Derek Geldard wrote:
On Sun, 7 Dec 2008 16:13:52 -0000, "Donwill" popple @diddle .dot
wrote:


I think the Germans experimented with energy storage systems in buses back
in the early 1930s, they used a heavy flywheel system which absorbed energy
when breaking and releasing it for accelerating, ideal for a stop and start
vehicle

I once saw a BBC Christmas lecture by Prof Eric Laithwaite which
explored the idea.

The biggest issue was safety, the energy stored in the flywheel would
have been tremendous and if a failure occured and the flywheel escaped
it would have carved "A neat slot" through buildings for miles across
the city.

That and Gyroscopic precession. If the flywheel was horizontal the bus
could turn left or right, but if ever one side of the bus ran into a
gutter and the bus tried to rotate the flywheel in the horizontal axis
once again absolutely tremendous forces would impinge on the bearings
/ mountings of the flywheel.

but god knows how they arranged the pulley/ gear train to achieve
the necessary power transfers.

Intuitively I feel sure that could be done magnetically / electrically

Derek

Next years F1 cars are using a system of this sort I think.