Three Races Going Electric – or at Least Hybrid

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

Three major automobile and motorcycle races are adapting electric or hybrid power, and seeing winners in all categories.   The three take place in the month of June every year, making the month a showtime for innovation and a demonstration of incredible driving skills. Isle of Man Perhaps the most dangerous of all events, the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy motorcycle race covers 37 miles on public roads running through countryside and villages.  Over 200 riders have been killed on the course since the first race in 1910.  This doesn’t discourage over 100 riders from qualifying every year and hitting top speeds near 200 mph.  The winning gasoline-powered superbike this year averaged 128.749 during its six laps around the island. By comparison the winning electric bikes in the TT Zero race do only one lap around the course, limited by the current state of battery development.  This year’s winner, John McGuinness riding a Honda/Mugen electric, averaged 119.279 mph, edging into superbike …

Formula 1 Cars and Mazda Recover Waste Energy

Dean Sigler Electric Powerplants, Sustainable Aviation 3 Comments

David Bettencourt, a criminal defense attorney and aviation lawyer in Hawaii, is a follower of Formula 1 racing and energy-efficient systems.  He filed a brief with your editor on the following. Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS) were a relatively new thing in Formula 1 racing in 2009, had significant development problems and were banned in 2010.   Reinstated in 2011, the systems recover the kinetic energy present in the waste heat created by the brakes and exhausts. The energy is then stored in a battery or a light, extremely high-speed flywheel, converted into power and can then deliver a maximum of 60 kilowatts (80 horsepower), which can be called upon by the driver to boost acceleration for up to 6.6 seconds per lap. Williams is a major Formula 1 constructor and developer.  Sam Michael, Williams technical director, explains.  “The rules have changed since KERS was last used in F1.  Re-fuelling is no longer permitted, so the packaging is different now. We …