Williams Hybrid Power to aid KERS development
Williams announced on Monday that they have acquired a minority shareholding in Automotive Hybrid Power (AHP) Limited, now renamed Williams Hybrid Power Limited. The company is developing a flywheel for potential use as the energy storage element of the team’s kinetic energy recovery system (KERS), due to be introduced to Formula One racing next season.
KERS technology stores kinetic energy generated under braking that would otherwise be dissipated. Williams is exploring a number of energy storage options, with the Williams Hybrid Power system based on a flywheel rotating at speeds of up to 100,000rpm that would capture this energy for later release.
“High-energy flywheel technology is a challenging field of engineering,” said Patrick Head, Williams Director of Engineering. “We fully support the FIA’s positive initiative in energy recovery systems which we hope will allow Formula One to make some contribution to the development of an environmentally beneficial technology that could help to reduce the carbon emissions of vehicles.”
Williams Hybrid Power, who have already relocated from AHP’s previous base to Williams’ UK headquarters near Oxford, hope to build on their Formula One experience to transfer their technology to other types of vehicle.
“As AHP, we had begun to develop our own advanced flywheel technology for application in vehicles,” explained Managing Director Ian Foley. “As Williams Hybrid Power, we will make use of the higher profile and Formula One development programme to accelerate development and bring it to market more quickly.”
