Kinetic Energy Recovery System

Introduction

The 21st centaury is marked as the beginning of the Green Centaury in all respects. The Auto industry is thus expanding their reach in all directions to adapt the green era as soon as possible.

The every second is being marked as a revolutionizing second of the world, increasing the competition and thus more and more sophisticated technologies are being developed by the great scientist across the world.

Even in this era the maximum efficiency for any internal combustion engine is just 35% approx. thus creates a void to continuously research and develop such sophisticated technologies.

Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) is amongst the most rapid emerging sophisticated technologies.

As the name suggest is a technology that employs to extract the energy wasted due to friction and heat. This extracted energy is then stored and then utilized where and when required.

Principle

The Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) is based on the newton’s law of conservation of energy that states that ‘ The Energy can neither be created nor be destroyed, can just be converted in one form to another.

Overview

The Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) is a system in which when the driver deaccelerates at any point of time, a considerable amount of heat is generated due to the friction which in this system is then utilized by earlier storing in large capacitors and then powering the engine.

Working

The automobile running at a high speed when deaccelerates at any time, the heat energy generated due to friction is then directed to the electric motors employed in place of the entire brake assembly.

These electric motors at this very point of time works as an electric generators, thus converting this rotational energy into the electric energy.

The electrical energy is then stored in FIA issued ultra capacitor pack, about 20 liter volume and forms 1 of the kinetic energy recovery system.

Also, the rotational energy is stored in the flywheel running at 30,000–40,000 rpm, built up by light composite materials but for a limited time period.

As soon as the driver feels the need of the extra boost/power he pushes the button to release all the stored energy via the electric motors adding up the Horse Power to the engine, while accelerating.

The electric motors thus act as nothing less then a separate engine that provide the extra power to the wheels.

This emerging technology is being extensively used in race cars where this extra push is used at the time of overtaking the opponent.

Originally published at https://www.carengineered.com on November 17, 2020.