24 hours of Le Mans 2013: Previewing the Future

Dean Sigler Diesel Powerplants, Electric Powerplants, Sustainable Aviation Leave a Comment

The 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans ended Sunday morning with hybrid racers taking the first five places.  Audi’s R18 e-tron Quattro took first, third and fifth places, with Toyota’s TS030 taking second and a well-earned fourth place.  The winner averaged over 149 mph for the 24 hours. According to Wikipedia, Audi’s R18 e-tron quattro is a hybrid version of the R18 ultra, with a Williams Hybrid Power-designed flywheel accumulator system for energy storage which delivers 500 kiloJoules (about 10.8 horsepower for one second) to the front wheels via an electric motor, giving the car four (quattro) wheel drive. The system, as per the regulations, is only available at speeds above 120 km/h (75 mph). The car is fitted with a smaller 58 liter (15.3 U. S. gallon) fuel tank, which might account for some of the 34 pit stops for the winning entry, despite lower fuel consumption promised by the hybrid system. The e-tron has six driver selectable automatic modes on the steering wheel, allowing short …