Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid leads enduro race nearly to finish ... then ICE fails :)

[MetroMPG]

Image and story from AGB

For the first 22 hours and 15 minutes of the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid demonstrated pretty conclusively that being able to go 25 percent further on every tank of gas can be very beneficial in endurance racing.

In the end, the driver heard a loud bang, and that was it. Something had failed in the engine.

The system used in the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid is markedly different from conventional hybrid systems in its configuration and components. The front axle features two electric motors, each developing 60 kilowatts (about 80 horsepower) to complement the 480 horsepower naturally-aspirated four-liter flat six that drives the rear wheels. The car ditches the heavy battery found in a conventional hybrid in favor of an electrical flywheel power generator installed inside next to the driver
The flywheel generator, with its rotor spinning at up to 40,000 rpm while mechanically storing energy, also works as an electric motor. Whenever the driver applies the brakes the flywheel generator is charged as the two front axle electric motors reverse their role and act as generators. This additional power is available after each charge for approximately six to eight seconds and can be used when accelerating out of a bend or while overtaking. The driver can use the extra energy from the charged flywheel generator, sending up to 120 kilowatts of stored kinetic energy to the motors.

Read More Porsche Builds A Competition-Caliber Hybrid | Autopia | Wired.com

[MetroMPG]

Flywheel system details:



Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid - Flywheel Formula

The rotor inside the KERS module is capable of rotating up to 40,000rpms, storing the kinetic energy of braking. The energy is stored for 6-8 seconds, during which time the driver can access it to gain an extra power from the 120kW of motor boosting the engine's push to accelerate the car. This results in both faster pickup speed and fuel savings, both very important to GT racing.

The article that info came from makes (I believe) a basic mistake in describing regen though. They say that the axle motors "rotate backwards to become generators" under braking.

Um, nope! Motor and generator functions happen in the same direction of rotation.

[Daox]

Very very cool.

Wonder what kinda bearings they use that can take 40k rpm though...

[tasdrouille]

Very cool indded!

I'm curious what bearings they use too, but not too impressed with the speed per se, the oil cooled journal bearings in my turbo spinning in excess of 100k rpm everyday.

[Daox]

I think the speed limitation comes from the centripetal forces at the high rpms. You're dealing with something a fair amount larger in diameter than a turbocharger's turbine. The velocity at that larger diameter is going to be quite a bit higher despite the lower rpms. Plus, its not just one solid piece of aluminum spinning. Thats my guess at least.

[Funny]

I'm concerned. If that picture is correct, then the Flywheel spins horizontally? Wouldn't it be better to be placed vertically? The gyroscopic effect must be wicked! Cool idea though. It figures that the ICE fails, not the experimental electronics and flywheel!

[Angmaar]

That's awesome! Good for the whole hybrid/green thing.

[MetroMPG]

Funny: I'd think you want a vertical axis of rotation so the car can turn corners unopposed by gyroscopic force

A friend told me just yesterday that his scientist dad used to pull a trick where he would hide a sizeable gyroscope inside a suitcase (horizontal rotation axis) and ask someone to carry it down the hall... and around the corner. Haha, nerdy practical jokes.

[robchalmers]

this hybrid system is KERS system the Williams F1 team developed last year, but never fitted. there current driver Nico Hulkenburg threw the 911 round the gren hell a ouple of time to help develop it with Porsche.

it is a Very clever system

[zhillz]

All F1 cars are 'hybrids'.

Prosche spent millions on the design, so I'm sure they tested verticle vs horizontal.