Building the World's Fastest Electric Racing Car.
Building the World's Fastest Racing Car, that's Electric.
by Greg Bender
Multiple features
allow
this Electric Racing Car to outpace any petrolium-based, piston-driven
engine
technology; thus, paving the way for California to shift from a
faltering
Computer Industry to a burgeoning Electric Car Industry using the exact
same Semiconductor/Computer/Motor Industries we have now. This will
help
establish the public interest for building the new Electric Car
Infrastructure
in California in time for the Emission-Less Mandate set for 2009.
The
top Racing Speeds
will be between 350 - 400 m.p.h. on a track with 60o
banked
corners, pulling G's Forces equivalent to an F-16 fighter jet, and
moving
through pit stops in just under 4 seconds.
There are multiple advantages of standard PWM, CVCC electronic torque control over any single engine, two/four-wheel, mechanical differential drive system. These subtle differences become significantly more important at racing speeds over 250 m.p.h.
"Lead
the rest
with
the best." This car design will change the
level
of auto racing
performance
forever, and seriously put Electric
Cars
well ahead of clumsy,
polluting, combustion drive-trains forever.
Staff:
15-20;
If you are interested or know someone who would be a good match for
this
project, please contact me at contact-us@auricalabs.com
with a list of personal interests in the project, salary expectations,
and a complete resume.
Budget:
$40 - $50
Million for the first two years.
Schedule:
1-2 years
to build the Fastest Electric Race Car and Test Track;
and
2-3 years to tool up
the Consumer Electric Car Industry in California using most of the same
technologies.
Every single aspect of this Electric Race Car Design is completely different from today's high performance Formula 1 and top NASCAR vehicles, quite literally. We had to break some of the rules... -actually, all of them.
This project has the potential to open up a brand new racing sport and raise the level of high performance auto racing forever.
There
several major
categories
to consider and many additional sub-systems integrated throughout the
car:
(
click on, or scroll down
the page through the following Chapters; it is rather extensive. )
2»» FRAME DESIGN AND DRIVER SEAT CONFIGURATION
3»» STEERING SYSTEMS WITH DYNAMIC COMPLIANCE
4»» ACTIVE SUSPENSION SYSTEMS
5»» REAL-TIME TRACTION CONTROLS
6»» AUTOMATIC TIRE TEMPERATURE CONTROLS
7»» TIRE CHANGING SYSTEMS
8»» COMPARING FUEL CELLS, TURBINES, AND BATTERY POWER SYSTEMS
9»» REGENERATIVE BRAKING
10»» COLLISION AVOIDANCE AND SPEED MATCHING
11»» NEURAL NET ACCELERATION & STEERING ASSISTANCE
12»» THE FOUR SECOND PIT STOP SEQUENCE
There are several advantages that four (4) individual electric wheel motors have over a single engine drive-train system, (even a "four-wheel drive" single engine drive-train). In addition, there are a wide variety of advanced electronic motion controls that can be applied to Electric Motors that cannot be applied to Piston Engines:
1. Full Torque at Zero Speed.Drawings to follow.
2. Instantaneous Torque Control with Active Steering.
3. Re-generative Braking.
4. Fewer Moving Engine Parts and Engine Support Systems.
5. Fewer Drive-Train Bearings and Rotating Gears & Axles.
6. More Space, Lower Aerodynamic Profile.
7. No Oil Changes Required.
1. Full Torque at Zero Speed. Piston Engines, which ramp up to full power between 4000 and 8000 r.p.m.'s, ( depending on the engine), require a "transmission" and "clutch" to get a car up to speed from a stand-still. Electric Motors have a much flatter torque response down to zero speed, therefore, no transmission is ever needed. Every modern Train, Locomotive, and Subway Car you've ever seen is driven by electric motors, and this is one of the main reasons. Also, Electric Motors can spin up to a much faster speed than Piston Engines before they fly apart.
(back to 1»»)
2. Instantaneous Torque Control. The rotational inertia of the Piston Engine and the extended drive-train has a great deal of "over-spin"; meaning, just "letting-up-off-the-gas" does not stop the drive-train rotational momentum for at least 500 milli-seconds, just long enough to break traction. Letting up too much too soon can create "reverse torque" and this will almost always break friction with the track; and unfortunately, this usually leads to a spin-out.In contrast, Electric Motors, with the proper controls and sensors, can reduce the torque to zero in less than 10 micro-seconds. I didn't say stop the wheel(s), I said stop the torque. Advanced Sensors can adjust the torque of the motor to stay within the friction limits of changing track conditions. This type of system is the compliment of an Anti-Skid Braking System, only it's designed for optimum acceleration.
Consider for instance, driving in rain, or over a fresh oil slick. Active Traction Control Systems for Electric Motors can go from full power to zero and back again in less than one (1) inch of rolling distance, thus guaranteeing the tire rotation speed will be exactly what it needs to be before applying more power and torque safely in a stronger "friction envelope" just after passing over an oil slick. In other words, this system can instantaneously coast through slick areas on the track safely and not spin-out the tires.
"It is critically important to never break traction with the road, regardless of the surface conditions. It's also important to understand that this is far easier to accomplish with Electric Motors than Piston Engines."
Active Steering is another hidden advantage of independent, four wheel, Electronic Torque Controlled Motors. By over-driving the outside tires and under-driving the inside tires, an Electric Car can cut sharper corners at higher speeds than a rear differential drive system, (which essentially lets one of the two drive wheels coast through the turn). For more information, refer below to Chapter 3:
3»» STEERING SYSTEMS WITH DYNAMIC COMPLIANCE.These key features of having independent Electric Motor Drives for each wheel clearly underscores Detroit's failure to understand how much easier it is to control the torque curve of an Electric Motor than a Piston Engine for ultimate driving performance.
(back to 1»»)
3. Re-generative Braking. This one of the most significant differences between liquid fueled Pistons Engines and Electric Motors. While the "energy density-to-weight ratio" of liquid fuels is very high compared to some common battery technologies; the acquired motion, or Kinetic Energy obtained from burning fossil fuels can never be recovered, it must be "wasted" as heat in asbestos brake pads.Electric Motors, on the other hand, can use reverse EMF, (Electric Motive Force), to recover 40% to 50% of the Kinetic Energy of the vehicle while slowing down for a corner or a stop. This can extend the battery's overall discharge time by about the same amount, making it very competitive with liquid fuels.
(back to 1»»)
4. Fewer Moving Engine Parts and Engine Support Systems. The average DC Brushless Electric Motor only has around a dozen or so mechanical parts, and only one of them has wear from mechanical contact; the main wheel bearing. On the other hand, Piston Engines have several 100's of parts; --half of which are wearing against the other half.The long term reliability of Electric Cars with four individual wheel motors may very well extend five times beyond the best warranty available for a Piston Engine Car today; a definite selling point for Electric Car Buyers.
(back to 1»»)
5. Fewer Drive-Train Bearings and Rotating Gears & Axles. The average 4 Cylinder Drive-Train has around 20 primary bearings that transfer power directly to the driving wheels; and, at least 40 more secondary bearings that hold various gears and cam-shafts in place; from the engine, to the transmission, to the differential. All of these spinning parts require and store rotational momentum. They also increase friction, require lubrication, wear out and break, and most of them are difficult to replace. In addition, the process of shifting gears while racing uses up too much valuable mental time and hand coordination time; something the Driver/Pilot doesn't have much to spare at 350 m.p.h.Without the need for any transmissions, drive shafts, rear differentials, or rear axles, Electric Cars can loose about 1200-1600 pounds of rotating steel. This "weight loss" is crucial to high performance racing as well as the overall success of the Electric Car Industry.
In contrast, there are only four (4) drive bearings in this Electric Car Design, one for each wheel. Again, long term reliability and durability are significantly increased with this basic shift away from a single engine drive-train.
(back to 1»»)
6. More Space, Lower Aerodynamic Profile. Without the need for any transmission, drive shaft, rear differential, or rear axles, this Electric Car can seat the Driver/Pilot on the center-line of the vehicle, and lower than usual. The bucket seat is more reclined and there is more room for the driver to get a wider stance with feet, knees, shoulders, and elbows to better stabilize the driver's ability to control the car.
(back to 1»»)
7. No Oil Changes Required. Because there is no combustion in an Electric Motor, synthetic oils never reach their burning temperature, so they practically never wear out or degrade over time.In addition, a special blend of Synthetic Oil, Graphite, Molybdenum Disulfide, and Ferro-Fluidics is floated throughout the Rotor/Stator Air Gap and is effectively sealed in for the life of the motor. Even if the seal(s) wears through, the Ferro-Fluidics will still tend to stay in the magnetic gap. This advanced lubrication technology provides four critical functions at once:
1) Increases the magnetic coupling efficiency between the Rotor and Stator.(back to 1»»)
2) Increases the thermal transfer within the motor which increases the cooling for the motor.
3) Provides vibration damping and motor/wheel stabilization on rough tracks.
4) And, using a special motor design, this unique fluid is pumped through the main wheel bearing for more cooling and reduced friction at high speeds.
The fundamental goal of making the fastest Electric Car is making the lightest "weight-to-strength ratio" possible, a common theme in high performance sports. The main frame is TIG welded with high-tempered aircraft aluminum tubing that is hard-anodized inside & out, (not anodize; but 'hard-anodized', to the highest voltage possible). This process turns the AL tubing into a Composite Structure that is very much stiffer and stronger than the original AL tubing. Some frame pieces may require a very large hard-anodize bath.
The basic frame must be built like a "roll-cage" for obvious safety reasons. But the Driver/Pilot seat is in yet another roll-cage inside the main frame. These extra safety measures, including "all-around air bags" are absolutely necessary and will be main focus of the design efforts.
Because of the expected G Forces involved on a 60o banked corner at 350 m.p.h., a standard F-16 pilot pressure suit will be required as well. The Driver/Pilot will be more reclined than usual for an F-16 fighter plane, which is an advantage for the Driver/Pilot; but, nonetheless, a serious bio-metrics/telemetry package will be an integral part of this racing car.
Drawings to follow.
Another consideration for not breaking friction on the track is avoiding Tire Shear, a subtle problem that gets worse at higher speeds. Traditional front wheel steering systems have two different "tangential tracks" (tangent on the circle...) around each corner; one set for the front wheels and one set for the rears wheels. At slow speeds, (under 100 m.p.h.), this is almost insignificant; but keeping traction above 300 m.p.h., one cannot afford any amount of "cross-traction" between the two tire sets.
Instead, the frame of the Fastest Electric Race Car bends at the center of the car. This new steering geometry ensures that all four wheels align tangentially to the same arc, thus avoiding any Tire Shear. This helps maintain better traction around high speed corners.
The Car Frame is built around two large diameter, circular bearings in the center of the chassis; the one on the bottom that is nearly the width of the car itself, and one the top that is about 20% smaller, but still close to 4 feet in diameter. This size difference aids in stiffening the overall chassis. The Driver/Pilot enters the car through the ring of the top chassis bearing, and a plastic "punch-through" cover snaps into place in the last 10 second before the race starts.
The aero-dynamic envelope is maintained with a set of "sliding-sheets"; similar to the F-Stop Iris of a 35 mm camera lens or an oval airport luggage carousel.
The Active Steering System is built around two pairs of differential hydraulic pistons; one differential pair for the top bearing and one differential pair for the bottom bearing. The four wheel-motors push small hydraulic pumps from each side of the car. As the speed of the Electric Car increases, so does the differential hydraulic pressure, making it harder to "bend" the car and turn a corner that's outside the 'friction-envelope'. When the Driver/Pilot slows down enough to make the turn based on tire friction conditions, the steering system softens enough to make a tight corner. In short, the slower the speed the tighter the turning radius the Active Steering System will allow. The faster this Electric Car goes, the stiffer the steering gets and the more stable, straighter, and harder the steering becomes. Of course, fine tuning this system for each Driver/Pilot and race track weather conditions will have to be taken into consideration for every race.
Drawings to follow.
Just as the compliance of the steering system stiffens with increasing speed, so does the suspension system, but with additional sensor loops involved. This system works in tandem with the Aerodynamic Package and takes advantage of an aerodynamic phenomenon referred to as "ground effect". In this case, the flight deck is set at approximately 4 inches off the ground. However, moving through several layers of G Forces from flat straight-aways to 60o banked corners requires a suspension system that can respond past 5 G's and still maintain the 4 inch flight deck precisely. Using four-corner, Acoustic/IR position sensors, this system measures the temperature of the track and the exact distance of each edge of the vehicle to the ground. This information is sent to both the: 6»» AUTOMATIC TIRE TEMPERATURE CONTROL SYSTEM, and the Suspension Hydraulics. These controls are also coordinated with the Aerodynamic Package.
The pivot axis for each wheel suspension A-frame also comes from the center-line of the car. Each wheel has an active hydraulic cylinder that pushes downwards on the suspension A-frame. This hydraulic system uses a variable pneumatic canister that allows this hydraulic system to work like shock absorbers as well. The other side of this pneumatic canister is pumped up from the wheel-pumps of the Hydraulic Steering System. Again, the faster the car speed the tighter the pneumatic compliance of the shock absorbing system gets. At the same time, each A-frame height position is precisely controlled to maintain the 4 inch flight deck, yaw, pitch, and roll, regardless of the changing G Forces.
Drawings to follow.
This is the most sophisticated control system on this Electric Racing Car and carries the most amount of Intellectual Property Rights and Trade Secrets. It is core to the function of this type of racing car and most of the other control sub-systems receive calibrated information directly from this advanced Traction Control System.
Utilizing an Optical Encoder in each wheel that is at least 24 Bits wide or above, and a system sampling rate above 500 kHz, the Electric Car can precisely measure both the position and speed of each wheel relative to the car's momentum. Comparing this encoder information against the Active Steering System and the on-board, dual, optical gyro-scopes, the computer system can determine within 10 micro-seconds if any wheel is "over-spinning" for the speed and acceleration of the car. At this point, the torque is restricted to the slipping wheel motor(s) which avoids breaking traction with the road. This will provide the fastest rate of acceleration in the safest manner.
Please refer to the Application Notes AN-162 and AN-210 from National Semiconductor's Linear Applications Handbook for some of the fundamental building blocks that this system can be built upon. However, both the analog processing speed and accuracy will need to be improved significantly.
Drawings to follow.
The traditional "tire-warming techniques" are both crude, a waste of good rubber, and helps cause the dreaded "marbles" which ruin many cars, as well as many racing careers.
There are other ways of maintaining precise tire temperature to within 2 degrees that match the actual road surface conditions within seconds. One technique is using a standard Quartz-Halogen IR Lamp and the other relies on Eddy Currents within the steel-belted radial tires.
The Quartz-Halogen IR Lamp can heat the surface tire rubber fairly quickly, within a few seconds of rotation. The Eddy Current Heater is a bit slower, but it can heat the bulk of the tire rubber, not just the surface. Also, it is likely to slow down the motor drives somewhat during the heating phase.
For cooling the tire rubber, a quick blast of CO2 at -40o inside the wheel-wells should chill the surface rubber enough; but changing out a CO2 canister may add another 3 seconds to the pit-stop times.
These active Tire Temperature Controls are specifically meant to increase Tire Traction, Safety, and Tire Life; the overall goal here is to reduce the number pit-stops needed for tire changes.
Drawings to follow.
This is the key to a 4 second pit-stop. Using the standard 5-Lug-Nut system is a complete waste of time, quite literally.
Instead, this car will be using a different type of wheel locking system that can be swapped-out in under 3 seconds.
The outside of the rotor casing is formed into a tapered splined hub with a 5-ball-bearing lock in the center, similar to that on a common air-hose fitting. The ball-bearing lock is pneumatically driven. When 200 p.s.i. air pressure is applied, the worn tires are literally blown off the spline hubs in under 200 milli-seconds. Using "synchro-mesh" splined teeth, the new wheels can be pushed into place in about 1 second. Then, by removing the air pressure, the ball-bearings lock all the wheels in place in about 500 milli-seconds. This wheel changing system provides fast, consistent wheel locking without the need for lug-nut torque testing.
For more
details about
this
tire changing technology, please see chapter:
12»»
THE
FOUR SECOND PIT STOP SEQUENCE
Drawings to follow.
Fuel Cells can produce a tremendous amount of energy, but most of that is heat, not electricity. The radiator cooling system needed is likely to cause too much aerodynamic drag at high speeds for Fuel Cells to be a useful power source for racing. However, Fuel Cells may still be quite viable for consumer based automobiles and should be considered for tooling up the Consumer Electric Car Industry in California.
Turbine-Generators can also produce a tremendous amount of energy. Using Neodium-Boron magnets in the tips of the rotor blades, and induction coils and cooling loops in the outer casing, several 100,000 watts can be generated from a wide variety of fuels, including a Hydrogen and Oxygen mixture. This system also requires dissipating a great deal of heat with an "air-dragging" radiator, but there will be plenty of extra power to push past that. Another advantage of the Turbine-Generator is high angular momentum. This design calls for two, matched turbine engines that spin equal and opposite. By precisely changing the differential rotational speeds between the two turbines engines during a turn, the resulting net angular momentum of the chassis will quite literally spin the vehicle "on-a-dime". Unfortunately, the temptation to use the thrust power of a turbine engine to power the car is all too easy; but that would make it the fastest Rocket Car, not the fastest Electric Car. In addition, Turbine-Generators may be a bit too expensive for the consumer car market, but it is still a viable technology for large scale, Industrial Energy Applications.
Battery Systems don't generate nearly as much heat as the engines systems just mentioned, so the cooling requirements are much less. This is an important design consideration because it reduces aerodynamic drag as well as the number of support systems needed for thermal control.
Some Basic Battery Types and Their Application Value:Achieving the lightest vehicle weight is one of the main aspects of a successful Electric Car. However, the lighter the vehicle, the tighter the aerodynamics package must be. Remember, this Electric Racing Car will be literally flying 4 inches off the ground.Lead-Acid: While the most common and probably the most economical, Lead-Acid Batteries can not carry their own weight, quite literally. There is not enough stored energy in a Lead-Acid battery to accelerate itself to 300 m.p.h. even if the whole rest of the car was made out of thin air. The related ratio's of power-density, weight, and the Kinetic Energy needed to accelerate itself to 300 m.p.h. will never add up to positive number. It's just too heavy. This may be one reasons why the Electric Car Industry hasn't gotten started yet.
Nickel-Cadmium: This battery technology is somewhat lighter than Lead-Acid, and it has very high charge and dis-charge rates. This maybe a reasonable choice for a first prototype, given the availability and relative low cost; but it is still too heavy.
Re-Chargable Alkalines: This low cost battery technology is similar in weight and power density as Ni-Cad's but with somewhat slower charge and dis-charge rates.
Lithium: This is by far the best choice in power-to-weight ratio's. Lithium Batteries are about 7 times lighter than Ni-Cad's and almost 20 times lighter than Lead-Acid for about the same power density and discharge rates. The only problem here is finding a manufacturer who can build rechargeable, 200,000 Amp-hour Lithium Battery Packs in a solid package that can be swapped out in 3 seconds or less.
Drawings to follow.
DC Electric Motors can be driven very efficiently, around 90%, with solid state PWM Drives, (Pulse Width Modulation), which is about three times higher in efficiency than most thermal-cycle engine systems. By applying various "clocking" techniques in a standard H-Bridge PWM Drive, not only can you control the torque precisely, but you can shift instantly into a Regenerative Braking Mode to slow the car down and charge the batteries at the same time using the Kinetic Energy of the car.
A special "gas pedal", or in this case, an "electron pedal" will be used. It has a special position sensor that is directly tied to the speed of the car. Depending on the position of the pedal relative to the speed of the car and the cornering, the solid state drive systems for each wheel can shift between three different modes within 10 micro-seconds.
Acceleration: Using the Active Traction Control System, acceleration is similar to a standard gas pedal.Drawings to follow.Maintain Speed & Maneuverability: This is somewhat like "cruise control" but it is a very narrow band between Acceleration and Regenerative Braking.
Regenerative Braking: By lifting the pedal upwards with a special toe-piece, the Electric Car can shift into Regenerative Braking Mode and slow the car while charging the battery systems proportionately. The 5»» REAL-TIME TRACTION CONTROLS will be switched automatically into an Anti-Skid Mode, again assuring maximum traction based on the current road conditions
Standard disk brakes will also be a part of the motor/wheel design to bring the car to a full stop.
Using a series of Ultra-Sonic Doppler Sensors, the Electric Racing Car can sense every object within 30 feet, stationary or mobile. This is very similar to radar systems, but, Ultra-Sonic Technology is lighter, more economical, more appropriate for the distances involved, and less harmful to other drivers.
This 3-D spatial information is sent to the Hydraulic Steering Controls and Traction Controls which both make 1000's of small adjustments a second. This is called "Micro-Steering", where the Driver/Pilot's basic steering direction is shifted ever so slightly to avoid anything within 2 feet of the vehicle. This is both Predictive and Adaptive. This spatial information is also coordinated with the LCD Windshield Heads-Up Display as well as a 3-D acoustics positioning sound system in the Driver/Pilot's helmet.
Speed Matching is a new version of "drafting" often used in Bicycle Racing. It uses the front bumper Doppler Sensors on the car to lock in an exact distance and match the speed of the vehicle in front, regardless of any speed changes of the lead vehicle.
There are two "sweet-spots" to lock in on aerodynamically:
Lowest Drag: In this case the second car sits close in the aerodynamic "shadow" of the lead car and spends almost no energy to maintain its speed.Drawings to follow.Highest Drag: Moving further back, the second car can take advantage of the large "wind curl" that comes off the rear spoiler of the first car. Using a "Towing Flap" that flips up on the front hood, this technique can actually slow the lead car down while the second car charges its own batteries. This feature will definitely change team racing strategies in the future.
The 5»» REAL-TIME TRACTION CONTROLS will be able to pin-point and maintain these two positions very accurately.
This is where advanced computer technology gives this Electric Racing Car a somewhat unfair advantage over the competition. This onboard system is not unlike the Bio-Metric Auto-Pilot Systems used in an F-16 fighter jet that will complete a safe turn if the pilot passes out from too many G forces. The essential difference here is that in most Auto Racing, everyone drives around the same path over and over again; as many as 500 times. This is an ideal situation for a Neural Net Auto-Pilot System.
A Neural Net is in a unique category of "self-learning" software operating systems. It combines many types of variable input information and compares that to pre-determined algorithm that refines the outputs to match the pattern(s) required. The more repetition, the more accurate a Neural Net Program gets to the pre-determined algorithm. This Adaptive Response to changing road conditions with various information from the sensor array(s) can be data-logged and memorized well within 100 laps. By 300 laps, the car can practically drive itself around the track while the Driver/Pilot takes short naps between pit stops from G Force Fatigue.
( Yes, I know, this does sound a bit like cheating; but driving over 350 m.p.h. for many hours at a time, the Driver/Pilots are going to need all the Auto-Pilot Assistance they can get; --just like in an F-16 fighter jet. )
Since the entire car is electrically controlled, it is feasible to combine all the electronic control sub-systems into a dedicated Neural Network. These various control systems will provide the inputs to the Neural Net Processor:
DUAL OPTICAL GYRO-SCOPESWith enough planning, Adaptive Neural Nets can also be made to be Predictive. This is the necessary information for the LCD HEADS-UP WINDSHIELD DISPLAY and becomes rather important when driving next to a dozen other Electric Racing Cars.
DOPPLER POSITION/MOTION SENSORS, 14 CHANNELS
3»» STEERING SYSTEMS WITH DYNAMIC COMPLIANCE
4»» ACTIVE SUSPENSION SYSTEMS
5»» REAL-TIME TRACTION CONTROLS
9»» REGENERATIVE BRAKING CONTROLS
10»» COLLISION AVOIDANCE AND SPEED MATCHINGOnce correlated, the outputs return control information to:
LCD HEADS-UP WINDSHIELD DISPLAY
ACTIVE MICRO-STEERING CONTROLS
5»» REAL-TIME TRACTION CONTROLS
6»» AUTOMATIC TIRE TEMPERATURE CONTROLS
9»» REGENERATIVE BRAKING AND BATTERY CHARGING SYSTEMS
10»» COLLISION AVOIDANCE AND SPEED MATCHING
This is the basic outline of how the system works. This Electric Racing Car requires two Qualifying Laps:
The First Qualifying Lap is rather slow but driven at a reference speed, like 100 m.p.h. The Neural Net is put into "Learning Mode" and data-logs the entire track while the Driver/Pilot drives down the exact center of the track. The system uses all the resources onboard to record everything about the racing track, including:Drawings to follow.GPS Position MapThe Second Qualifying Lap is necessary to set the upper physical car/driver limits for the Neural Net. The same things are measured, but this time the Driver/Pilot goes all out, taking every corner at the highest possible speed; without any other cars involved.
G-Force Profiles
Acceleration Profiles
Radius of Corners
Banking Angles
Road Width
Wall Placement
Wall Density
Distance Between Corners
Track Temperature
Track Friction Coefficient(s)
Driver/Pilot Bio-Metrics
Ambient Weather Conditions and Wind Shear
Minimum Amp-Hours Needed to Complete One LapThis system is designed to find the fastest momentum profile around the track and around other cars as possible based on the current battery charge. This information is displayed on a transparent LCD Windshield. This unique Heads-Up Display shows several "color-coded arcs" and strategic positions to follow, using the Adaptive/Predictive Translation Software tied into the main Neural Network.
The Driver/Pilot much still choose between different paths and positions with split-second accuracy; while the various on-board control system prevent the Driver/Pilot from making serious driving errors in either road traction limits, wall boundaries, and/or other cars.
Once these two Qualifying Runs are recorded for that race day, the Neural Net can then narrow in on the optimum speed for every corner as well as the fastest acceleration profile for the staight-aways. It may take 100 laps or so while the Driver/Pilot finds the best areas on the track to fly through. But, once this Electric Car is out in front, the Neural Net Control System can practically drive the car in Auto-Pilot Mode for the rest of the race.
The challenge, as always, is getting out in front and maintaining the first racing position. Several types of coded, 3-D sounds in the helmet can inform the leading Driver/Pilot if any action is required after that.
This fancy "Pit-Station" is as sophisticated as the Electric Racing Car itself, and again, it breaks all the rules. This complete Pit-System is necessary for achieving the fastest pit-times. It consists of a raised "Skid-Track" that is mechanically driven to swap-out the tires and the battery packs at the same time. This Pit-Station is designed to be at least four times faster than one can poor in 50 gallons of liquid fuel into a gas tank.
Second One the Electric Racing Car is Auto-Guided by the Skid-Track itself within the 100 foot entrance to the pit stop. Both the Momentum and Auto-Steering of the car will be completely controlled within this 100 foot radius; in the very same manner as 747's have landing guidance for airport run-ways.If you enjoy watching the BLUE ANGLES Flight Team fly by at 500 m.p.h. in formation just six feet apart, then you will enjoy watching this new sport in Electric Car Racing just as much.Second Two the car slides onto the Skid-Track into Position 1. Immediately, the "Air-Hose-Guy" in the Pit Crew plugs in a 200 p.s.i. air hose into the side of the car and 200 milli-seconds later all four worn tires are blown off into "Capture Cages", which are also part of the Skid-Track. These Cages keeps the rest of the Pit Crew safe from injuries. At the same time, the Battery Holding Clamps are released.
Second Three is the most critical for overall pit-stop timing. The Skid-Track mechanically moves the entire Electric Racing Car into Position 2. During this process, the opened high-current Battery Clamps drop and leave the old/spent Battery Pack(s) at Position 1. and the newly charged Battery Pack(s) are waiting at Position 2. in perfect alignment for the Battery Clamps to pick up. At the same time, four "Tire Technicians" slam on four new tires based on current road/weather conditions at Position 2. and yell "Clear!" in unison.
Second Four is the blast-off phase. The Air-Hose-Guy confirms all four signals from the Tire Technicians and pulls the air hose as quickly as possible. Within 500 milli-seconds the air pressure should drop enough to lock in all four wheels and the Battery Pack(s) in place. Another 200 milli-seconds for a full systems check and another 100 or so milli-seconds to catapult the car off the Skid-Track at the same speed it entered with. In about 50 to 100 feet and just under 4 seconds off the Skid-Track, the Driver/Pilot has full control of the Electric Car is already at maximum acceleration for the current track conditions. Another two or three seconds running down the Pit Alley and all four tires are at the exact temperature required for the race track, without the need to "burn rubber".
Drawings to follow.
CONCLUSION:
Consider the fact that CA already has all the Electronics Infrastructure
needed for "jump-starting" the entire Electric Car Industry; while
Detroit does not.Consider that the only difference between an Electronic Computer and
and an Electric Car is just a matter of size, proportion, and carriage.
The required technologies for precision motors, programmable silicon,
and composite materials are well known, extremely refined, and
immediately available. The CA Computer Industry can re-tool for
Electric Cars in 1/10th the time needed for Detroit to even learn
about the subject. Believe me, there's absolutely no reason to wait
around for those slow-minded dinosaurs to understand, much less
adapt to our rapidly changing, Global Environmental Conditions.Also, consider the possibility of a new Public Works Campaign for
invigorating the CA Economy, (the same type that built the Hover
Dam and some of the Bay Area Bridges during the Great Depression),
where everyone who wants a new job just drops out of what they're
doing and starts building Electric Cars. It would be easy to use the
United Motor Plant in Fremont, CA as an initial assembly line. Given a
solid design, they could easily re-tool & re-train within a year and start building new Electric Cars for CA instead of shipping more fossil-fuel engines to Japan and Detroit.Consider that CA is still missing some $8 Billion Dollars swindled out of the state's economy by the Detroit/Enron/Oil Crowd just for buying over-priced gasoline for those over-sized, low millage SUV's they've been selling us this whole time.
Consider that an entire Electric Car Industry in CA could have been
built by now for around the same $8 Billion Dollars.Consider that CA could take on a much larger World Economic Role
by exporting solar-charged, envionmentally safe, Electric Cars for
half the cost of Detroit's polluter cars with five times the safety and
performance and 10 times the reliability.Consider that CA could put Detroit to shame, if not out of business.
Consider these things carefully and get back to me about which part of this project you would like to work on.
For more information on other World Changing Projects, Inventions, and Advanced Techologies; you can review the Home Web Page at:
http://www.auricalabs.com/index.htm
P.S. Please be aware a standard Non-Disclosure Non-Use Agreement is in effect before signing up for this program, or developing your own.
http://www.auricalabs.com/legal.htm
Original Material, All Rights and Copy Rights Reserved by Greg Bender, © 12-2003.
Web Page by Greg Bender, © 12-2003. All Rights Reserved.
( Top of Page )
--end of web page--