VOLVO To Bring KERS Technology By 2013
Vehicle manufacturer Volvo is now going to bring KERS or kinetic energy recovery systems for its vehicles which are already used by auto giants like BMW, Renault, Ferrari etc. KERS is a system employing flywheels to conserve braking energy and will boost vehicle efficiency and performance by around 20%. Prior to this, the technology was only limited to F1 race but Volvo is now planning to bring this for common customers!
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The concept of KERS is pretty simple. The technology aims to make the cars more energy efficient by retaining the energy in braking which otherwise goes waste. The system utilizes the principle of flywheel. Whenever the driver applies brakes, the energy is provided through a flywheel which rotates. The maximum speed of rotation can be as high as 60,000 R.P.M. This energy stored in flywheel can then be utilized for accelerating the vehicle. The technique used, is designed keeping in mind the environmental consequences of carbon on environment. It is predicted that the vehicle using KERS can save up to about 20% of fuel consumption.
Those who know about Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid racing car, it has used KERS technology, even though it may not have been a significant winning factor for Porsche, the recent Volvo’s development however a signal of using F1 techniques in ordinary automobiles. In F1 racing and now in Volvo, the system is designed to act on rear axle by means of a compact transmission. The normal engine operates on the front wheels. This sets the transmission apart from everything.
The recent development is however not the first time that the auto major has thought about KERS. Thirty years back, it has tried to deal with similar technology with fly wheels. That time, Volvo used steel fly wheel. This however did not work as per expectations. The steel flywheel was too heavy to achieve the projected power saving goals. The current one is made from carbon fiber and weighs just 13 pounds.
Company has recently received a grant from Swedish government. All the grant of 2.34 billion Swedish kroner was used in development of KERS compatible with normal automobiles. Practically, if an automaker/ technology assure 80 HP power saving then that too for frequent braking, then it is actually a great advancement at least for the city driving. KERS is planned to be on roads by 2013. The technology holds promising aspects for future development of eco friendly vehicles.
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The concept of KERS is pretty simple. The technology aims to make the cars more energy efficient by retaining the energy in braking which otherwise goes waste. The system utilizes the principle of flywheel. Whenever the driver applies brakes, the energy is provided through a flywheel which rotates. The maximum speed of rotation can be as high as 60,000 R.P.M. This energy stored in flywheel can then be utilized for accelerating the vehicle. The technique used, is designed keeping in mind the environmental consequences of carbon on environment. It is predicted that the vehicle using KERS can save up to about 20% of fuel consumption.
Those who know about Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid racing car, it has used KERS technology, even though it may not have been a significant winning factor for Porsche, the recent Volvo’s development however a signal of using F1 techniques in ordinary automobiles. In F1 racing and now in Volvo, the system is designed to act on rear axle by means of a compact transmission. The normal engine operates on the front wheels. This sets the transmission apart from everything.
The recent development is however not the first time that the auto major has thought about KERS. Thirty years back, it has tried to deal with similar technology with fly wheels. That time, Volvo used steel fly wheel. This however did not work as per expectations. The steel flywheel was too heavy to achieve the projected power saving goals. The current one is made from carbon fiber and weighs just 13 pounds.
Company has recently received a grant from Swedish government. All the grant of 2.34 billion Swedish kroner was used in development of KERS compatible with normal automobiles. Practically, if an automaker/ technology assure 80 HP power saving then that too for frequent braking, then it is actually a great advancement at least for the city driving. KERS is planned to be on roads by 2013. The technology holds promising aspects for future development of eco friendly vehicles.
Source: #-Link-Snipped-#
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