17/06/2020
NEWS STORY
One of the great myths surrounding the sport, certainly in the modern era, is that Formula One is the proving ground for technology subsequently used on road cars, an argument usually proposed in a bid to justify the vast amounts manufacturers have poured into the sport.
Now however, Mercedes, which has totally dominated the hybrid formula since its introduction in 2014, is using its all-conquering, record breaking technology in its road cars.
As the future of the German giant goes electric, in order to ensure a combination of high efficiency and improved driving dynamics, developers at Affalterbach are working on innovative technologies to take performance to a new level.
One of those developments is the electric exhaust gas turbocharger, which will be deployed on the next Mercedes-AMG vehicle generation and features technology developed on the track in F1. It's already in the final development stages and in the future will be used in a series production model from Affalterbach.
Developed in partnership with Garrett Motion, the technology comes straight from F1, resolving the conflict between having a smaller turbocharger that reacts faster but achieves relatively low peak performance, and a larger turbocharger with higher peak performance that suffers from turbo lag.
The new innovation benefits from knowledge and technology developed with the Energy Recovery System in the F1 power unit and in particular, the MGU-H.
The highlight of the new electric exhaust gas turbocharger is a slim electric motor integrated onto the charger shaft, between the turbine wheel on the exhaust side and the compressor wheel on the fresh air side.
The electronically-controlled electric motor drives the compressor wheel before it accepts the exhaust gas flow. The electrification of the turbocharger significantly improves immediate response from idle speed and across the entire engine speed range, while also eliminating turbo lag.
Therefore, the combustion engine responds faster to accelerator pedal input and provides a more dynamic driving feel. It also enables higher torque at low engine speeds, which enhances agility and acceleration from a standstill.
"We have clearly defined our goals for an electrified future," said Tobias Moers, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-AMG GmbH. "In order to reach them, we are relying on discrete and highly innovative components as well as assemblies.
"With this move we are strategically supplementing our modular technology and tailoring it to our performance requirements. In a first step this includes the electrified turbocharger - an example of the transfer of Formula One technology to the road, something with which we will take turbocharged combustion engines to a previously unattainable level of agility."