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 …

Combining the Best of Batteries and Supercapacitors

Dean Sigler Electric Powerplants, Sustainable Aviation 1 Comment

The CAFE Blog has been tracking developments in batteries and supercapacitors for nearly the last two years, and the annual Electric Aircraft Symposia have attracted speakers on a wide range of innovations in these areas.  Gizmag reminded us this week how much all of this may soon affect the ability of energy storage and power devices to change our world. Their report highlighted work on an energy storage system that combines the energy capacity of batteries with the power density and quick recharging capabilities of capacitors being done at Rice University, and linked that to research at the University of Illinois by Dr. Paul Braun on creating faster charging batteries with higher energy densities than currently possible.  Gizmag then did a callback to something covered earlier by CAFE, the use of structural panels in electric vehicles as energy storage devices. Both researchers pointed to the big disappointment in electrical devices – batteries.  They are either short-lived in their application or take …