F10 BMW M5 to offers KERS boost system?

BMW LogoWhen BMW first announced that the BMW Sauber F1 team would be implementing electric KERS, they had this to say: “The BMW Group can transfer the knowledge gained within the BMW Sauber F1 Team directly into the development of standard production vehicles. This makes Formula One the ideal pre-development platform for innovative drive technologies.”

And it looks like it really happened after all! It seems that the next generation F10 BMW M5 will have a type of KERS system! Scott27, a BMW insider of sorts on the German Car Zone forums has revealed that the final engine to be slotted into the next generation F10 BMW M5 has not quite been decided yet. But what is confirmed is a kind of KERS system that will be exclusive to the M5. It will forge a big link between BMW M and BMW’s EfficientDynamics program because it will be taking what is essentially wasted energy but recycling it and turning it into power.

As BMW’s F1 cars uses a electric implementation of KERS, the BMW M5’s KERS system will likely use Brake Energy Regeneration to recover energy and store it via some kind of battery of supercapacitor system. This energy can then power a high-powered motor that can boost up power by a certain amount for a few seconds.

The F1 car’s KERS system weighs under 40kg and stores enough energy under braking for 60kW of output for 6.5 seconds. BMW picked an electric KERS system instead of a mechanical (flywheel-based) or a hydraulic system (abandoned) likely because it was already using similiar technology in the EfficientDynamics program and it would be easier to transfer the knowledge gained to production road cars.

Back to the engine – there are two engine options being evaluated right now. One is very likely some form of tuned up version of the same M TwinPower Turbo V8 engine in the X5 M and X6 M, but the other is something a little more exciting than that, though it was not revealed towards which option management is leaning towards.

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Paul Tan

After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

Comments

  • PROTON technology tr on Jun 24, 2009 at 11:13 am

    after this PROTON can transfer turbocharged system from PROTON WRC 2010 project..

    BMW have transfer so much technology from racing motorsports making that made them win so many international award.. BMW win 34 awards regarding to best international engine!.. I'm not kidding, BMW is clever about transfering technology from its participant in international level of racing motorsports

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nttyrIG2eiM

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  • Calvin De La Rosa on Jun 24, 2009 at 11:30 am

    i asked this in Fizik class back in the 90s when we learned about kinetic energy, the answer… it's not possible. Car tyres would be too big to implement.

    Hmm… strange what can happen after 15 years.

    New question (2009)… why dont we utilized the wind force during speeding into (practical) turbine(s) to turn the kinetic energy generated into electric?

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  • PROTON technology tr on Jun 24, 2009 at 11:56 am

    after this will be SUPER DIFFUSER technology from Formula One involvement to be implement in commercial road car.. that's how important racing motorsports to automotive industry.

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  • BMW motorsports bril on Jun 24, 2009 at 12:10 pm

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM_uEDqXXWo

    this video show you the basic on how KERS system work

    BMW gain so much technology transfer from racing motorsports involvement.. Malaysia automotive companies must learn from BMW success.. BMW have won 34 international best engine awards already.. that's how big motorsports influence and the benefit to automotive company!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Luqman on Jun 24, 2009 at 3:32 pm

    'why dont we utilized the wind force during speeding into (practical) turbine(s) to turn the kinetic energy generated into electric?'

    Simply because it wouldn't make sense.

    The windforce during speeding is not 'for free', but generated by the car engine itself.

    A turbine would make the drag coefficient (cW value) worse, resulting in higher petrol consumption…

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  • mediocre_genius on Jun 24, 2009 at 6:03 pm

    the KERS wont be exclusive to the M5 only, cuz i have read on other sites, that its gonna be implemented on the BMW 7 series as well as the X6.

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  • Alifz on Jun 24, 2009 at 6:07 pm

    A technology transferred to M5, where a real BMW F1 cars are dropping it. Looks like all M5 users absorbing F1 losses..

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  • BMW motorsports bril on Jun 25, 2009 at 5:29 am

    Alifz,

    don't worry after this SUPER DIFFUSSER technology coming into BMW because of their involvement in racing motorsports!

    racing motorsports is where you test the highest level of engineering skill!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • lchan on Jun 25, 2009 at 5:33 pm

    this is the fastest technolgy transfer for such a system from F1 to production cars i have seen!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • nighttrain on Jun 25, 2009 at 7:00 pm

    Since Petronas is a major sponsor, does Petronas have the rights to a lil' bit of the technology to be brought in? Transfer the tech from one GLC to another GLC?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Randall on Jun 25, 2009 at 9:04 pm

    KERS already stands for Kinetic Energy Recovery System, why does the article consistently say "KERS system"? Kinetic Energy Recovery System system?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • "A turbine would make the drag coefficient (cW value) worse, resulting in higher petrol consumption…"

    If you are talking about F1, then it would make sense.

    But not necessarily in everyday vehicles. A van for example got more drag from its front body, so any additional "turbine" down its bodyshell would not hurt.

    For me KERS is not yet suitable for everyday cars. Why should we "recover" kinetic energy, if we could not even make use of all the "electric" energy available in the vehicle. F1 vehicle might use almost all available energy all the time, but not everyday car. A lot of them are wasted while idling.

    Instead, we should look at harnessing the energy that we can get from the alternator. Adding a small motor that sips electricity from the alternator would boost performance. While adding a hybrid-type battery backs and motor would add cost significantly, an smaller electric motor with one or two deep-cycle batteries (and expandable to multiple units) would not cost too much.

    Getting its power from the alternator and the reservoir, the motor should be designed boost the engine power (and efficiency) for 5% or more.

    I would call it conventional vehicle with electric motor booster.. And if you could add a little bit of turbo.. then it would be much better :)

    Probably we could put the motor where the engine starter sits..

    just a thought.. I am no automotive engineer.

    .

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  • scanzew on Jun 26, 2009 at 9:37 am

    KERS??!!! u have to ask to KERS' master guru…LEWIS HAMILTON huihu

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  • BMW motorsports bril on Jun 26, 2009 at 1:07 pm

    randall wrote..

    KERS already stands for Kinetic Energy Recovery System, why does the article consistently say “KERS system”? Kinetic Energy Recovery System system?

    ——–

    let BMW test the market first.. if the demand is high then PETRONAS will involve more heavy in the technology + other hybrid technlogy and share it with Malaysia automotive company.. the Germans is our good friend ^^

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