Ferrari has confirmed that a decision about whether to use Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems in its newly launched F60 has not yet been taken.

As Felipe Massa on Monday put the first laps on the new car at Mugello, he also marked the Maranello-based outfit's track-debut of the energy-recovery technology.

Ferrari has had a troubled development phase with KERS, developed in conjunction with Magneti-Marelli.

"When we realise that the performance guaranteed by KERS is up to expectations, then it is our task to use it," team boss Stefano Domenicali said.

The team was satisfied with the F60 roll-out, but Brazilian Massa acknowledged to the Italian newspaper La Stampa that a few expected 'little problems' did crop up.

"We used KERS a little at the beginning, gradually increasing the power and so far it has been positive," he said.


Domenicali said he expects KERS to continue to be a challenge for Ferrari, and declined to give a yes or no answer as to whether the system will be fitted to the car in Melbourne in 72 days.

"Reliability played a very heavy burden on us last season, so the first objective is to understand the potential of KERS and then solve all the reliability problems," the Italian explained.

E.A, Source: GMM
© CAPSIS International

 

Hamad,

Can you go into detail on how the KERS system works?

I have wiki'd and googled it but have not found enough info to satisfy my curiosity.

Thank you,
Wilson

 

I've tried looking into this as well. Based on my understanding of what the system does, and how it works, it shouldn't be able to deliver any power to the car at all. As I understand it, KERS uses a regenerative braking system to generate electricity from the energy spent in slowing the car down. This electricity is stored in some sort of battery cell located near the engine. Now, how this energy is then transferred into more power is the part that has me confused. Making more horsepower comes from increasing the amount of air and fuel going into the engine, plain and simple. If the energy was used to make a bigger spark, the engine would burn hotter, therefor reducing engine life, so that's not what it does. The cars don't have any electric motors in the wheel hubs, so the electricity isn't going there either. Maybe I'm missing something, but I just don't understand how storing energy that is made by braking can be used to provide any sort of power boost.

No wonder the teams are having so much trouble figuring out how to incorporate the system!!!

 

Alex,

What I have learned is that there is a CVT type transmission that will allow the power to be applied to the driveline in some manner. Now what type of electric motor is driving this... I have no idea.


Exactly how, I have no idea. I would love to see some schematics of how this works.

Obviously a highly technical secret, but I just want a 1st graders version of how this works.

Are they going to use the stored energy like the push to pass button?

Wilson

 

Thats crazy, regeneration like a Prius....I wonder how it affects the handling, I am surprised it doesn't add unnecessary weight to the F60?

 

The mechanical KERS system utilises flywheel technology to recover and store a moving vehicle’s kinetic energy which is otherwise wasted when the vehicle is decelerated. The energy is received from the driveline through the CVT, as the vehicle decelerates, and is subsequently released back into the driveline, again through the CVT, as the vehicle accelerates. The FIA has defined the amount of energy recovery for the 2009 season as 400kJ per lap giving the driver an extra 80hp over a period of 6.67 seconds.Compared to the alternative of electrical-battery systems, the mechanical KERS system provides a significantly more compact, efficient and lighter solution.
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 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.

 

I'm not sure I can watch F1 anymore if that is what the cars look like. I had a great day and was looking at a little TEAM before I go to sleep and that picture just pissed me right off. Now I wont sleep for hours. Wheres the Macallan...

 

Hamad, thanks for posting that. I'm still not entirely sure I follow that, but I think I'm getting a better grasp on how it works now. Wow, I really picked up the wrong information about KERS somewhere along the way. After figuring out what the heck a toroidal cavity between the disks would looks like, I think I could actually draw up a prototype in CAD. I'm also a little fuzzy on the use of the CVT. I assume this is a separate transmission from the 7-speed sequential box we've all come to know and love?

Hamad, I'm going to try to re-explain how I interpreted your post so others can hopefully understand how the system is all connected and works to help provide extra power, assuming I understood what was described above... So the CVT is driven by the flywheel and connected to the KERS device. The KERS device stores the kinetic energy of the spinning flywheel whenever it's not being used to transfer power to the wheels. The kinetic energy provided by the flywheel spins a motor which is made up of these input and output discs which generate power because of the thin "traction fluid" spread between them. The energy made by the two discs spinning in opposite direction with this fluid between them is stored in what I assume would be a capacitor of some sort. I'm guessing there is a steering wheel mounted button that would release this energy from the capacitor, back through the disks (now locked in place by the traction fluid and whatever clamping force is applied to the "variator unit") and back into the flywheel to contribute additional rotational speed to the flywheel which then goes into the transmission and to the wheels in the form of a power. I'd also have to assume that a CVT is used as a regulator of sorts to prevent too much power being transferred to and from the KERS device at once.

With the new active aerodynamics built into the front wings of the new cars, the same button could be used, in conjunction with the KERS system, to reduce drag in the front wing while increasing power to make passing easier.

Wow, my brain hurts... I sure hope I've got KERS all figured out now.

 

Hamad, Alex,

Thank you!

Wilson

 

So summa sumarum, F1 drivers now have a Nawz-button to press when wanting to overtake. That'll surely up the thrill of the races, wouldn't it?