KERS powered Oxygen concentrator?

[g-force_addict]

1. The car brakes before a corner.

2. KERS recovers kinetic energy and stores electricity.

3. Such electricity powers the Oxygen concentrator air compressor which stores concentrated oxygen in a low pressure tank, releasing excess Nitrogen to the atmosphere.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen_concentrator

4. After the corner to accelerate on the straight the concentrated Oxygen tank valve is opened so additional Oxygen is added to the intake air. It won't get above atmospheric pressure so it won't be labeled supercharging or turbocharging. Thus avoiding super/turbo charger engine size reduction by the rules.

5. The Oxygen enriched intake air allows more fuel to be burned for a given engine size and rpm, thus increasing net power output.

6. Rinse and repeat.

If well done this would allow more net power output than just using the KERS electricity to power an electric motor that moves the car.

[gruntguru]

Might work - in another formula. F1 engines can already breathe more than enough air to burn the (restricted) fuel flow.

[Lycoming]

Where are you going to get the extra fuel to go with that oxygen considering that fuel usage and fuel flow rate are both limited?

[theloniousmonk]

You could use the diesel cycle without any of the NOx problems that come with gasoline.

I suspect all of this is difficult to do with a 155kg limit.

[riff_raff]

Actually not a bad idea in theory, but I doubt you could make it work well enough in practice. Increasing the amount of oxygen available in the intake charge for combustion by removing the major component nitrogen has a somewhat similar result as compressing the intake air charge to a higher density. As a guess, I think you might get better performance by using an intake charge with a greater ratio of oxygen to nitrogen than that in normal air.

[mep]

The article you linked says that these devices are able to supply 10 litre per minute. A quick estimation shows that a four stroke engine with 1.6 litre displacement and 10 000 rpm consumes around 8000 litres of air per minute (1.6*10 000/2) The air contains around 20% oxygen which are 1600 litres oxygen consumed per minute. Those extra 10 litres are an increase of only 0.625%.

Conclusion: Not worth the effort.

[langwadt]

Actually not a bad idea in theory, but I doubt you could make it work well enough in practice. Increasing the amount of oxygen available in the intake charge for combustion by removing the major component nitrogen has a somewhat similar result as compressing the intake air charge to a higher density. As a guess, I think you might get better performance by using an intake charge with a greater ratio of oxygen to nitrogen than that in normal air.

but what would be the point? you already have plenty of oxygen for the amount of fuel available 100kg/h

[wuzak]

Actually not a bad idea in theory, but I doubt you could make it work well enough in practice. Increasing the amount of oxygen available in the intake charge for combustion by removing the major component nitrogen has a somewhat similar result as compressing the intake air charge to a higher density. As a guess, I think you might get better performance by using an intake charge with a greater ratio of oxygen to nitrogen than that in normal air.

but what would be the point? you already have plenty of oxygen for the amount of fuel available 100kg/h

Less boost required = more MGUH power?

[Lycoming]

Actually not a bad idea in theory, but I doubt you could make it work well enough in practice. Increasing the amount of oxygen available in the intake charge for combustion by removing the major component nitrogen has a somewhat similar result as compressing the intake air charge to a higher density. As a guess, I think you might get better performance by using an intake charge with a greater ratio of oxygen to nitrogen than that in normal air.

but what would be the point? you already have plenty of oxygen for the amount of fuel available 100kg/h

Less boost required = more MGUH power?

What do you think powers this oxygen generator?

[wuzak]

What do you think powers this oxygen generator?

MGUK/ES. That's what it says in the OP.

[Lycoming]

So then what's the point? More MGUH power, less MGUK power, except most likely due to all the conversions involved, you'll have less power overall.