Readers Response Draft 3
As Lye mentioned in 2017, the famous power unit of the 2017 Porsche 919 Hybrid LMP1 was made and engineered to be the greatest in the endurance racing field. The vehicle’s main engine is a 2.0-liter V4 turbocharged Internal Combustion Engine (ICE), which provides more than 500 horsepower. This ICE works together with a hybrid system made up of the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) and the Exhaust Energy Recovery System (ERS) (Porsche AG, 2017). Porsche AG (2016) claims that the two hybrid systems store an extra 400 horsepower in a lithium-ion battery, which helps to boost performance overall. An all-wheel drive functioning was thus made possible with the front wheels being powered by the electric motor and the ICE powering the rear wheels, making the combined output close to 900 horsepower (Autoevolution, 2016).
The 2017 Porsche 919 Hybrid’s power unit transformed the
endurance racing industry with its various technological advancements in its
Internal Combustion Engine (ICE), Energy Recovery System (ERS), and Kinetic
Energy Recovery System (KERS), making it one of the best endurance race cars in
motorsport history then.
The Porsche 919’s Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) is a
highly complex 2.0-liter turbocharged V4 engine designed to satisfy the unique
demands of endurance racing. Antonio (2024) mentions that the V4 layout is
relatively rare in modern motorsport as it is relatively small compared to its
competitors. Porsche chose this configuration as they prioritized maintaining a
low center of gravity and optimizing the car’s overall balance. Eventually, the
small size of the engine worked out as, according to Sam in 2017, despite its
small displacement, this engine can produce approximately 500 horsepower, a
testament to its advanced engineering. Due to the engine’s small size, the
hybrid components, such as the batteries & the motors, can be incorporated
into the vehicle’s chassis with maximum efficiency while maintaining weight and
aerodynamics thus attaining the top place in many races.
Porsche's main competitor, Toyota, used a 2.4-litre V6
engine, which although a more powerful engine compared to the Porsche's, is way
heavier which is a big factor in endurance racing. The V6 engine also suffered
a lot of reliability issues which further shows that the ICE of the Porsche 919
is the better and more reliable engine, thus proving its superiority.
Working with ICE, the Porsche 919's Energy Recovery System
(ERS) and Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) is another essential feature in
making its power unit one of the best in the endurance world.
Porsche's Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) is a system
that captures energy generated from braking. Its kinetic energy is converted
into electrical power when the vehicle decelerates by the front axle’s electric
motor, which acts as a generator. Without this feature, the energy will
typically be wasted. A state-of-the-art battery stores this electrical energy
which provides power to the motor, thus handing over an extra 400 horsepower to
the front axle of the Porsche (Randy, 2018). This trade is typically done
during overtaking and/or acceleration which helps to increase the car’s
performance without compromising high fuel usage making it key for endurance
races as fuel usage is also a key factor for winning races.
Schaeffler Group mentioned in 2017 that the Exhaust Energy
Recovery System (ERS) functions by converting the car’s exhaust gasses into
thermal energy. The ERS uses the heat energy captured by the engine’s exhaust
via a turbine. The captured heat energy is then converted into electrical
energy and stored in the same lithium-ion battery used by the KERS.
Although ERS is used in other cars like the Toyota TS050
Hybrid, the one in the Porsche 919 is used more straightforwardly. Porsche only
uses one generator, while Toyota uses two. Although it meant lesser power, it
helped with reliability and efficiency, which helped Porsche attain the top
place in their category, outclassing Toyota.
Granted that Porsche did win almost every endurance race in
2017, like the Le Mans Series and more, it may not be considered the best car
in motorsport history. This is because its dominance in the sport was when its
competitors like Toyota and Audi faced many challenges which included technical
setbacks and more. Cars of Toyota and Audi have a longer-lasting legacy as
compared to Porsche thus it could mean that those cars could have a more
lasting impact on the world of endurance racing making it perhaps better.
In conclusion, by combining remarkably engineered Internal
Combustion Engine (ICE) technology with a world-standard hybrid system, the
Porsche 919 Hybrid LMP1 won many races, some by a landslide. More specifically,
the compact-sized internal combustion engine (ICE) and the two energy recovery
systems, the KERS and the ERS, have perfectly refined power and even
efficiency. This makes the Porsche 919 Hybrid one of the most powerful and
efficient endurance cars. Therefore, the Porsche 919 Hybrid earned its right to
be one of the best, thus setting a key example in motorsport history.
References
Andreani, A. (2024, February 26). The science behind
Porsche’s record-breaking V4 engine. Top Speed. https://www.topspeed.com/porsche-v4-engine-technology-explained/
Autoevolution. (2016, March 27). 2016 Porsche 919 Hybrid
LMP1 race car packs 900 horsepower. https://www.autoevolution.com/news/2016-porsche-919-hybrid-lmp1-race-car-packs-900-horsepower-105818.html
Collins, S. (2017, June 18). Porsche 919 (9R9 MY15-MY17). Racecar
Engineering. https://www.racecar-engineering.com/cars/porsche-919-9r9-my15/
Lye, G. (2017, April 3). 2017 Porsche 919 Hybrid – 900 hp
LMP1 race car. Paultan.org. https://paultan.org/2017/04/03/2017-porsche-919-hybrid-900-hp-lmp1-race-car/
Pobst, R. (2018, July 9). Porsche 919 Hybrid race car
review: The ultimate harmony of gas and electric. Motor Trend. https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/porsche-919-hybrid-race-car-review/
Porsche AG. (2016). How the technology of the 919 Hybrid
works. Porsche Newsroom. https://newsroom.porsche.com/en/motorsports/porsche-motorsport-fiawec-919-hybrid-technology-lmp1-race-car-12724.html
Porsche AG. (2017). Porsche 919 Hybrid 2017 technical
specifications. Porsche.com. https://newsroom.porsche.com/en/motorsports/porsche-world-premiere-monza-919-hybrid-2017-le-mans-prototype-13583.html
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