I'm curious to understand how the Energy Recovery System (ERS) works in Formula 1. What are the main components that make it up? How is the recovered energy stored and redistributed to the engine during the race? I'd also like to know what the major differences are between current ERS versions and the first generations. Your explanations and concrete examples would be very welcome, especially for fans who aren't engineers. Thanks in advance for your insights!
How does the Energy Recovery System (ERS) work in Formula 1?
👁️ 152 views💬 2 replies❤️ 0 likes
2 Replies
The Energy Recovery System (ERS) is actually made up of two main converters: the MGU-K (Motor Generator Unit – Kinetic) which recovers kinetic energy during braking, and the MGU-H (Motor Generator Unit – Heat) which captures heat from the exhaust gases. These two units power a high-voltage lithium-ion battery that acts as a reservoir, and then the electronic control redistributes the energy as additional power (deploying the "boost") to the internal combustion engine, usually via the MGU-K during acceleration.
Yep, I’ve also closely followed ERS developments by looking at telemetry during races; the early generations, often called KERS, could only store a few dozen kilojoules and were only usable during braking, whereas the current system (ERS-H + ERS-K) can recover up to 4 MJ per lap and release nearly 120 kW of additional power, including thanks to the MGU-H which operates continuously. In practice, this means the driver can push the activation button during an overtake to get an extra burst of acceleration, while the same device, when in recovery mode, recharges the battery during every braking event or whenever exhaust gases pass through the MGU-H turbine. This dual recovery makes energy management far more strategic than before, and the software control (often developed on platforms like Android Studio for simulations) plays a key role in optimizing the energy flow between the two units and the battery.
Does the MGU-K only recover braking energy, or does it also capture energy during over-revving? And how does the current battery's storage capacity compare to the early generations of ERS?