"sunny Green Box" is a solar powered tire warmer
With the "sunny Green Box" Le Mans Series bursts it! In its "green" campaign scope, Le Mans Series, re-launched two years ago the Index of Performance classification with the "Michelin Energy Endurance Challenge" now "Michelin Green X Challenge", ...
With the "sunny Green Box" Le Mans Series bursts it!
In its "green" campaign scope, Le Mans Series, re-launched two years ago the Index of Performance classification with the "Michelin Energy Endurance Challenge" now "Michelin Green X Challenge", in close partnership with the eponymous tyre manufacturer. The tyres are one of the cars main parts. As a result, their resistance is very carefully tested in race conditions. Le Mans Series took the first step with the ACO regulations development which penalises tyre changes in view of prompting manufacturers to reconcile endurance and performance... Another idea was needed for tyre pre-heating, necessary for the driver's safety, but definitely a big energy eater. GreenGT has, with its Sunny Green Box, found it ...
Thanks to the "Sunny Green Box", a Solar Powered Tyre Heating System, Le Mans Series saves 70 Tons of CO2 for a full season!
On the occasion of the 2009 season opening Test Days at the French circuit Paul Ricard HTTT, OAK Racing Team Mazda France accepted to play guinea pig. And we could see that it works! Thanks to solar panels fixed on the lorry roof, the tyres, inside their heating blankets, reached the temperature of 70C within 40 minutes. This revolutionary tyre heating system prevents the use of dangerous gas and expensive fuel systems. Furthermore concerning the latter, the Sunny Green Box allows saving 100 litres fuel per car and per race, meaning a yearly total of 70 tons for the whole series considering a 50-car grid for five races!!! GreenGT definitely deserves its name.
The system will be tested during the whole season and may become mandatory from 2010 onwards.
They said:
Christophe Schwarz, GreenGT engineer: I felt that this system, combining solar energy and heating blankets, was the right one; but I did not realise what a "bomb" it was with this massive CO2 saving!
Jacques Nicolet, OAK Racing Team Mazda France owner & driver: I am always up for new experiences, provided I'm convinced and that, furthermore, they are environment friends. I am delighted and I hope that many teams will follow me!
Patrick Peter, Le Mans Series manager: When we talked about stopping tyre heating in view of saving energy, I understood the position of the drivers who were anxious for their safety. I thought to myself that there was surely a way. And when you look seriously for a solution, you find it!
-credit: lemans-series
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