteries.

When the driver presses the boost button the electrical energy in the batteries powers the MGU — which puts an extra 85bhp into the engine.

You can hear this happening on the onboard cameras as the engine note suddenly jumps up for a few seconds, especially coming out of corners. The diagram below details the Marelli system and the picture to the right shows the Motor Generator Unit. Each team has a slightly different spec of MGU — all slightly smaller than the one pictured here but the construction is identical.

One of the toughest elements of electronic KERS is how to store the electrical energy, most of the teams use a lithium battery, not dissimilar to those used in mobile phones just a lot bigger.

Mechanical KERS, such as the system being developed by Williams, is opposed to the electrical KERS illustrated here It works on the same principle, but use a flywheel to store and re-use the waste energy. You May Also Like. Formula SAE: the school side of racing They are young, passionate, full of imagination and energy.

Vehicles with Steering Wheel Optional, as early as ? Audi R18 to gain digital rearview mirror for Le Mans Audi announced that its R18 race car will be equipped with a digital rearview mirror connected to a tiny, lightweight camera mounted on the roof, just behind More Articles. From this author. Articles By Auto Formula 1 cars have a maximum weight limit, and the components can weigh up to 45 kilograms. There have also been concerns about the safety of the systems.

If the flywheel, rotating at thousands of revolutions per second, is freed from its constrains, it could inflict heavy damage on anything it collides with. Often that would be the driver. Even when restrained, the flywheel will take time to stop rotating and so engineers and anyone else dealing with the car would need to be careful to stay clear of it. In the event of a crash, this could impede medical staff from providing attention to a driver still in the car.

With regards to motorsport, as Formula 1 continues to strive to achieve a cleaner, greener public image, the sport will implement more rules to promote the use of KERS. The engineering challenge lies in providing teams with the largest possible advantage while still staying within the rules of the governing body. Some passenger car manufacturers have talked about using a KERS implementation in their cars.

Volvo, usually an industry leader in innovation, have already built a development mule of their flagship S60 with a mechanical keys implementation.