Filed under: Motorsports, Green
F1 mechanic gets a big shock from KERS
Next year Formula 1 will see the introduction of KERS -- the Kinetic Energy Recovery System. The system stores the energy from braking and makes it available to the driver in an on-demand burst. Due to the magnificent braking forces in braking an F1 car, the system must be called on to store a sizable amount of electricity.
Red Bull got things buzzing last week when an eruption of smoke and fumes lead to a call to the fire department. Today, BMW test driver Christian Klien did three laps in a car equipped with an early edition of KERS, and came back to the pits. When a mechanic touched the car, he got a shock strong enough to throw him to the ground. The mechanic suffered slight injuries to a hand and a grazed arm, but was otherwise unhurt. BMW halted all testing while it looks into the issue, which could simply be a matter of improper grounding. Or, it could be time to suit pit crews up in rubber gear...
[Source: F1 Daily]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Johnny 6:51PM (7/22/2008)
The KERS is a mechanical system. That could still generate a charge but the post mentions the storage of electricity, which it doesn't do.
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komamura 7:10PM (7/22/2008)
Could it be possible for a KERS system to transfer the mechanical energy in to electrical energy for storage and back in to mechanical for use?
AC 7:24PM (7/22/2008)
No, there are both mechanical and electrical systems; BMW has opted for electrical, using batteries/capacitors, others have opted for mechanical using a flywheel (some report 100,000rpm!).
BigMcLargeHuge 7:48PM (7/22/2008)
After this, I'd be asking my crew chief to switch to the flywheel.
pmiddle5 8:49PM (7/22/2008)
Except for when you switched to mechanical and it exploded and tore everything apart. SCARY.
BigMcLargeHuge 11:35PM (7/22/2008)
What are you making this exploding flywheel out of? Pottery?
Lad 12:02AM (7/23/2008)
No question working with high voltage batteries will require a new approach to maintain F1 cars. However, you can bet new rules will shortly follow the installation of hybrids...that's the F1 way
extinctdoughnut 9:14AM (7/23/2008)
McBig:
You have no idea what you are talking about.
KE=Iw^2.
In other words the kinetic energy goes up as the square of the rotational speed. 100,000 rpm dude.
The kinetic energy stored in rotating devices like this is tremendous. These things are most likely made out of a combination of titanium and carbon fiber. Extreme care must be taken in design not only of the rotor, but also the containment vessel.
Hardened scatter shields are required to protect drivers from engine flywheels in most forms of racing where flywheels see 10,000 rpm? average with forged steel or aluminum. Guys have lost their legs in years past from this. Think about 100,000 now.
Leave the engineering up to the engineers please.
extinctdoughnut 8:54AM (7/23/2008)
edit:
KE=1/2*I*W^2
BigMcLargeHuge 6:57PM (7/24/2008)
E.D.
Having taken Basic Physics II hardly qualifies you to be any more than a big douche.
Was a joke.
Cameron 8:10PM (7/22/2008)
Was the car in a pit stall with the grounding straps touching the car?
I'm waiting to see the first tests of the movable aero!
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JD 9:12PM (7/22/2008)
That's exactly what I was thinking, aren't those grounding straps there for the purpose of keeping sparks from coming around the gas cap? Seems like, uh, grounding the car would stop it from grounding on a crew member. However, since they were testing, it's possible they weren't using the straps. That's my guess.
komamura 3:50AM (7/23/2008)
I'm Pretty sure movable aero is banned in F1, Tho I would love to see what the cars would look like if the rules weren't so strict on tech.
azzo45 8:48AM (7/23/2008)
The straps are not hanging off the bottom of the car... they're mounted in the pit stall & they make contact with pads on the bottom of the car.
I'm sure the KERS version of the BMW Sauber had this same set up... Guess it needs updating beyond grounding for refueling process!
Cameron 12:11PM (7/23/2008)
To komamura, the 2009 technical regs allow for limited use of movable aero.
http://www.f1wolf.com/2008/07/2009-formula-1-sporting-and-technical-regulations.html
There are even links to the PDF files themselves.
gary 8:21PM (7/22/2008)
BMW better figure out a way to prevent a fuel vapor explosions from a high voltage electric spark during refueling pit stops.
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Vroom Girl 8:48PM (7/22/2008)
Ow.
Yeah, we don't need any explosions.
Me thinking this may -not- be introduced in 2009...
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pmiddle5 8:50PM (7/22/2008)
Even without it slicks and less downforce should make it all interesting anywayz. Save it for when they arent tazering all the pit crew
f3rg 10:10PM (7/22/2008)
Formula 1 is becoming more difficult to keep up with--regulations-wise--than just about anything. If I didn't love it so much, I'd probably walk away from it.
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hashiryu 10:19PM (7/22/2008)
hmmmm.... BMW & Electrical issues....seriously is anyone surprised? lol
I kid, I kid
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