RE: Geneva: Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid Unveiled
Wednesday 3rd March 2010
While many firms are choosing the Geneva Motor Show to reveal all new - and all dull - hybrid eco-boxes, Porsche has brought its 911 GT3 R Hybrid to the party.
The boost, not unlike Formula 1's KERS system, is the equivalent of about 160bhp - or shoe-horning a small hot hatch under the bonnet.
Geneva: Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid Unveiled
Flywheel energy storage is key to radical hybrid Porsche racer
It's based on the 480bhp 911 GT3 R racer, but there are a few significant differences - in place of a passenger seat there is a flywheel capable of spinning up to 40,000 rpm.
Kinetic energy, usually lost during braking, is stored using the flywheel so when you need some extra power a press of a steering wheel mounted button sends electric current to two 60kW motors at the front wheels for anywhere between six and eight seconds.
Just in case you're wondering, because it doesn't use batteries like a Prius, a 911 silently wafting through town is off the cards. For now at least.
So, how can a 480-640hp hybrid racer change the way Porsche powers its cars? Well it won't change things for a while, but it's a reasonable bet that we may see a more compact version of this tech on the road in future.
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Discussion
Joe911 said:
Dagnut said:
Porsche have really started to impress.
Huh? So they've not really achieved in the past but are just starting to 'get it'?Hmmm - I must check my motor racing history books!
Hmm. Even if they have the flywheel in a vacuum, it still wont maintain its speed for very long unless they've got some kind of clever magnetic levitation rather than conventional bearings. Good on the track perhaps, where you generally want full power shortly after heavy braking, but I don't think it'll ever be any use in a road car.
motoroller said:
They're not clear whether it's a flywheel, or electric motors that provide the boost... it would be wasteful to generate electricity off the flywheel to power motors!
Generators and motors are extremely efficient. It's probably more efficient to have an electrical stage than a CVT and/or clutches. kambites said:
motoroller said:
They're not clear whether it's a flywheel, or electric motors that provide the boost... it would be wasteful to generate electricity off the flywheel to power motors!
Generators and motors are extremely efficient. It's probably more efficient to have an electrical stage than a CVT and/or clutches. motoroller said:
kambites said:
motoroller said:
They're not clear whether it's a flywheel, or electric motors that provide the boost... it would be wasteful to generate electricity off the flywheel to power motors!
Generators and motors are extremely efficient. It's probably more efficient to have an electrical stage than a CVT and/or clutches. motoroller said:
They're not clear whether it's a flywheel, or electric motors that provide the boost... it would be wasteful to generate electricity off the flywheel to power motors!
They are clear - it is a flywheel - the Williams F1 system.They apparently use electrical energy from the motors (dynamo) at the front wheels to spin the flywheel up, and then take electrical energy out of the flywheel to power those front wheel motors when required.
Zod said:
they might need to find a more practical place for the flywheel....
Do you not think they thought it through (or maybe you are joking)?Surely this project cost Porsche a bundle, would they really just lob it on the passenger floor area without concern for driver safety? There are lots of things spinning in a car at high RPM already.
kambites said:
motoroller said:
kambites said:
motoroller said:
They're not clear whether it's a flywheel, or electric motors that provide the boost... it would be wasteful to generate electricity off the flywheel to power motors!
Generators and motors are extremely efficient. It's probably more efficient to have an electrical stage than a CVT and/or clutches. 
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