DailyTech - Porsche 918 RSR Hybrid Storms Detroit

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Auto Porsche 918 RSR Hybrid Storms Detroit
Brandon Hill (Blog) - January 10, 2011 8:06 AM

28 comment(s) - last by gstrickler.. on Jan 12 at 1:08 PM

Production version of this 918 "coupe" to bow in 2013

Porsche wowed automotive enthusiasts when it unveiled the 918 Spyder nearly a year ago. Porsche made those who can actually afford the vehicle salivate when it announced that it would actually make a production version of the vehicle.

Today, Porsche revealed its racing variant of the vehicle: the 918 RSR. The 918 RSR takes the best of the 918 Spyder (its sexy shape, albeit in coupe form) and combines it with the flywheel-based hybrid system found in the 911 GT3 R Hybrid.

Like the 918 Spyder on which it's based, the 918 RSR uses a 3.4-liter V8 that develops 563hp at an incredible 10,300rpm. The vehicle also features a 36,000rpm kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) flywheel actuator that stores energy generated during braking. With the touch of a button, the driver can call upon two electric motors (one in each front wheel) that use that stored energy to give a momentary power boost (8 seconds on a full charge) to 767hp.

The electric motor also provide torque vectoring for improved handling and steering response.

According to AutoWeek, Porsche has plans to produce a version of this concept for the racetrack, and a production model of the 918 Coupe (minus KERS) will join the 918 Spyder in 2013.

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Its not technically a hybrid!.

By fteoath64 on 1/10/2011 10:25:43 AM , Rating: 3

The KERS system is just a temporary boost for acceleration (only a few seconds at that but useful in racing). There is technically no battery bank to store energy for sustained electric power!. Also to get 500+ HP from 3.4 litres is a really big deal and also means it will be a gas guzzler.

RE: Its not technically a hybrid!.

By Dribble on 1/10/2011 11:29:09 AM , Rating: 2

The kers is a battery, it stores energy, just one with a short charge life.

I agree this is mostly pointless because outside of a race track I'd be surprised if you ever braked hard enough to really get this thing up to speed.

It'll a weigh a few kg too, so the extra power is gonna come at a cost - more weight during day to day driving which will ofset economy gains, and more weight meaning slower cornering on the track.

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RE: Its not technically a hybrid!.

By Pjotr on 1/10/2011 12:32:35 PM , Rating: 2

No, it's not a battery as in electric battery. It's a flywheel that spins up under breaking and the energy is used when the driver wants:

"The vehicle also features a 36,000rpm kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) flywheel actuator that stores energy generated during braking."

This is exactly the method that Williams F1 developed but never raced with in 2009, when KERS was allowed last in F1. All other F1 teams opted for electrical batteries instead of a flywheel, though.

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RE: Its not technically a hybrid!.

By acer905 on 1/10/2011 1:02:57 PM , Rating: 3

yes, it is a battery. However, it is not a chemical battery. Big difference. A battery is simply a device, which has energy (note, not electricity) input, and then at a later time outputs said energy.

There are many different ways to do this, such as with chemical reactions, kinetic energy storage, potential energy storage, and even thermal energy. Each system has benefits and drawbacks, such as "charge" time, energy dissipation, and system stability.

Additionally, physical size is often a requirement as well. For example, in an automobile, a potential energy battery would most likely be impractical, due to the lack of a vertical space to move a weight into.

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RE: Its not technically a hybrid!.

By gstrickler on 1/10/2011 1:37:00 PM , Rating: 2

If you want to be technical about it, it's not a battery. A battery (electrical, chemical, and most other uses of "battery") requires two or more. The only meaning of battery that doesn't require multiple units is the legal term battery including an implement used to perform the battery.

Single voltaic chemical "batteries" are actually called a cell, it takes two or more cells to make a battery.

The KERS is a single "cell" kinetic energy storage device, with an attached generator that is used to supply electricity to the motors. Not a battery by any definition.

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RE: Its not technically a hybrid!.

By niva on 1/10/2011 5:51:58 PM , Rating: 2

Batter can be considered an energy storage device, in this case just as you said it's kinetic energy. I'm with you though, I don't like calling this thing a battery, and I'm not even sure why exactly...

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RE: Its not technically a hybrid!.

By gstrickler on 1/10/2011 7:59:00 PM , Rating: 2

quote:
Batter can be considered an energy storage device

In common usage, maybe, but a hydroelectric dam is an energy storage device and no one has called that a battery (although one does have a battery of hydroelectric turbines). I would say that a common understanding of a battery is an electrical energy storage device, not any energy storage device. And, as I pointed out, that's technically incorrect.

The commenter claimed it technically was a battery. No, technically, it's not. Lookup and read the definition of a battery, and this does not qualify under any formal definition.

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RE: Its not technically a hybrid!.

By Howard on 1/11/2011 2:40:22 AM , Rating: 3

A dam isn't an energy storage device, the water is. The dam is the energy conversion device, in this case from gravitational potential to kinetic to electric.

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RE: Its not technically a hybrid!.

By gstrickler on 1/11/2011 12:29:52 PM , Rating: 3

No, water is not the device, it's the energy containing material. It contains potential/gravitational energy. No water = no energy.

The dam is the storage device. It's the dam that allows for the energy to be stored. No dam = no storage.

The hydroelectric generators are the energy conversion devices. No generators = no electricity.

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RE: Its not technically a hybrid!.

By Howard on 1/11/2011 9:45:45 PM , Rating: 1

What do you mean by water not being a storage device, but a storage material? Are you just trying to be a dick?

Yes, the generators are the conversion devices... but without the dam you would not have them. Semantics, really.

As far as dam allowing the energy to be stored, I don't think potential energy needs to be immediately usable in order to be considered as energy; you only need a reference. So a lake full of water on a mountain should suffice as gravitational potential energy storage.

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RE: Its not technically a hybrid!.

By Pjotr on 1/11/2011 9:59:07 PM , Rating: 1

quote:
Are you just trying to be a dick?

The first person to reach the name calling stage always loses! :-)

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RE: Its not technically a hybrid!.

By gstrickler on 1/12/2011 1:08:44 PM , Rating: 2

Without a dam, the water would just flow at it's own rate, there is no energy storage. The energy available is dependent entirely upon the instantaneous water flow. That's not storage.

Same principal applies to the mountain lake. If it's not available immediately/on-demand, then it's not storage in any useful sense because it's only available at the natural instantaneous flow rate.

While it's in the lake (natural or created by a dam), it's potential energy. Until that potential energy is converted to kinetic energy by allowing it to flow, it's useless because we can't directly convert potential energy to actual energy, we must first allow gravity to convert it to kinetic energy. It's right there in the name "potential energy", it's not energy yet, only potential energy.

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RE: Its not technically a hybrid!.

By fteoath64 on 1/11/2011 6:36:24 AM , Rating: 2

@gstrickler:
"The KERS is a single "cell" kinetic energy storage device, with an attached generator that is used to supply electricity to the motors. Not a battery by any definition."

Great!. The best definition of KERS to date. Excellent work. So it says 8 seconds to charge meaning the flywheel is spinning down as it discharges (energy=current) to the electric motors for the acceleration.

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RE: Its not technically a hybrid!.

By Bladen on 1/11/2011 4:20:49 AM , Rating: 2

That's what Morphues said to Neo...

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RE: Its not technically a hybrid!.

By Mutz1243 on 1/10/2011 12:34:31 PM , Rating: 3

Technically it is a hybrid. It incorporates both a gas internal combustion engine along with another source for mechanical power, which is the electric motors. This is a hybrid system indeed.

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RE: Its not technically a hybrid!.

By headbox on 1/10/11, Rating: 0

RE: Its not technically a hybrid!.

By gstrickler on 1/12/2011 12:56:12 PM , Rating: 2

Are those 2-cycle or 4-cycle engines?

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Mmmm...time travel

By Doctorweir on 1/10/2011 9:10:21 AM , Rating: 2

What's the third pic? Flux Compensator?

RE: Mmmm...time travel

By Lord 666 on 1/10/2011 9:26:52 AM , Rating: 2

Its where the bored house wife sits to keep her stimulated. 36,000rpm gives new meaning to spin cycle.

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RE: Mmmm...time travel

By GulWestfale on 1/10/2011 9:49:55 AM , Rating: 2

bigger front image:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/motor-shows/de...

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RE: Mmmm...time travel

By The Imir of Groofunkistan on 1/10/2011 9:59:56 AM , Rating: 2

flux capacitor

http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/plush/9fc6/

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RE: Mmmm...time travel

By Jedi2155 on 1/10/2011 12:14:46 PM , Rating: 2

Flywheel.

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RE: Mmmm...time travel

By mkrech on 1/10/2011 5:31:45 PM , Rating: 2

It is the energy storing flywheel. Mounting it in the center of the car is best for weight distribution (needs mass to function) and also it can have handling benefits as well.
http://www.seakeeper.com/
Stabilizing a car should be easier than a large boat.

On a separate note, I don't think I would want to be sitting next to that thing. Lots of angry potential energy that close tends to induce quite a pucker, if you know what I mean.

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typo

By gibb3h on 1/10/2011 8:34:46 AM , Rating: 2

"nearly a nearly a"

RE: typo

By blueeyesm on 1/10/2011 11:25:31 AM , Rating: 2

Well, not so much a typo as it appears to be literal stuttering. :)

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That ain't stunning IMO

By Beenthere on 1/10/2011 10:37:09 AM , Rating: 1

Porsche made a bunch of hoopla that they were doing a stunning reveal at Detroit but if this is it, they failed IMO. There's some decent engineering but the body styling looks like something a Honda shop would produce.