EVALUATION OF THE FLYWHEEL DRIVE CONCEPT FOR PASSENGER VEHICLES

A flywheel to manage energy between a prime mover and a load has been used in many engineering applications. Automotive applications, however, pose a number of difficult problems which can be overcome only with proper design. Substantial mileage and performance improvements while meeting emission constraints can then be accomplished with the concept. An experimental flywheel car has been designed and built at the University of Wisconsin that has demonstrated a mileage improvement of about 50% over a corresponding production vehicle on the EPA/FUDC. With continued research and development gains of 100% appear feasible.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • From the Meeting held 16 February-2 March 1979.
• Corporate Authors:

  Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)

  400 Commonwealth Drive
  Warrendale, PA  United States  15096
• Authors:
  • Frank, A A
  • Beachley, N H
• Publication Date: 1979

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: 12 p.
• Serial:
  • Society of Automotive Engineers Preprint
  • Publisher: Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Applications; Automobiles; Automotive engineering; Flywheels; Fuel conservation; Fuel consumption; Propulsion; Vehicle design; Vehicle performance; Vehicle power plants
• Uncontrolled Terms: Mileage; Propulsion systems
• Old TRIS Terms: Flywheel energy management
• Subject Areas: Design; Energy; Highways; Research; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00197221
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Engineering Index
• Report/Paper Numbers: SAE 790049 Conf Paper
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 29 1979 12:00AM