APR 27

that's amazing, who ever thought that formula one would be eco-friendly!

It almost looks to me that it works on a kind of spring that tightens up. Anyone care to give a clear explanation of the mechanism?

For awhile, I've wondered about using a flywheel for regenerative power, and wondered whether a car's spare tire could be used as the flywheel. Might as well use it for something instead of just lugging it around in the trunk...

Chrysler tried this over 10 years ago - google "Chrysler Patriot". They tried a hybrid race car, using a LNG turbine plus a flywheel to power a elecric motor. Neat in conecept but the flywheel was very heavy, the biggest problem (beyond not being able to get the control systems working) was that they flywheel acted like a big gyroscope, so once spinning, it affected handling of the car in a big way. A 58 lb. flywheel is an interesting idea, and could play into strategy - depending on how the flywheel is energized, the driver can basically control how much extra boost is available. Will be neat to see how they can integrate this with an engine turning at 10,000 rpm.

My sentiments align with Dean. Immediately when I saw this, my thoughts went to how a car's motion will be effected by a 55 pound rotating mass. It can't be beneficial for its handling. That is of course if it is a flywheel in the traditional sense of the term. Although, if it is a tire (or other symmetric object) the rotating mass will balance and probably have a minimal effect on the handling.

Either way it seems more practical to me to have some sort of oil/gas pressurization chamber to store mechanical energy. I'm not sure how heavy a system like that might get, but there are fewer moving parts and maintenance issues I would think.

I read about the Flybrid system last year. Have a look at their website http://www.flybridsystems.com for more details, including crash testing. I beleive two F1 teams have signed up for that particular system.

But that has nothing to do with how fast the flywheel would have to spin, since it will surely be geared to the drivetrain. Also, while 55lbs is very heavy for a 1000 pound car, the entire 55 pounds would not spin, so the effect would be somewhat less.

For those interested in F1, here's a link on the official site about the flywheel system: http://www.formula1.com/news/h.../7704.html

I happen to know a great american invertor who made mayor contributions to flywheels back in 1990. His technology back then is even better than what F1 teams will use in the early 2009 championship. Google about Jack Bitterly Flywheel. If his invention was commercial today, we could be driving cars with 3oohp and 500 miles range or even more.

By the way, if you install two identical flywheels rotating againts each other, any force created gets cancelled. But in the other way if can help you to balance a vehicle, that why bikes ride easy with two wheels when going fast, the wheels act like giroscopes.

A flywheel is a disc that rotates at high RPMs, when you stop it using a generator, you get electricity which can then power an electric motor.

I worked with Jack back in the 1990's in SoCal. Great inventor. Genius! He'd come in every day even in his 90's!! we were developing a flywheel for NASA to replace batteries on Space Station, with a company Kevin Costner bankrolled. Our system, based on a composite wheel about 12" diameter got up to 60,000 rpm. Stores a lot more energy than any tire could. Development funding dried up after Space Station cost overruns hit the fan, but NASA seems interested again now as an alternative energy "source" worth developing which Obama seems to like better than going to the moon. we'll see...

Hi this is Ian Sharp. I was the originator and the engineer at Chrysler that came up with the concept of the Patroit powertrain sytem in its entirity. The turbine that I speced was a Foil Bearing unit just going into production at Allied Signal in Phoenix. The reason I chose this was the holy grail of all race cars is to remove as much aero drag as possible (Radiators). The turbine generator unit was a self cooling self contained unit.(500 hp)equivalent. This was meant to switch on and run at constant speed as efficently as possible for making electrical power when the system sensed that the total energy level required increased levels, for example entering the Mulsanne straight. The transient power levels were to be handled by the Flywheel energy storage unit which I had speced out to Unique Mobility of Dearborn. Because of the energy density requirements of the heat energy source I choose LNG as it was clean, abundant, and relatively easy to handle. I researched the new cryogenic resitive materials (Think Space Shuttle orange tank cladding) which was ideal for the project and NASA were going to allow us to use although a military secret compositon.

Sadly corporate engineers got involved that did not know a thing about racing and were skeptical in the outset plus did not have equity in the project. I was moved off the project as Corporate ego's and people wishing to claim the project as there own rose to the fore. Sad because it was a viable project before the Chrysler engineers entrusted with the project went down a ridiclous route of non standard componets, non production engineering which ultimately failed whereas Chrysler could have been 15 years ahead of all the opposition. If anyone wants to know more about the original concept email me This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it '> This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ...

P.S I also speced out Reynard and J&P motorsport in Atlanta as the engineering source for the build and chassis design, as my experience came from Formula 1 before joining Chrysler in 1990.