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[darwin dali]

So KERS provides a boost of 80hp or so for 6 seconds or so per lap. I'm just curious how this power gets to the motor so that it can be actually used? Does it increase the revs above and beyond of what the engine would do without the KERS bump? And if so, a car on a straight approaching max speed and max revs (limited to 18k) wouldn't benefit from KERS because of the rev limiter, right? So, it's only useful in the acceleration phase? Who 'stops' the KERS so that the rev limiter doesn't come into play? The driver or electronics?

[darwin dali]

Bump!

C'mon guys and gals, who knows somtin' on here? Who wants to shine with their brilliance?

[bud]

It makes the power band stronger.

[texasmr2]

Bump!

C'mon guys and gals, who knows somtin' on here? Who wants to shine with their brilliance?

Well that leaves me out !

I'll take a shot anyway:
1. The KERS is basically an efficient CVT gearbox joined to a flywheel that rotates when the cars undergo braking. The stored energy can then be used to boost acceleration for overtaking and cornering, and will work like the power-boost button seen in the A1GP.

_53062xtrac.jpg

2. I doubt the KERS increases the engines rpm because that limit is set by the rules at as you mentioned 18K rpm so once maximum rpm is reached the KERS would be useless and disengage then re-engage with the next gear.

3. I think it would be the electronics that stops the KERS once max rpm is reached at top speed.

[cap-dude]

The rpm and rev limiter stay the same. All KERS does is allow the car to accelerate at a faster rate. So even using KERS the driver will still hit the 18K rev limit.

Also, interesting fact. KERS can be used during quali coming out of the final corner of an out lap for an extra boost, and then once the driver crosses the finish line to begin the lap, they're allowed to use a full bar of KERS all over again. I'd never thought about KERS that way.

[texasmr2]

KERS is actually quite cool yet I would still love to see turbo's brought back.

[stonemonkey]

Bump!

C'mon guys and gals, who knows somtin' on here? Who wants to shine with their brilliance?

Well that leaves me out !

I'll take a shot anyway:
1. The KERS is basically an efficient CVT gearbox joined to a flywheel that rotates when the cars undergo braking. The stored energy can then be used to boost acceleration for overtaking and cornering, and will work like the power-boost button seen in the A1GP.

_53062xtrac.jpg

2. I doubt the KERS increases the engines rpm because that limit is set by the rules at as you mentioned 18K rpm so once maximum rpm is reached the KERS would be useless and disengage then re-engage with the next gear.

3. I think it would be the electronics that stops the KERS once max rpm is reached at top speed.

This is what I thought too (of the flywheel system) but from seeing a vid somewhere I'm not so sure now.

I think the electric system works as some sort of combined motor/dynamo but I'm not sure if it's connected directly to the drive or through some sort of cvt or differential.

Some articles I read on the flywheel version described it as connecting the flywheel mechanically to the drive through a cvt with one of the problems being how to maintain a vacuum at the bearing. But a video I've seen since explaining the flywheel system appeared to show a similar system to the electrical one but using a flywheel with it's own motor/dynamo being used to store/supply the electrical energy instead of a battery.

Sorry for the not very conclusive post.

[stonemonkey]

So, it's only useful in the acceleration phase? Who 'stops' the KERS so that the rev limiter doesn't come into play? The driver or electronics?

Could it be part of the standardised ECU?

[stonemonkey]

Another thing I'm curious about with KERS is how it affects the braking, the system itself will have a braking effect as it's taking energy and storing it so have the brake systems in the cars had to be changed and how much does that affect how the drivers apply the brakes and how the brakes behave?

[texasmr2]

Very confusing aint it?

Another thing I'm curious about with KERS is how it affects the braking, the system itself will have a braking effect as it's taking energy and storing it so have the brake systems in the cars had to be changed and how much does that affect how the drivers apply the brakes and how the brakes behave?

Very good question.?

[stonemonkey]

Very confusing aint it?

Can't remember who it was but someone from one of the teams was talking about it and said they started off by looking at every way of storing energy they could think of, including giant rubber bands. I assume that idea was dismissed fairly early on.

[texasmr2]

Very confusing aint it?

Can't remember who it was but someone from one of the teams was talking about it and said they started off by looking at every way of storing energy they could think of, including giant rubber bands. I assume that idea was dismissed fairly early on.

[McLaren Fan]

This is a good thread, as it raises a question I'm not really sure about either. I think it's something Brundle needs to do a special feature about on the BBC.

KERS is actually quite cool yet I would still love to see turbo's brought back.

[7UpJordan]

One of the thinks Ewan and I joked about a lot over the weekend was EJ's constant gripe over the KERS device, every race he always finds time to moan about it.

[madbrad]

I kind of assumed it was similar to a hybrid car, the kind on GM pickups where the alternator is a big disc in the transmission bellhousing and is also a motor when accelerating, so it's basically an electric motor assisting the gasoline engine to get your speed without using more gas. I assumed it differed from that in that the electricity for it comes from braking energy versus the alternator charging batteries in the consumer hybrid.

However my assumption about the basics is probably way off. I never looked into it.

The problem with KERS as I see it in F1 is that while it was conceived out of a desire to appear to be a green sport, it does not serve in practice to conserve fuel, just to get more speed using less fuel than without it.

If you get rid of KERS you would use even less fuel, you just wouldn't have any of that temporary boost mode. It smacked of Champcar so it's just as well they're dumping it.