Fuels for thought - Race Engine Technology...ratio on engine efficiency and output. E85 is a blend...

What is alternative energy? From Race Engine

Technology’s point of view, it is energy that is not

necessarily created from fossil or synthetic sources.

So, we might include solar energy, energy stored

in batteries and capacitors, flywheels, energy in the exhaust gases of

combustion devices, energy in the form of biofuels such as bioethanol,

and the output of fuel cells.

We don’t aim to pass judgement on the rights and wrongs of

electricity generation for electric race series; the term ‘zero-emission

vehicle’ is a controversial one. Nevertheless, the time will come when

most of our electricity generation will be from non-fossil sources,

and our road transport is predicted to be largely of the purely electric

type within a few decades. It is inconceivable that motor racing won’t

follow this trend and, as we shall see, there are those in the forefront

who are already racing in the pure electric arena.

We need to deal here not only with the source of the energy, but

its storage and conversion to motive thrust. An electric motor is not

generally a device for energy storage, but rather a means of converting

stored chemical energy into kinetic energy. Where energy is stored by

mechanical means, a transmission is the means by which energy is

captured and released.

Alternative fuelsOf those technologies that readers of Race Engine Technology are

familiar with, the internal combustion engine is the best known.

There are many options for converting existing engines or designing

new ones to run on what might be termed ‘alternative fuels’ such as

bioethanol and biodiesel. Indeed, there are a number of successful

race engines that have been converted to run on fuels which are

either entirely biofuels or have a large proportion of biofuel content.

Bioethanol is the best known of the biofuels; your average ‘man on

28

Wayne Ward reports on the various technologies lining up to see motor racing past the fossil-fuel age

Fuels for thought

Fig. 1 – The American Le Mans Series encourages

alternative fuels. The Mazda-powered Dyson Racing

machine ran on a mix of bioethanol and biobutanol

in 2010 (Courtesy of Advanced Engine Research)

28-35 RET053.indd 28 22/03/2011 12:01

PROPE

RTY

OF HI

GH PO

WER

MED

IA.

NOT

TO B

E RE

PUBL

ISHE

D

IN P

RINT

OR

ONLIN

E

29

FOCUS : ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

between synthetic ethanol and bioethanol. Bioethanol is produced by

fermentation of much longer molecules (sugars and starches) that we

find in quantity in certain crops. The argument about so-called fuel

crops displacing food crops as we try to become less dependant on

fossil sources of fuel has led to a lot of money being spent on r&d to

produce the cellulosic alcohols mentioned above.

Cellulose isn’t readily digestible by humans, and we call it ‘fibre’

or ‘roughage’. It is treated as a waste product generally in terms of

food, although it does have a number of important uses. Cellulose is a

substance where a great number of organic units are joined together. It

is not fermentable without pre-treatment to break it down into sugars

and starches. The attraction of cellulose is that it is abundant; about a

third of all plant matter is cellulose, but the quantity varies from plant

to plant.

As a race fuel, pure bioethanol requires some changes to the

operating conditions of the engine, as well as some understanding

of the properties of the fuel from the series organisers. The fuel has

a much lower energy density than gasoline or diesel, so to produce

competitive power you need to use more fuel. This might require

the rule-makers to allow users of biofuels to run a bigger tank to

be competitive. For example, in endurance racing, a given size of

fuel tank containing E85 will take the car far fewer laps than one

containing gasoline. Tanks of different fuels containing the same

quantity of energy will have different masses, so to balance car

performance where different fuels are used in one race class is not

straightforward.

Beyond bioethanol, there are other alcohol fuels in use in racing.

Again in endurance racing, the Mazda two-litre turbo engine being

raced in the American Le Mans Series has been successful while

running on alcohol fuels. In 2010 it ran a mixture of ethanol and

biobutanol (Fig. 1).

There are some unusual facts concerning butanol. It can take a

number of forms, as it is the first of the alcohols where the chain

doesn’t necessarily have to be a straight line. It can take a tetrahedral

form called t-butanol, which is a solid at room temperature, although

this is miscible in ethanol. Another interesting fact is that, while it isn’t

safe to eat or drink, it is allowed in countries such as the US and Japan

as a food additive to enhance flavour.

Butanol fuels have several advantages over bioethanol. They can

be run in gasoline engines with very little or no modification, and

its energy density (in terms of energy per litre of liquid) is much

closer to that of gasoline than is the case for ethanol. In fact, the

specific energy of butanol fuel (measured in energy in the fuel

per kilogramme of air consumed by the engine at stoichiometric

conditions) exceeds that of gasoline. Oil company BP has developed

both biobutanol-blend road fuels and the ethanol-butanol mix used

in endurance racing.

The ethanol-butanol mix improves on the poor energy density of

ethanol and the octane rating of butanol. The octane rating of butanol

is very similar to gasoline, although lower, and the ethanol boosts

this, allowing it to run happily in a high-compression air-restricted

turbocharged application. As motor racing and production engines

move inexorably toward small, light, highly boosted turbocharged

the street’ will probably have heard of it for one of two reasons – the

fact that it can be used as a fuel, or the ongoing political debate about

its production. Biodiesel is also well-known; it can be produced from

both animal and vegetable fats.

There are a number of ‘E’ fuels containing bioethanol mixed with

gasoline. E5 contains 5% bioethanol, E10 contains 10% bioethanol,

and so on. Fuels containing less than 10% of ethanol are popular

for a number of reasons. First, they can be used in unmodified

gasoline engines. Second, they can be helpful in cleaning up exhaust

emissions, and for this reason they are mandated in certain parts of the

world. E15 is a popular fuel blend, and in 2011 NASCAR will run with

E15 fuel where the 15% ethanol is biofuel made from corn grown in

the US.

Ethanol has a higher octane rating than gasoline, so engines running

a fuel with some ethanol content can run a higher compression ratio,

and many of us will be familiar with the positive effect of compression

ratio on engine efficiency and output.

E85 is a blend of gasoline with 85% ethanol, and some teams in

the American Le Mans Series have used this fuel with the ethanol

content being of the cellulosic type. Cellulosic ethanol is made from

the cellulose in plant matter, and therefore many types of vegetation

and waste from arable farming can be used, although the vegetation

requires more processing to produce the sugars used in the alcohol

production process.’

‘Conventional’ bioethanol is produced from sources such as corn

and sugar cane; there is some controversy here over the merits of

displacing food crops in order to grow fuel. All types of simple,

short-chain alcohols, whether produced by industrial synthesis or

by biological methods (fermentation using bacteria or yeast) are

chemically identical. Once refined, it is not possible to differentiate

t

28-35 RET053.indd 29 22/03/2011 12:01

PROPE

RTY

OF HI

GH PO

WER

MED

IA.

NOT

TO B

E RE

PUBL

ISHE

D

IN P

RINT

OR

ONLIN

E


engines, any biofuels developed need to be able to cope with the

particular needs of such engines. Knock resistance is one of the most

important parameters, and a high octane rating is essential in this

respect.

Methanol is another alcohol fuel which many racers will be familiar

with, as it was used in CART (Champ Car) for many years. It too can

be produced as a biofuel and can be run as a blend at 10-20% with

gasoline without requiring engine modifications. Pure methanol has

some problems though. In addition to poor energy density, it often

requires either material modifications to race engines or for the engine

to be run on gasoline after a race so that the system is purged of

methanol.

So, for a bespoke engine, designed to run on methanol, there should

be few problems, provided that the material issues are understood

and that any particular procedures are followed. Methanol burns with

a clear flame, and where there are fuel spills which are ignited, this

makes the resulting fire difficult to tackle.

It is clear that biofuels such as bioalcohols and biodiesel will

become an increasingly important part of the ‘energy mix’ that is used

for both road transport and racing in future, although present costs

of production don’t make them attractive economically compared to

crude oil-based road fuels. We cannot replace gasoline and diesel with

biofuels in the near to medium term; the capacity to do so in both fuel

crop production and processing capacity does not exist.

Should racing lead the way in this? In many cases there is little

scope within the rules to use ‘alternative’ fuels, and where there is

scope, it can often be a disadvantage to use other fuels unless there

is some way to balance the overall performance of the vehicle during

the race. As we have seen, the differences in energy content of the

fuel mean that the balancing of vehicle performance to provide a

‘level playing field’ is not straightforward, and requires some careful

consideration on the part of the series organisers and rule makers

if different fuels are to be allowed in a race. Of course, mandating

a certain fuel for a given series is another option whereby series

organisers can make the leap to biofuels.

Hybrid technologiesThe recovery of braking energy is one area where racing is very much in

the vanguard. Providing that the rules encourage – or at least do not stifle

– such developments, this is something we will see increase in use in the

coming years. The ACO, which organises the Le Mans 24 Hour race and

whose regulations form the basis of the various other endurance series

running globally, has come up with a carefully considered set of rules

that seem to encourage hybrid technology, and it should be applauded

for this move. However, the ACO has not given an automatic entry to an

LM P1 gasoline-electric hybrid entry for the 2011 race.

There are a number of variations on the recovery, storage and re-use

of braking energy, but all have the same theme. They seek to reduce

the amount of kinetic energy converted to heat and dissipated by the

brake system, and use the recovered energy at an advantageous time.

In roadcars, the general aim of such systems is to have a car with a

small engine that feels like it has a big engine when we put our foot

down. In racing, the aim of an unfettered set of regulations would

surely be to increase acceleration and decrease lap time. It is likely

though that racing, in seeking to present a more environmentally

friendly image to the public – and in trying to become a more relevant

arena for the development of technology – will frame its regulations

to have similar aims to those of the roadcar manufacturers. We might

see smaller, more efficient engines, linked to hybrid systems to give

racecars performance equal to those with a larger engine.

Production cars equipped with hybrid systems are all electric

hybrids – they capture, store and re-use the energy electrically. We

are probably all familiar with the alternating current generator (ACG/

alternator) being part of our roadcar or race engine installation. This

takes a drive from the engine to charge the battery. The battery, being

a store of chemical energy, is able to supply other components that

require electrical energy. In this case the alternator is parasitic: it takes

energy from the engine to power other systems.

With an electric hybrid system, a much larger and more powerful

alternator is used, and when the driver applies his foot to the brake

pedal, the braking demand is calculated and the car is slowed by the

opposing torque of the alternator and the brakes. One of the clever

parts of such systems is the calculation and management of the

amount of braking energy converted by the brakes and the alternator.

When the battery is fully charged, the driver doesn’t want to feel part

of his brakes ‘switched off’, nor does he want to feel an inconsistent

response to a consistent application of the brakes at any given corner

on each lap. The control of such systems so that consistent brake ‘feel’

and performance are maintained is a key point in their successful

implementation.

The alternator for a race electric hybrid is a very special piece

of equipment, being generally a three-phase machine capable of

converting energy at a high rate in a small package. A well optimised

hybrid motor will be similar in principle to the small specialised

permanent-magnet alternators used in some race applications. The

rate of energy conversion is such that these motors often require liquid

cooling in order to keep the internals within the optimum operating

range. Fig. 2 shows a typical race hybrid motor.

The alternator charges a large battery (Fig. 3) with a much greater

30

Fig. 2 – Zytek’s permanent-magnet three-phase motor technology

has been developed over many years. This motor is the basis for a

hybrid endurance prototype to be raced in 2011 (Courtesy of Zytek Automotive)

t

28-35 RET053.indd 30 22/03/2011 12:01

PROPE

RTY

OF HI

GH PO

WER

MED

IA.

NOT

TO B

E RE

PUBL

ISHE

D

IN P

RINT

OR

ONLIN

E

RET_ADTEMP.indd 1 22/03/2011 19:26

PROPE

RTY

OF HI

GH PO

WER

MED

IA.

NOT

TO B

E RE

PUBL

ISHE

D

IN P

RINT

OR

ONLIN

E

32

energy storage capacity than we would normally be used to finding in

a racecar. In general, a racecar battery is used only for powering small

loads such as lighting, fuel injection and so on, rather than providing

any motive power. A normal race battery is similar to a general

automotive battery, being based on lead-acid chemistry, using either

water or a gel as an electrolyte. A battery is made up of more than one

cell; while we all call the devices that power our TV remote control or

wrist watches ‘batteries’, these are more correctly referred to as cells.

A car battery though is correctly termed a battery. In a 12 V battery

there are six lead-acid cells, each producing about 2 V.

The most common kind of battery used for hybrid race applications

is based on lithium-ion cells. These first became available

commercially in the early 1990s, although cells chemistries based on

lithium were first used almost a century ago. The chemistry of the cell

dictates the voltage that it produces, and a lithium-ion cell produces

about 3.5 V. These are available in cylindrical and flat forms. Where

chemistry dictates voltage, cell volume dictates energy capacity.

Whichever geometry of cell is chosen for the battery in question, it is

normal to connect many cells in series. As we might remember from our

physics lessons at school, electrical power is equivalent to the product

of voltage and current. Therefore, given a certain power requirement,

we need to choose which voltage to use. High currents require a high

cross-sectional area for the conductors, leading to much higher system

weights. Electrical transmission losses are also lower in high-voltage

systems, which is why electrical power lines are always high voltage.

The use of lithium-ion cells is not straightforward; there are a

number of factors that need to be considered. Batteries made up

of lithium-ion cells need a protection circuit, often referred to as a

battery conditioning circuit, which limits the peak voltage of each cell

and stops any cell voltage from dropping too low on discharge. Cell

temperature monitoring is used to check that the cells aren’t becoming

overheated, which can cause damage, fire or even an explosion.

There is also some loss of performance due to depth of charge /

discharge. This can be controlled to some extent by maintaining the

battery in the middle of its charge and discharge cycle, and this strategy

is commonly employed in production car hybrid vehicles. However, this

means that a much heavier battery is used for a given level of power or

energy storage, as there is a portion of the battery’s capability at the top

and bottom of the voltage range that isn’t used. For racing, the depth of

charge and discharge is much wider, which means that the mass of the

battery is a minimum given the level of energy storage, although there

is a penalty for this in terms of reduced life. Lithium-ion cells also age

naturally over time, although this effect is reduced by storing the cells at

lower temperatures, typically lower than 15 C (about 60 F).

The lithium-ion cell can be optimised for energy storage or charge/

discharge rate (power), although cell development means that both

these parameters have seen improvements in recent years but, in

general, improvement in energy density means a discharge in power

density. Owing to the large amount of research into lithium-ion cells,

we can look forward to rapid development in the next few years. There

is a lot of research into improving the charge/discharge rates of cells,

so that high power demand or availability can be satisfied with a lower

battery mass. Quite often the discharge rate of a battery is the limiting

factor, and this is affected by electrode area, chemistry and the design

of the ‘current collectors’ within the cells.

In any electric hybrid installation, there is a third major component

in the system, besides the battery and motor, and this is the power

electronics module. This is responsible for the high-speed switching of

large currents that enables the three-phase motor to work.

The three modules are most commonly packaged separately, giving

a lot of flexibility in the choice of where to site each component. The

battery can be irregularly shaped and even split into smaller parts, to

be more easily packaged on the car. This can be a compelling reason

for using electric hybrid technology.

There are a number of electromechanical hybrid systems that

use the advantages of storing energy mechanically. Energy storage

using flywheels is nothing new but it is the subject of a lot of current

research, and strong interest is being shown in this field by a number

of automotive manufacturers, even though such systems have been

used for a number of years for uninterruptible power supplies for

computer installations.

Electromechanical systems use a motor to spin a flywheel, and the

energy stored in the flywheel can in turn be used to drive the motor/

alternator (a motor is an alternator when the flow of energy is in the

opposite direction). The electrical energy can then be fed by other

motors to augment the engine output at the crankshaft, the gearbox or

at the driven wheels.

A number of companies in racing are involved in electromechanical

hybrid technology, with one system being raced by a well

known manufacturer in GT racing using a novel approach to the

electromechanical concept. In loading a large flywheel with magnetic

particles, the flywheel itself acts as the rotor of a conventional electric

motor/alternator. This system was originally developed for the 2009

Formula One KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) regulations. The

advantages of flywheel storage are high energy and power density, plus

the important fact that the system doesn’t age over time, as a battery

does. For this reason, flywheel energy storage is being looked at for

space-flight applications by organisations such as NASA.

There is a third alternative – a fully mechanical system that links

the flywheel to the engine or transmission via a constantly variable

transmission. One such system has been featured in Race Engine

Technology a number of times. Again this was originally developed for

the 2009 KERS regulations, but was never raced. However, the system

is under investigation by a number of large-volume and niche-market

motor manufacturers; if we needed to prove a link between motorsport

and the general automotive industry, this is it. A system developed

initially for racing use, it is being taken very seriously to improve

Fig. 3 – A racing hybrid battery,

based on lithium-ion cells

(Courtesy of Zytek Automotive)

28-35 RET053.indd 32 22/03/2011 12:02

PROPE

RTY

OF HI

GH PO

WER

MED

IA.

NOT

TO B

E RE

PUBL

ISHE

D

IN P

RINT

OR

ONLIN

E

33


hot stream of exhaust gas, which takes a huge amount of energy out

of the system in the form of hot, turbulent gas and dumps it into the

atmosphere. Turbocharging, where it is employed, takes a proportion

of this energy and uses it to compress the inlet air, thereby increasing

the mass fl ow capacity of the engine. Turbo-compounding is the

next logical step, and will arrive in racing when the rules encourage

maximum effi ciency. Cosworth reputedly looked at this in the last

turbo Formula One era; stories from the time say the FIA was not keen

on the idea of the men from Northampton supplying power units with

vastly more power than anyone else would have.

Turbo-compounding takes energy from the exhaust and increases

tractive effort by one of various methods. Purely mechanical turbo-

compounding takes the drive from the turbine and, through a series

of gears, returns the energy to the crankshaft. Where this is done at a

fi xed speed ratio, we might expect to fi nd that maximum effi ciency is

not achieved.

There are a number of ways in which exhaust energy can be

captured and returned to the drivetrain, and where we can incorporate

an energy storage device – electrical energy stored in a battery,

fl ywheel or other device – we don’t have to re-use the energy at the

same time as we harvest it. Some of the possible turbo-compounding

technologies were discussed in the recent Race Engine Technology

article (1) on turbocharging and supercharging. High-speed turbo-

generators which supply energy to a battery (Fig. 6) are available now,

and coupling a turbine to a fl ywheel via a CVT is another possibility.

vehicle performance or powertrain effi ciency, and it will race at Le

Mans in 2011.

Flywheels might commonly be thought of as large steel discs, but

equally they may be cylinders with considerable width. Modern

fi bre-reinforced composites, with their very high strength, make high-

capacity fl ywheels in small package spaces a reality. Our school

rotor-dynamics classes taught us that the most effi cient place to put

material if high inertia is required is at the periphery of a cylinder of a

given diameter. Flywheels from racing mechanical hybrid systems, are

shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

Turbo-compoundingIn general, gasoline engines are not brilliantly effi cient, being usually

little better than the average coal- or oil-fi red power stations which

have thermal effi ciencies of around 30%, and certainly much worse

than the very best technology that power generation can offer. While

motorsport is rarely seen as an environmentally friendly pursuit, many

of the best race engines are more fuel-effi cient than most roadcars. I

don’t expect to hear that a Formula One car can average 75 miles per

gallon, but if roadcars could match the specifi c fuel consumption of

the best race engines, we wouldn’t gripe so much about the cost of

gasoline at the pumps.

What most engines produce as a by-product of combustion is a very

Fig. 4 – Ricardo’s fl ywheel-based

hybrid drives via an electromagnetic

coupling – the magnets can be seen

below the carbon skin of the smaller

cylinder. No shaft seal passes

through the case of the vacuum

chamber, which therefore requires

no pump (Courtesy of Ricardo UK)

Fig. 6 – This turbo-

generator is an example of

turbo-compounding, and

takes energy from the hot

exhaust fl ow and converts

it to electricity. The energy

can be used for both

charge compression and

traction purposes

(Courtesy of

Bowman Power)

Fig. 5 – Flybrid’s mechanical

hybrid system uses a 60,000 rpm

carbon fi bre fl ywheel. It has a very

lightweight steel inner combined

with a strong composite rim. This

system will race during 2011

(Courtesy of Flybrid Systems)

t

28-35 RET053.indd 33 22/03/2011 12:02

PROPE

RTY

OF HI

GH PO

WER

MED

IA.

NOT

TO B

E RE

PUBL

ISHE

D

IN P

RINT

OR

ONLIN

E

34


There is interest in taking the pure-electric powered land-speed

record (LSR) for motorcycles, with more than one team planning

an attempt in the near future. Fig. 10 shows CAD images of the

motorcycle for one such attempt by Tokyo Denki University in Japan.

Its bold aim is to break the 330 kph (206 mph) barrier using a 177 kW

(240 hp) electrically powered streamliner.

Another university team, based at Ohio State University, holds the

international record for an electric vehicle at 307 mph (494 kph) in its

Buckeye Bullet 2.5 streamliner. More on this team below.

We should also remember that one previous holder of the outright

LSR captured the record in 1899 in an electrically powered machine,

and in doing so the Belgian Camille Jenatzy was the fi rst man to break

the 100 kph (62 mph) barrier in a car.

Fuel cellsFuel cells have attracted much r&d, both by small private fi rms and

by the motor industry. Hardly motor-racing but Suzuki, via a research

body in the UK, has achieved whole-vehicle type approval for a

scooter-type motorcycle. The much-publicised Honda FCX Clarity is

available, albeit on a very limited basis, for lease in the USA.

A fuel cell is a power source that combines a fuel – hydrogen in the

case of the Suzuki scooter and the Honda Clarity – with an oxidising

agent to produce electricity that can be used to propel the vehicle.

For most production applications, the oxidant will usually be the

oxygen in the air. The chemical reaction in a hydrogen fuel cell, where

oxygen is the oxidising agent, produces only water as a waste product,

which is one reason why hydrogen fuel cells are being pursued by the

automotive industry.

Fuel cells can use other fuels though, such as alcohol and other

hydrocarbon-based fuels. There are also high-temperature fuel cells

that can use conventional gasoline as a fuel, so don’t require the

new fuel supply infrastructure needed for hydrogen. While hydrogen

appears to be a panacea as far as emissions are concerned, however,

people such as Bossel (2) have raised concerns about the effi ciency

and environmental impact of hydrogen fuels owing to the energy

required to produce the fuel.

Fuel-cell racing is some way off, but our bold colleagues who try

to break the LSR are encouraged to try new technologies, by having

special classes created in which to compete. Ohio State University,

At any time where there is a reasonable mass fl ow through the engine,

it can be worthwhile to extract energy from the exhaust fl ow, and this

will become a more prevalent technology as time goes on.

Purely electric racingPurely electric vehicles use the same main modules (energy storage,

motor and power electronics) as the hybrid section of a hybrid

powertrain, but without any further power source on the vehicle. The

past few years have seen the emergence of pure electric motorsport.

The Isle of Man is not a place for the faint-hearted nor is it an ideal

setting, one might imagine, to test the ability of electrically powered

race machinery – electric vehicles of all kinds are routinely criticised

for their inability to do anything more than a very short shopping trip

without being recharged.

The TTX-GP motorcycle race series (Fig. 7) began in 2009 with a

one-lap race around the 37.7 mile Isle of Man TT circuit. The series is

now fl ourishing on three continents (the US, Europe and Australia) and

an Asian series is planned as well. Some of the races are televised, and

the level of engineering is impressive.

The advantage of a motorcycle race series is the cost of competing;

the same technology needs to be developed as would be applicable

to an electric car, but because the energy and power requirements

are much lower, costs are also correspondingly lower. An innovative

concept in making rules for TTX-GP – they are written by the

competitors and other interested parties – allows for fast development.

Following in the pioneering footsteps of TTX-GP is an electric car

race series called EV Cup. The series has three classes, one of which is

based on a production electric vehicle, the Think City. Next is the Sports

EV class, based on a one-make format using Westfi eld’s iRacer. The

Prototype EV class will be run on a time-trial format rather than being a

conventional race series, and will have few technical restrictions.

Fig. 7 – TTX-GP is a race series for electrically powered motorcycles. With two classes, one

with limited technology and the other with very free rules, it promises the chance to develop

technology without the need for excessive spending (Courtesy of TTX-GP)

Fig. 8 – The Mission R is a bespoke electric motorcycle with specially designed chassis,

and electric motor. Aimed fi rmly at TTX-GP competition, it is one of a small number of

bikes not based on a production motorcycle chassis (Courtesy of Mission Motors)

Fig. 9 – Westfi eld’s iRacer is an electric racecar designed to compete in

the one-make Sports EV class of the EV Cup

28-35 RET053.indd 34 22/03/2011 12:02

PROPE

RTY

OF HI

GH PO

WER

MED

IA.

NOT

TO B

E RE

PUBL

ISHE

D

IN P

RINT

OR

ONLIN

E

35

or alcohol-fuelled vehicles, manufacturers seem to agree that many

cars will have internal combustion engines for decades to come. As

fossil fuels become scarce and biofuels compete with land for food

production, there will be an increased focus on effi ciency. Motor

racing has an important role to play here if the rules encourage us to

do so. It can be argued that not doing so will be harmful to motorsport.

While car manufacturers seem to agree that the internal combustion

engine isn’t ready to be pensioned off in the near term, many agree

that its days for personal transportation on a large scale are numbered

and will possibly end within the lifetime of many of us, unless we

can fi nd a cheap, plentiful fuel that has a low environmental impact

and that does not force us to make diffi cult decisions regarding food

production. The purely electric and fuel-cell powered vehicles that are

now being introduced will be the future of road vehicles and probably

of motorsport too. Impressive LSRs and race series such as TTX-GP show

that racing can survive this changeover when it comes. Motorsport needs

to accept this and play its part in developing this technology.

References1. Ward, W., Focus on Turbo and Superchargers, Race Engine

Technology magazine, issue 51, Dec 2010/Jan 2011

2. Bossel, U., “Does a Hydrogen Economy Make Sense”, Proceedings

of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, October 2006

with its Buckeye Bullet 2 mentioned above, broke the hydrogen fuel

cell record in September 2009 at almost 303 mph (487 kph) for the

fl ying mile (Fig. 11).

LSR attempts are certainly motorsport, although many people would

not class this as racing; what they do spectacularly well though is

inspire a lot of engineers to get involved, and the proliferation of

classes for which offi cial records exists changes as new technology

arrives. In short, LSR competition encourages innovation by

creating an atmosphere and an environment where new ideas and

technological advances in propulsion are welcomed. It will never be

short of competitors for this reason.

Where purely electric vehicles sometimes come in for criticism

is the environmental impact of coal-, oil- and gas-fi red generation.

Although not a device for motor racing, another kind of fuel cell,

based on molten carbonates, can help to clean up the emissions from

power stations. Renewable power and nuclear reduce the emissions

from power generation.

Solar racingThe annually-run World Solar Challenge won’t ever be described as

exciting motor racing, but it is a race and it does represent a substantial

technological challenge (Fig. 12). The 2011 race is across Australia,

after taking part in the US previously, and has been run for more than

20 years. The underlying technology here is photovoltaic cells, which

take energy from sunlight and convert it to electricity, which can be

used directly or stored in a battery and used on demand.

SummaryThere are a number of fronts on which ‘alternative energy’ motorsport

is being advanced. Biofuels are a reasonably mature technology,

with the weight of various governments behind them, a developing

production capability and capable of use in a conventional internal

combustion engine. Hybrid technologies using regenerative braking

and exhaust energy recovery are a part of motor racing, and will

continue to be so for the foreseeable future – indeed, it is almost

inconceivable that their use will not expand.

Where rules are written to encourage effi ciency in motor racing,

there is little doubt that such technologies will be taken up and

developed in motorsport, putting us in the vanguard of r&d that is

relevant to the wider automotive industry. Whether we drive gasoline-

CreditsThe author would like to thank Shigenori Ogura of Tokyo Denki University, Mike Wilson of Shell Global Solutions, Doug Cross and Jon Hilton of Flybrid Systems, Azhar Hussain of TTX-GP, Ian Lovett, Steve Tremble and Karen Brittan of Zytek, Steve Sapsford, Andy Atkins and Anthony Smith of Ricardo UK, Craig Goodfellow of Coryton Fuels, Anders Hildebrand of Anglo-American Oil Company and Nigel Vincent of ABSL Power Solutions.

Fig. 10 – A team of students aims to break the electric motorcycle land speed record. This CAD

rendering of the main powertrain components in the chassis shows batteries in blue, power

electronics in yellow and the motor in orange (Courtesy of Tokyo Denki University, Japan)

Fig. 12 – Long-distance solar races are not high-speed affairs, being held on public

roads, but use highly developed racecars for the purpose. This car was built by Tokai

University in Japan

Fig. 11 – Fuel cell cars are a hot topic of r&d at many car companies, but in motorsport

have only made their mark in land speed record competition. Ohio State University’s

Buckeye Bullet 2 broke the fuel cell record in 2009 at 303 mph

■

28-35 RET053.indd 35 22/03/2011 12:02

PROPE

RTY

OF HI

GH PO

WER

MED

IA.

NOT

TO B

E RE

PUBL

ISHE

D

IN P

RINT

OR

ONLIN

E

v2 Contents include:• The MWR Toyota • Engineering the COT V8• COT Aerodynamics

Running relentlessly twice around the clock is an awesome racing challenge yet in France each June this is the scenario facing builders of thoroughbred competition cars. A high speed circuit, seemingly endless hours of racing, no time to be wasted in the pits in spite of the length of the race – it all adds up to the most demanding environment possible for racing technology.

For up to 25% off these reports visit www.highpowermedia.com

Race engines do not live in isolation. The F1 series of special reports put the powertrain into the whole car context. Featuring input from many top Formula One technical directors and written by Ian Bamsey, the world’s leading motor racing technical writer, each report is a unique review of the engineering and mechanics of contemporary Grand Prix racing cars, including a preview of future trends.

For up to 20% off these reports visit www.highpowermedia.com

For further information on High Power Media, Race Engine Technology, RET-Monitor.com or any of the Race Technology Reports please contact: Chris Perry, High Power Media Ltd, Whitfi eld House, Cheddar Road, Wedmore, Somerset, BS28 4EJ, England.

Tel: +44 (0)1934 713811 Fax: +44 (0)208 497 2102 E-mail: [email protected]

Contents include:• Ducati v Yamaha • The MotoGP Revolution • Superbike Spotlight

FERRARI EXCLUSIVEHow Maranello fought back

20,000 RPM V8sWhat is inside!

ENGINEERING TO WINRenault under the skin

GRAND PRIX PADDOCKTeams and suppliers

formula onetechnology

A special report

race e

ngin

e TE

CH

NO

LOG

Y SP

EC

IAL R

EP

OR

T FO

RM

ULA

ON

E T

EC

HN

OLO

GY

2006/2007

www.highpowermedia.com

00_F1Tech_Cover.indd 1 2/1/07 13:30:16

F1 race

race e

ngin

e TE

CH

NO

LOG

Y SP

EC

IAL R

EP

OR

T 24 H

OU

R R

AC

E T

EC

HN

OLO

GY

2007

technologyA special report

24 hour race

USA $50, UK £20, EUROPE e35

24 HOUR ENGINESHow to survive and win

INSIDE ASTON MARTINIts GT warrior exposed

PEUGEOT EXCLUSIVE Secrets of the diesel challenger

00_24HOURRACE_Cover.indd 1 4/6/07 09:41:18

RA

CE

EN

GIN

E TE

CH

NO

LOG

Y SP

EC

IAL R

EP

OR

T 24 H

OU

R R

AC

E T

EC

HN

OLO

GY

2008

technologyA SPECIAL REPORT

24 HOUR race

USA $50, UK £20, EUROPE E35

CORVETTE AT LE MANSINSIDE THE 7.0 LITRE WARRIOR

ASTON MARTIN-LOLARETURN OF AN ICONIC COUPE

HERE COME THE SUPER COUPESNEW SHAPE PROTOTYPE TECHNOLOGY

00_24HRT08_Cover.indd 1 2/7/08 08:50:12

technology24 HOUR race

race e

ngin

e TE

CH

NO

LOG

Y SP

EC

IAL R

EP

OR

T C

UP

RA

CE

TE

CH

NO

LOG

Y 2007/2008

technologyA special report


SHOCK PROGRESSEngineering at the bump stops

CAR OF TOMORROWHow to engineer it to be fast today!

INSIDE HENDRICKNASCAR’s top Chevrolet exposed

CUP race

PLUSTransmission

Chassis Engine secrets

00_CUPRACE_Cover FINAL FINAL *.i1 1 16/11/07 13:12:49

race e

ngin

e TE

CH

NO

LOG

Y SP

EC

IAL R

EP

OR

T M

OTO

RC

YC

LE R

AC

E T

EC

HN

OLO

GY

20

09

A special report


DUCATI – WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT THE DESMOSEDICI?

BMW AND APRILIAThe Superbike new boys

HYDREX HONDATop privateer team in BSB

MOTORCYCLE race

00_MRT09_Cover2.indd 1 19/11/09 11:27:54

v1APR07

v1 JUL07

v2 JUL08

4 WAYS TO BUY:1) ONLINE AT WWW.HIGHPOWERMEDIA.COM

2) CALL US ON +44 (0)1934 713 811DOWNLOAD A SUBS FORM FROM WWW.HIGHPOWERMEDIA.COM AND RETURN BY:

3) FAX TO +44 (0)208 497 2102

4) POST TO ADDRESS BELOW

Contents include:• Top Fuel Engines • Funny Car Chassis• Pro Stock Cars

race e

ngin

e TE

CH

NO

LOG

Y SP

EC

IAL R

EP

OR

T D

RA

G R

AC

E T

EC

HN

OLO

GY

VO

LUM

E O

NE

A special report


PRO STOCK ENGINEERINGCar and Motorcycle tech

HOW TO MAKE 7,000 BHPInside a Top Fuel engine

ANATOMY OF A FUNNY CAR300 MPH performance secrets

DRAG race

00 DRAGRACETECH_Cover.indd 1 20/11/08 10:01:29

Subscribe to the world’s leading technical magazine on racing engines and receive up to 25% off.

Sign up today to get the knowledge that is power atwww.highpowermedia.com


THE COMMUNICATIONS HUB OF THE RACING POWERTRAIN WORLD

ISS

UE

049 race e

ngin

e TEC

HN

OLO

GY S

EP

T/OC

T 2010


SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

Toyota F1 V8 • C

rankshaft Focus • Heat Treatm

ent • Race E

ngine of the Year 2010 • Engine E

xpo • Le M

ans GT rep

ort • MotoG

P engine life

JOHN DARBY: NASCAR edges ever closer to injection


INSIDE A FORMULA ONE V8

TOYOTA’S GRAND PRIXENGINE EXPOSED!

01 RET49 Cover v2.indd 1

16/9/10 00:29:19


ISS

UE

051 race

en

gin

e TE

CH

NO

LOG

Y DE

C/JA

N 2011


DEC/JAN 2011

Reher-M

orrison 854 • Mose N

owland

• QU

B 500 cc • Turb

o/supercharger Focus • P

iston Ring Focus • P

MW

E 2010 • R

ace Engine of the Year 2010 • IR

ED

Pro S

tock • Tony Southgate

MOSE NOWLAND: From GT40 to Ford’s Pro Stock return


GIANT OF THE RACE ENGINE WORLDReher-Morrison’s 14 litre Mountain Motor

THE NEW TURBO REVOLUTIONState of the art in turbocharger technology

RACE ENGINE OF THE YEAR 2010 All of the winners revealed

01 RET051.indd 1

13/12/2010 22:54


ISS

UE

052 race

en

gin

e TE

CH

NO

LOG

Y FEB

RU

AR

Y 2011


FEBRUARY 2011

Lamb

orghini V12 G

T1 • Moto3 p

ackaging • Exhaust system

s Focus • Ford and

Mountune at Le M

ans • CFD

Focus • IMIS

& P

RI 2010

JON HILTON:

Radical KERS for Le Mans 2011


LAMBORGHINI

V12 EXPOSE

How a road masterpiece

became a race winner

COMPETITION

EXHAUST

Exploiting hot air

for peak performance

CFD FOR

RACE

ENGINES

Can a computer-based

analysis provide real

answers?

01 RET052.indd 1

08/02/2011 20:29

SUBSCRIBETODAY

SIGN-UP

TO OUR FREE

TECHNICAL

E-NEWSLETTER AT

WW

W.RET-MONITOR.COM

v1 NOV07

v1 NOV08

v1 NOV09

race e

ngin

e TE

CH

NO

LOG

Y SP

EC

IAL R

EP

OR

T F1 R

AC

E T

EC

HN

OLO

GY

2008/2009

A special report


BMW SAUBEREngineering its rise

F1 AERODYNAMICSTunnel versus computer

McLAREN v FERRARIThe techno battle

PLUSChassis technology

Engine secretsThe Grand Prix paddock

F1 race

00_F1TECHRACE_Cover.indd 1 11/4/08 10:16:53

v2 APR08

race e

ngin

e TE

CH

NO

LOG

Y SP

EC

IAL R

EP

OR

T F1 R

AC

E T

EC

HN

OLO

GY

2009/2010

A special report


THE 2009 AERO REVOLUTION

SECRETS OF THE NEW KERS

FERRARI: CHAMPION CONSTRUCTOR

PLUSInerter insight

Brake technologyThe Grand Prix paddock

F1 race

00_F1RTR_09_Cover.indd 1 6/4/09 15:55:54

v3 APR09

race e

ngin

e TE

CH

NO

LOG

Y SP

EC

IAL R

EP

OR

T F

1 R

AC

E T

EC

HN

OLO

GY

2010

/2011

A special report


WIND TUNNEL OR CFD Is change afoot?

RADICAL RED BULL Newey’s risk taking

BRAWN TO MERCEDESThe Arrow fl ies

PLUSExhaust tech

Composite techAdvanced data acquisition

F1 race

00_F1RTR_2010_Cover.indd 1 4/2/10 12:22:48

race

en

gin

e TE

CH

NO

LOG

Y SP

EC

IAL R

EP

OR

T F

1 R

AC

E T

EC

HN

OLO

GY

2011/2

012

A special report


RADICAL AEROTEST SOLUTIONS

F1 POWERTRAIN SECRETS

RED BULL: THE ENGINEERING THAT WINS

PLUS The comeback of KERS

F1’s manufacturing magicThe Grand Prix paddock

F1 race

v4 APR10

v5 APR11

RA

CE

EN

GIN

E TE

CH

NO

LOG

Y SP

EC

IAL R

EP

OR

T 24 H

OU

R R

AC

E T

EC

HN

OLO

GY

2009


24 HOUR race


FERRARI’S DOUBLE DOSETechnology of the GT pacesetter

ASTON MARTIN’S TRIBUTE30 years on: Gulf coupes surprise

ROAR OF THE ANGRY LIONEngineering Peugeot’s Le Mans win

00_24HRT09_Cover.indd 1 22/7/09 19:51:52

v3 JUL09

RA

CE

EN

GIN

E TE

CH

NO

LOG

Y SP

EC

IAL R

EP

OR

T 2

4 H

OU

R R

AC

E T

EC

HN

OLO

GY

2010


24 HOUR race


HPD SETS EFFICIENCY MARKERThe engineering of the Le Mans newcomer

SURVIVING 24 GRUELLING HOURSDriver support systems analysed

FASTEST LE MANS RACE EVERThe technology that made it possible

01_24HRT10.indd 1 13/7/10 11:57:22

v4 JUL10

v2 NOV10

race

en

gin

e TE

CH

NO

LOG

Y SP

EC

IAL R

EP

OR

T C

UP

RA

CE

TE

CH

NO

LOG

Y 2

010/2

011

A special report


CUP RACE ENGINEERINGThe secrets of the pros

RACING THE CAR OF TOMORROWDriver and crew chief insights

NASCAR TECH EXCLUSIVEUnder the skin of the MWR Toyota

01 CRTv2.indd 1 23/11/2010 21:19

PRE-ORDER NOW

RETAD_MAR11_A4.indd 1 22/03/2011 19:15

PROPE

RTY

OF HI

GH PO

WER

MED

IA.

NOT

TO B

E RE

PUBL

ISHE

D

IN P

RINT

OR

ONLIN

E

Fuels for thought - Race Engine Technology...ratio on engine efficiency and output. E85 is a blend...

Documents

Transcript of Fuels for thought - Race Engine Technology...ratio on engine efficiency and output. E85 is a blend...