A 1,000 horsepower engine doesn’t seem so incredible anymore. Cars with them have long been sold – both electric and gasoline. In the US you can even buy such an engine separately (Chrysler Direct Connection) and mount it on any car.
But in the case of internal combustion engines, the volume of the combustion chambers will reach several liters. And how to remove 1000 horsepower with a 1.6 liter engine? It looks like witchcraft.
The Engineering Explained YouTube channel has a video that does a great job of explaining how Formula 1 cars are powered by high revving 1.6 liter V6 turbo engines with two electric motors.
Under 2014 FIA rules it is allowed to run turbocharged engines in combination with two electric motors and a battery for energy storage. But unlike the Toyota Prius hybrid, which is designed to save fuel, the F1 hybrid setup is used for extra power.
One electric motor is used to spin the turbines in place of the wastegate and for regenerative braking. The resulting energy is pumped into a battery that is used to power a second motor mounted on the crankshaft.
This system is called ERS or Energy Recovery System, which provides an additional 160 horsepower and can be used during short bursts to overtake another car.
The internal combustion engine produces 830 horsepower, which is incredible for an engine of such small volume. The compression ratio is 18:1. Fuel consumption is also disappointing.
For safety reasons, Formula 1 cars are not allowed to refuel during the race, which means they must have enough fuel in their tanks to cover some 400 km. F1 rules also limit the amount of fuel in cars to 110 kilograms (about 147 litres). That is, fuel consumption is about 36 liters per 100 km.
Because of this, the efficiency of F1 engines is over 50%, while civilian engines have an efficiency of about 35%.
Photo, video: YouTube