Check out this video on the rule changes for the 2009 season of Formula 1 racing.
What comes of interest to us is the use of Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS) by some teams. KERS captures the energy generated during braking and stores it (by either electronically in a battery or capacitor or mechanically in a flywheel) for use at a later time by the driver. Most often during passing or when clearing corners to give an added boost and speed increase. Regenerative breaking systems is usually seen in electric vehicles, who use this to recharge their batteries during braking.
This is all part of F1’s earlier effort to go green and develop technology more applicable to road cars. The effort has been taken more seriously this year as costs to be competitive were spiraling out of control and with the world reeling from the world wide economic crisis, efforts to be more green translates to cost savings for all teams.
The changes implemented this coming season will not only plant the seeds for a greener Formula 1 sport but also for more a cheaper season for competing teams.
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Category: Automotive
