"Since the quantity of fuel is limited, thermodynamic cycles oriented towards high efficiency, such as the Miller cycle, that we're trying to approach, are the best way to go. The more efficiently you burn the fuel, the better the whole system will be."
"The efficiency of the ERS system was already high at the beginning of the hybrid era, just under 90%. Today we're at over 90 percent. On the other hand, we have increased the efficiency of the combustion engine by 40-50%. At Renault, we have gained 200 horsepower since 2014. The gain is significant, even if we start a little further ahead than our competitors."
On the electric side, we have always developed 160 horses, explained Rémi Taffin in his office in Viry-Châtillon during an interview conducted before the coronavirus pandemic. On the other hand, on the combustion engine, we've gained an average of nearly 30 horsepower per year. Sometimes it was 15, sometimes up to 60."
"We made a first big leap forward from 2015 to 2016, as well as over the duration of the 2016 championship [when Renault introduced prechamber ignition], which led us to 'saturate' our first concept, and the second between 2018 and 2019, of a comparable magnitude."
"When we noticed that we were having trouble overtaking a Mercedes that was deprived of its MGU-K (i.e. 120 kW), we had irrefutable proof that we had our work cut out for us. We realized we were not 5 kW short, but 50 kW short."
"It took a while to come down from our local optimum and start climbing a new peak. Because we had to gain 10% efficiency, which meant some boost pressure and cylinder pressure, something like 300 bar and so on."
"In 2017, we introduced a new concept, which looked at combustion, operating temperatures, architecture..."
"From there, we climbed a new path, perhaps not as fast as we would have liked. The leap forward we took last year was not a magical discovery. We've simply put all the pieces of the puzzle together and made our progress."
"We are currently in a phase of continuous improvement. The system is known, there are only technological obstacles - which all engine manufacturers are facing."
"Ferrari finished the 2019 season far behind Mercedes," said Remi Taffin. Yet every weekend, their car put 10 km/h to the Silver Arrow in a straight line. The Mercedes block may have been behind in terms of propulsive power, but it was able to save time for the single-seater.
"Not least because its operating temperatures allowed for smaller radiators, which meant narrower pontoons and, ultimately, a better aerodynamic concept. It's not the most powerful engine that is automatically world champion. I have no problem having an engine that develops 20 less horsepower if the car goes a second faster."
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