KERS - shocking! (mulitple merges) - 10-Tenths Motorsport Forum

adstubbs · 22 Jul 2008, 20:51

Don't know if anyone else has seen this, but let's hope they make the KERS gizmos a tad more people friendly before next season - should rubber gloves be added to the rest of the gear for F1 weekend?

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/69391

**Woolley** · 22 Jul 2008, 22:44

I can imagine with all the battery and other electrical stuff F1 might need to run specific training for the marshals. Which is completely at odds with it's usual 'anyone can do it' attitude.

C9/89 · 23 Jul 2008, 06:40

Sounds like they have a need to find earth when the car comes to rest before anyone touches it, but worryingly what if it discharges whilst moving or coming into close proximity to another vehicle? How insulated are the fuel tanks on those things?

warweezil · 23 Jul 2008, 10:17

Maybe they need to come up with some kind of "pop up" earth device that the car can activate as it enters the Pit Box, a little like those spring loaded plates they put up in some car park entrances to control the direction of travel.

CombeMarshal · 23 Jul 2008, 12:11

I plan on charging all my batteries up from an F1 car next year!

Startline Ed · 23 Jul 2008, 16:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by warweezil

Maybe they need to come up with some kind of "pop up" earth device that the car can activate as it enters the Pit Box, a little like those spring loaded plates they put up in some car park entrances to control the direction of travel.

For GPs the cars are earthed during pitstops. However I am not entirely sure where this is fitted.

Stack · 23 Jul 2008, 16:36

Must be made in the far east by WAN

(i'll get me coat!)

Eddy V · 23 Jul 2008, 20:11

Shocking news!

Denosaur · 23 Jul 2008, 22:52

A mate of mine who work in the electrical industry here in Australia tells me that it's not as simple as just "a pair of rubber gloves" to protect yourself or anyone else who might come into contact with a KERS fitted car.

More than likely he says that the energy stored is DC and not AC (well he hopes so), which means that the car become a capacitor in a way. What they need to do is determine how much energy it stored on the body, and that way they can also work out what level of protection is required for anyone handling the car.

If the level was too high for anyone to get close, then he says the marshal's would have to be trained in "hot stick" techniques that they use for high voltages, 6.6kV and up. This would mean at least one marshal would be required to be suited up in the gloves (which are about 5mm thick) and other protective equipment, have at the ready an earth line and a insulated stick so that they can place the line on the car without getting too close. Then once discharged, anyone should be able to go up to the car.

At the end of the day, we'll have to wait until the F1 tech working group work out the fine details.

C9/89 · 24 Jul 2008, 06:53

^^ Sounds like what the ground crews use when landing a slung load from a helicopter. The rotor blades create static to a very high voltage and it transfers to anything slung beneath the helicopter, so as it lands the crew have to earth the load first before detaching the sling and retrieving the load. Just another piece of equipment to have on post and more PPE that we will have to have.

Mark H · 24 Jul 2008, 08:53

with regard to protective wear i have it on good authority from a team member that they have already informed the FIA that marshals will require both training in Hazordous substance handling ie Battery Acid and that the current protection that we wear is not sufficent to prevent injury to marshals in the event of leakage especially as they are sighted in the fuel cell.