On and off track with Xtrac, Torotrak
Xtrac and Torotrak have entered into a license agreement to enable Xtrac to develop an efficient CVT incorporating Torotrak's full-toroidal traction drive for use in the new kinetic energy recovery systems proposed for the 2009 F1 season. The variator (shown) would have a mass of about 5 kg (11 lb).
|
In 2009, new rules will be introduced to lower the environmental impact of Formula One (F1) racing, and the technology involved could lead to greater efficiency for road cars.
To support that possibility, transmission designer and manufacturer Xtrac and traction-drive specialist Torotrak have entered into a license agreement to enable Xtrac to develop an efficient, compact continuously variable transmission (CVT) incorporating Torotrak's full-toroidal traction drive for use in the new kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS) proposed for the 2009 F1 season. These will recover deceleration energy that can be stored for acceleration, and the technology involved could find a role in road vehicles.
"The motorsport industry has the potential to inform and educate worldwide audiences about energy-efficient technologies and green issues facing the whole automotive sector," said Peter Digby, Chairman of the Motorsport Industry Association (MIA) and Managing Director of Xtrac. Digby said of the link between the two companies: "The transfer of world-class transmission technology from Torotrak, combined with the added value of Xtrac's expertise in the design and manufacture of transmission for motorsport—and with clear potential to feed the resulting technical solution back into mainstream automotive use—is a good example of what I believe FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) President Max Mosley had in mind when he announced that F1 would embrace an energy-efficient future and open up the world of motorsport to new manufacturers."
Earlier this year, Digby voiced this belief at the MIA-organized Energy Efficient Motorsport Conference, supported by SAE International, Shell, Xtrac, and UK Trade and Investment, where he said: "New technical solutions being proposed have to be accepted by the consumer, and this is where motorsport has a key role to play."
Some of the new KERS that will be used in F1 will be mechanically based and incorporate a flywheel to recuperate, store, and subsequently discharge a moving vehicle's kinetic energy. Torotrak's toroidal traction drive variator being developed with Xtrac is a central element in such a system, providing a continuously variable ratio between the flywheel and the vehicle's transmission.
Torotrak has granted a license to Xtrac to design, manufacture, assemble, and distribute components or complete variator systems incorporating its toroidal technology to F1 customers. The companies believe use of a variator-flywheel will offer a more compact, efficient, light, and environmentally friendly solution than traditional and relatively complex electrical-battery hybrid architectures. The variator would have a mass of about 5 kg (11 lb), enabling the weight of the KERS to be minimized.
Both companies see the system as being applicable to regular road vehicles, particularly high-performance models, both as a performance aid and to reduce CO2 emissions via engine downsizing. "A CVT-controlled flywheel is particularly suited to stop-start driving situations when real-world fuel economy is often at its worst," said Digby. "In these conditions, the variator-flywheel system can assist the launch of a vehicle which has slowed down or come to a standstill by utilizing the kinetic energy stored in the flywheel."
For use on the track, the stored kinetic energy can be applied by the driver on demand at a rate and for a time specified in the FIA regulations.
Stuart Birch
