LE MANS HOURS 2014 SATURDAY 14TH - SUNDAY 15TH - JUNE Total lubricants at the core of energetic performance 1 24 HEURES DU MANS - 2014 EDITO 1 2 he 2014 Le Mans 24 Hours is taking it up in partnership mark the 50th anniversary with Toyota Racing and with of Total’s involvement in the the innovative Nissan ZEOD T most gruelling motor race RC project. More than ever Le in the world. To celebrate this half- Mans is a marvellous challenge century of passion and sporting for our lubricants that have a and technological challenges the direct link with our general public 82nd event is the theatre of a real Total Ecosolutions ranges. For technological revolution in terms of its Total the aim is to race to provide better 3 regulations and it couldn’t have come at a everyday motoring and the 24 Hours better time. The aim is no longer to obtain give our researchers a great test bed, the maximum amount of power from the which, in the very short term will benefit engines, but to extract the maximum mobility for all. performance from a fixed amount of fuel. This energetic efficiency challenge is relevant to the preoccupations of the car Thierry de Feydeau industry and the everyday motorists. Total Total Competition and Sponsoring manager The Toyota TS040 Hybrid prototypes (1, 2, 3) and the Nissan ZEOD RC (4, 5) use specially-developed 4 5 products combining performance, reliability and fuel consumption mastery. 2 24 HEURES DU MANS - 2014 INTERVIEW “MORE RELEVANT TO THE MOTORISTS’ PREOCCUPATIONS” Philippe Girard - Total Group scientific delegate What’s at the core of these Will this lead to a significant reduction in new regulations? performance? PG: “Just draw a parallel PG: “Absolutely not! We may even have a between a driver who few surprises concerning the pole position wants to cover the greatest time and the fastest lap in the race. The possible distance on a full 6.4 per cent reduction in the Toyota’s fuel tank. In terms of efficiency tank capacity in relation to 2013 plus a 45 a classic engine causes a considerable kg loss in weight compared to the 2013 loss of energy through heat generated by TS030 Hybrid, as well as a few tweaks to friction, which is evacuated by the radiators the overall dimensions of the prototype and and the exhaust gases. With these new the tyres have already resulted in better regulations, which fix a given allocation aerodynamics. The hybrid systems have of energy for each LM P1 prototype undergone considerable improvement and that must be respected under pain of the electric power available is now around sanctions, the increasing impact of hybrid 480 bhp. Finally, a lot of work has been systems and different innovations enable done on the engine’s and transmission’s the Toyota TS040 Hybrids to reduce their efficiency and that’s where our lubricants fuel consumption by around 30 per cent! play a crucial role. While fuel consumption As in Formula 1 we’re getting closer to will be reduced this year in the Le Mans 24 the current preoccupations of consumers -Hours race, the autonomy will be the same, and the motor car industry: a reduction in around 13 laps.” fuel consumption and emissions without sacrificing performance and reliability.” The challenge of the Le Mans 24 Hours? A number of kilometres greater than the total of 18 grand prix - and at a higher average speed! 3 24 HEURES DU MANS - 2014 In which areas? Do the interactions between the Total products Can you give some examples? Toyota Racing has dominated since the start PG: “Over the last two seasons our and the cars at Le Mans go even further? PG: “Without going into details about our of the season so is the team the hot favourite chemists have developed a lubricant in PG: “It’s now obvious and it’s a necessity. In technological secrets the properties of our for the 2014 event? partnership with Toyota that optimises the fact, the same engineers develop the products products can, for example, lead to a reduc- PG: “The Le Mans 24 Hours are a real energy released during combustion while for the everyday ranges and the lubricants for tion in the size of the cooling circuit, which school for learning humility. It’s a race like limiting internal friction on the mechanical racing. Each domain enriches the other with is a big gain in terms of the on-board mass no other in which the technical, sporting, components. Obviously, it’s absolutely the best ideas and the best technological so it can have a very positive influence on human and strategic parameters are too vital that this search for performance and initiatives. Top-level motor sport has entered aerodynamic efficiency.” many to coordinate. We’re very well pre- lower fuel consumption does not sacrifice the era of integration. When Total develops a pared and we think we’ve made the right reliability. This approach also applies to product for a precise mechanical component So you know all about the Toyota TS040 Hy- technical choices, but we absolutely forbid our partnership with the Nissan ZEOD RC our priority is to improve its performance and brid and the Nissan ZEOD RC? ourselves to cry victory before the start project, just as it does to the specification reliability, but we don’t stop there. The proper- PG: “That’s right. To get the best out of this in- as our experience of Le Mans leads us to of our Total Quartz Ineo ranges aimed ties of the product in question as well as the tegration strategy we have an on-going dialo- tackle the 82nd race in low-key mode. The at motorists. These lubricants lead to a indirect complementary advantages provide gue between the Total teams and those of our only verdict will be that of the classification notable reduction in fuel consumption our partners with other improvements than partner manufacturers with a very high level at 15h00 on Sunday afternoon.” for the equivalent performance and the ones originally envisaged. Total’s objec- of reciprocal trust. The notion of the word par- efficiency.” tive is to ameliorate the overall performance tnership has never been so crucial.” of the car and each solution we come up with This year Toyota has added a motor/ generator so has this aim in mind.” energy can now be released on all four wheels. 4 24 HEURES DU MANS - 2014 TOTAL PRODUCTS AT THE CORE OF PERFORMANCE ENGine LUBricants GearBOX LUBricant A new generation oil with additives to im- Our engineers provide a very high extre- prove performance without sacrificing fric- me pressure oil to protect the teeth of the tion and engine cooling. The stresses affect gears. The correct functioning of bearings three zones: distribution (pressure on the and gears has to be guaranteed without pe- cam shafts and the teeth of the gears driving nalising power by losses (frictions, mixing). the cams) the pistons-rings-sleeves and This aim has to be achieved with the mini- the bearings. On some of these mechani- mum amount of oil for reasons of bulk as cal components the repeated inter-metallic well as the on-board mass despite a very contacts cause a rapid increase in friction, specific thermal environment. Thanks to which leads to wear, loss of power and po- our lubricants the oil radiator can be smal- tential failure. Under this pressure the lubri- ler which gives the chassis designer more cant shears and heats up. The oil film may scope in the field of aerodynamics. break and in the case of contact between metal parts friction and wear increase rapi- Transmission Grease dly, power plummets and the threat of brea- It helps prevent seizing and reduces kage intensifies. Each of these domains heat. Total grease is developed from a requires a specific solution in terms of vis- world technological first, namely: the cosity and anti-wear high-stability thermal use of metallic nanoparticles. The grease properties. Additives are used because of has to fulfill a crucial role as it lubricates their capacity to create an additional film the components which transmit the that protects the surfaces. Combining relia- power from the gearbox to the wheels. bility and performance this fuel economy lu- It is subject to high-speed rotation and bricant is one of the keys to Toyota Racing’s heavy impacts and also the stress of the excellent start to the season. temperature generated by the gearbox. Lubricants, grease, fluids: Total supplies a range of products that have multiple interactions. 5 24 HEURES DU MANS - 2014 It is a low- density product formulated BraKE liqUid as well as very stable viscosity to ensure heating up the hub on which the wheel is to resist these specific stresses while It’s 100 per cent adapted to the conditions it does its job in cold and hot conditions. centered. The characteristics of this type having good heat resistance properties. at Le Mans. Slowing from 300 km/h to a Total’s solution calls on synthetic ester ba- of grease are strong adhesive powers and The result is a significant margin for very low speed in less than 100 metres for ses stabilised in oxidation and completed optimal reduction of frictions. the gearbox designers. Either they can the chicanes on the Mulsanne straight and by extreme pressure and anti-wear addi- increase the working temperature for for the Mulsanne hairpin requires products tives as well as polymers with a very high DI-electric flUid equal levels of reliability thus improving with exceptional thermal stability.