Audi heads towards Le Mans with focus on lightweight design

  • May 11, 2012
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Audi is all set to head into the Le Mans 24 Hours and ultra lightweight technology will again be in the company's focus there

Light weight spaceframe

Going light has always been the mantra at Audi and be it on the street or on the track, Audi has always been known to shed all those extra kilos and make the best of being the lightest in the group. In motorsport, weight is a central topic. et a look at the Technical Regulations for LMP1 prototypes shows that the minimum weight is set at 900 kilograms - a level which the Le Mans winning Audi R18 TDI stayed below even last year. This created room for ballast which can be used to improve the car’s balance.

So, why use ultra-lightweight design in motorsport if the advantage that has been gained has to be compensated for by ballast? The key to understanding this lies in the hybrid concept. Audi has designed the first diesel hybrid sports car in history. Despite advanced construction the components of the hybrid system have a considerable dead weight. Consequently, without special lightweight engineering the weight of the Audi R18 e-tron quattro would exceed 900 kilograms - and the sports prototype would be out of contention. As its base, Audi developed the R18 ultra with a conventional TDI engine because, except for the hybrid system, both cars are largely of an identical design.

carbon fibre in every bit

But how can the ultra lightweight concept that was achieved last year be carried to extremes for the 2012 season? After all, at the Le Mans 24 Hours on June 16 and 17 the race cars have to reel off a distance of several thousand kilometers at an expected average speed far above 200 km/h without any problems. The only chance to become around 10 percent lighter lies in designing every component for lighter weight," reveals Dr. Ullrich. Naturally, the differences vary greatly. The carbon fibre gas pedal of the new R18 generation, for instance, has been optimized again - the resultant savings are in the range of grams. By contrast, the developers can be proud of the transmission.

Less weight more performance

The highly integrative hybrid system of the R18 e-tron quattro is another example of lightweight design. The shared housing of the MGU (motor generator unit) for two electric motors, two planetary transmissions and two converters is extremely compact and the hybrid system control unit which is integrated with the existing engine control unit is another clever solution that makes the car lighter.

With the kind of light weight technology infused in the cars, it is no surprise then that Audi has already bagged a few Le Mans championships and is already looking for more.

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