Courage back in 2011 with Electrical proto

[AndrewF31]

Yves Courage is returning in 2011:

http://www.endurance-info.com/versio...ance-4566.html

He'll be coming back under the label Courage Technology with a prototype called Courage MO.11:
- M for MATIS
- O for Zero emissions of CO2
- 11 for 2011

Here are some additional specs from the article:
"-Châssis : développé Ã* partir d'une coque Courage/Oreca LMP2 acquise Ã* Oreca. -Poids : 650 kg (hors groupe moto propulseur) pour un objectif de masse de 1190 Ã* 1250 kg
-Moteurs : 2 Moteurs synchrones Ã* aimant permanent; puissance nominale 150 KW par moteur (+/- 400 ch); Puissance maximale par moteur : 300 KW (+/- 800 ch); Régime moteur 15 000 tours/minute; Récupération d'énergie au freinage; Poids +/-70 kg par moteur avec système de refroidissement liquide
-Batteries : Lithium haute performance; Batteries organisées en packs interchangeables + système de chargement; Autonomie 30 minutes en conditions de course; 5 packs de rotation utilisés en rotation."

Each battery pack has autonomy of 30 minutes and they mention 5 packs. Don't understand yet if the car will have 5 packs, meaning 2.5 hours of autonomy or just 1 pack which is substituted during pit stops, meaning they have to stop every 30 minutes.

The speeds make it equivalent to the LMP2s.

First signs of electrical cars are Le Mans.

[ger80]

I think they should have a trailer with a Judd V10 behind the car to recharge the batteries ...

[MulsanneMike]

Originally Posted by ger80

I think they should have a trailer with a Judd V10 behind the car to recharge the batteries ...

LOL!

[Victor_RO]

That'll just mean that you're basically running a locomotive.

Also, my understanding is that they're rotating 5 battery packs, so 2 hours of charging and then 30 minutes out on the track. P.S. Didn't Paul Drayson say that there would be an electric LMP in the next 15 years?

[ger80]

Maybe they can get an all Dutch driver lineup (Lammers/Albers/Verstappen) - so they can call it a caravan...

[AndrewF31]

What I don't understand about this huge obsession with electrical cars is for them to charge up, they need energy from some source.
You see some movement on energy consumption moving to more environmental friendly sources but we are still highly dependent on...... oil.

So instead of using gas in the car, directly, let's charge a box with energy coming from a power plant powered by petroleum or some other pollutant.

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by AndrewF31

What I don't understand about this huge obsession with electrical cars is for them to charge up, they need energy from some source.
You see some movement on energy consumption moving to more environmental friendly sources but we are still highly dependent on...... oil.

So instead of using gas in the car, directly, let's charge a box with energy coming from a power plant powered by petroleum or some other pollutant.

Electric motors are, however, a lot more efficient than ICEs... and even if you need an ICE or something similar to get the electric energy in the first place, you still have a lot less loss due to not having a mechanical drive-train.
At least that's what I can remember from school - it's been a few years, so I might be completely wrong.

[ger80]

Assuming 90% efficency of the electric motor and 50% of your (coal, oil, gas) power plant you end up with 45% - so similiar to what you get out of a diesel engine. Considering you will lose some energy while charging the batteries, you will gain nothing as long as you dont use nuclear, solar, wind or wave power from a CO2 point.

[zac510]

I applaud it and wish Courage luck. It's one of the great things about Le Mans - prototypes not just by name, and variety.

Don't forget that energy is lost during refining and transporting the fuel too. It's far from as clear cut as 90% timesed by 50%.

But the thing I like most is that we have to experiment with these things before we know whether they work. So let's go forth and experiment and learn!

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by ger80

Assuming 90% efficency of the electric motor and 50% of your (coal, oil, gas) power plant you end up with 45% - so similiar to what you get out of a diesel engine. Considering you will lose some energy while charging the batteries, you will gain nothing as long as you dont use nuclear, solar, wind or wave power from a CO2 point.

Also in the equation of any powerplant generated electricity is transmission loss to the end user, (reportedly) sometimes exceeding 50% depending on distance.




L.P.

[JAG]

Originally Posted by AndrewF31

What I don't understand about this huge obsession with electrical cars is for them to charge up, they need energy from some source.
You see some movement on energy consumption moving to more environmental friendly sources but we are still highly dependent on...... oil.

So instead of using gas in the car, directly, let's charge a box with energy coming from a power plant powered by petroleum or some other pollutant.

That maybe the case now but the ultimate goal is to generate electricity by renewable means, there's also the potential to charge batteries from braking and such.

Short-term batteries are useful in a hybrid capacity for road cars, i.e stop, start city driving, in endurance racing they'd be useful under safety car conditions.

That's a potential race winning advantage in the short-term long before you consider fully electric cars.

[ger80]

Same would be try for using biogas in a normal engine - e.g. what you brought to the toilet one day fires your car next day. That way you would keep the wonderfull noise of combustion engines

[skycafe]

Originally Posted by ger80

Same would be try for using biogas in a normal engine - e.g. what you brought to the toilet one day fires your car next day. That way you would keep the wonderfull noise of combustion engines

the BMW plant in South Carolina is fueled totaly or largely by mehane off a near-by landfill (which is a commentary itself on the amount of waste we produce...). I suppose you could build pits for the eco cars near the rows of porta potties---or, how many dairy cows could you fit in a LeMans garage?

I happened to search yesterday the Venturi cars to see what was available as far as information, and they have apparently gone to electrics totally. I wonder if one will be in the alternate parade lap at LeMans this week? With the LeMans history they may tie in with Courage.

Also, Toyota has just tied in with Tesla, so I am imagining there is going to be a lot of competition for the 56th garage in coming years.

[The Badger]

Oh well , at least the women should feel at home with this one ..... remind them of the hairdressers !!!

[Javi]

electric motors give peak torque from nearly 0 rpm. apart from that, you may not need a conventional gearbox, and also, apart from cooling batteries (needed for lithium ones that tend to overheat), you don´t need radiator openings that disturb the aero package, so potentially there are many advantages. 30 min pit window is too short, but they are not aiming for victory, aren´t they?
Le mans has always been about innovation (jagur D´s disc brakes, BRM turbine car, Panoz´s hybrid, direct gasoline injection...) I really applaud Courage´s try!

[Tom908V12]

Any predictions for wednesday ???

I say no Courage on entrylist of 2011 24 hours of Le Mans ACO will unveil

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by Tom908V12

Any predictions for wednesday ???

I say no Courage on entrylist of 2011 24 hours of Le Mans ACO will unveil

Well we haven't heard a single peep out of this project for months... and there's a much more credible and real project for that 56th entry that's sitting in Weissach at the moment.