CASE STUDY
Bridgestone is using harder compounds in its tyres which help make them last longer.
and then uses it in the acceleration phase. Two
power storage technologies are running at equal
pace at the moment: batteries and fl ywheels.
Either one is heavy, they will be placed
around the engine/gearbox assembly and that
means weight is being shifted towards the
rear of the car - at the same time as new tyre
regulations (the return of ungrooved slicks) are
raising issues around front-end grip. In an ideal
world, the designers would probably rather deal
with something that shifts weight to the front
of the car, rather than to the back. These are the
challenges they have to sort out.
“You have to design and build a motor
that runs in two directions, develops up to 80
horsepower (hp), yet has to be as small as a starter
motor on a road car,” he explains. “An even
bigger challenge is an energy storage system.
Battery technology is what has held back the it save?’ The answer at the moment is: minimal,” have something similar.”
development of electric vehicles over the past he says. The reason is the power gained - 60- There’s no denying there’s resistance to
20-30 years. With lithium-ion, battery technology 80hp - is offset by their weight. But in terms of some of the developments in F1, but Fry for one
and the density of energy that can be stored have development, KERS is effectively at entry level. has praise for the way the governing body uses
got much better - but they’re still big. On an F1 If it means the difference between winning and regulations, coercion and other means to shift the
car, the lithium-ion battery capable of storing the losing, you bet the teams and their manufacturer development emphasis from internal combustion
power we need is about the size of a standard backers will invest in it, and heavily. engines to energy recovery technology - and
12vcar battery and fi nding somewhere for it to go “If you look closely, GP cars are very effi cient safety systems, which save lives in everyday use.
is very tricky.” power generators. Yes, there is a lot of fuel used Bridgestone - the sole supplier in F1 - has cut
The third challenge is the control device. “It - but so does a Rolls-Royce Trent aircraft engine,” down on tyre usage. Teams can use a maximum
has to talk to the engine, the gearbox, the gearshift he adds. of 300 sets a year, which still sounds an awful
system and so on. The actual control box that He has a point; an F1 car may use 50 litres lot, but it’s much better than it was. Its harder
makes it all work is itself a reasonable size.” of petrol to travel 70 miles, which is about four compounds last longer and have improved rolling
Automatic gearboxes were once viewed mpg - but the engines produce over 700hp. An resistance. All that feeds through to better, longer-
as something less than macho; they became average family car today has about 90hp and lasting and more fuel-effi cient rubber on road
acceptable when they began to feature on F1 cars achieves 40mpg or so. As Red Bull isn’t a car cars. Using standard specifi cation tyres means
and then their wheel-mounted paddles found manufacturer, it doesn’t have the same incentive that production schedules can be planned better,
their way to road-going Ferraris, Aston Martins to throw resources into improving engine enabling them to be shipped by land or sea, rather
and other desirable sports cars. They’re now on effi ciency but that doesn’t mean it isn’t aware of than fl own to the meeting. At the end of each
upper-end sedans and will probably be in the the pressures. race, there is a lot of used rubber to be collected.
mass market in just a few years. As F1 helps to According to Nevey: “We are starting to Where does it go? Not to landfi ll, thankfully,
develop smaller, lighter and more effi cient KERS address issues of sustainability. In the area of IT but nor is it recycled into, say, road surfacing.
units, they will follow onto road cars. infrastructure, we’re close to IBM, who offer According to Bridgestone, the compounds are
“Something like a Toyota Prius may be a services to reduce environmental impact. We’ve commercially secret so can’t be released in any
nice thing for a movie actor to have but there also engaged with WRG (Waste Recycling form. They’re used as fuel in cement kilns.
is resistance [in the market],” says Fry. “As F1 Group), who advise us on waste disposal and It’s not perfect, but F1 is aware of its image
starts to use hybrid technology, there are benefi ts recycling. We’re looking at improving our and of economic and environmental pressures.
if environmentally-friendly cars become more organisational effi ciency and we aim to get If it is to be a sustainable activity, it knows it has
sporty and desirable for companies like Honda, achieve ISO 14001 (as Honda already has). As to improve both its actual performance and its
which intends to sell lower price/higher volume for our direct impact on the environment - we public image.
vehicles.” take fewer engineers with us to the race meetings. With initiatives like KERS - and all that it has
But the challenges are defi nitely there, as We have an operations room - mission control achieved over the past 20 years - F1 probably
Steve Nevey, business development manager - at our HQ in Milton Keynes, with screens that deserves a better image than simply tyres with
with Red Bull Racing, explains. transmit data from the car and they’re in radio green stripes.
“We’re all looking at KERS and thinking contact with the people at the track. Most teams
‘Well, it’s a nice idea but how much energy will
SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS December/January 2009 51
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60