FLYWHEEL BASED

KINETIC ENERGY
RECOVERY SYSTEMS
(KERS)

KERS

The Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) is a type of

regenerative braking system which has the capability to
store and reuse the lost energy. Regenerative braking is a
mechanism which convert the kinetic energy into
another useful form of energy.
This kinetic energy recovery system stores energy as a
vehicle brakes and recycles it as the vehicle accelerates
again.
The KERS was first designed for formula one racing cars.
Two types of KERS:
i) Electrical
ii) Mechanical

MECHANICAL KERS
A flywheel is used for energy storage and is based
on the principle of regenerative braking.
The flywheel hybrid primarily consists of :
Flywheel
Continuously variable transmission system (CVT),
Step up gearing between the flywheel and the
drive
Clutch

COMPONENTS:

FLYWHEEL
Flywheel is the component which stores kinetic energy, by
increasing its rotational speed during braking.
The equation for the energy stored in a flywheel reads as follows:
E= I
flywheel's energy is proportional to its mass, and
proportional to the square of its rotational speed or
angular velocity.
By increasing the speed of the flywheel it will be possible to
reduce the mass and size of it
The flywheel can be fabricated using different materials based on
the maximum rotational speed.
High speed flywheels for speeds above 30000 rpm are usually
composed of high strength carbon fibre.

 FLYWHEEL VACUUM CHAMBER

Without the vacuum chamber, the friction caused
by air resistance is enough to cause significant
energy losses and heat the carbon fibre rim to its
glass transition temperature
Vacuum chambers for KERS systems are
frequently made of metals like aluminium,
stainless steel, or the like because these metals
can provide adequate strength to withstand
differential pressure between an evacuated
interior and the surrounding atmosphere,

CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE
TRANSMISSION
The most important interface that connects the flywheel to the
transmission system is the CVT.

A smooth transfer of energy to the flywheel from the

transmission and vice versa is very essential in order to get
maximum performance from the flywheel.

The speed ratio between the vehicle and the flywheel

constantly changes between acceleration and braking

CVTs have an infinite number of gear ratios between the

maximum and the minimum value which allows a seamless
transfer of energy without any loss of power
The reason why a stepped drive unit is not preferred in this
system is because it has only a fixed number of gear ratios

 STEP UP GEARING
A step up gearing system consisting of epicyclic
gears is connected between the CVT and the
driven unit.
The reason why this gearing system is used is
because the high speed at which the flywheel
rotates (60000 RPM) needs to be reduced to a
manageable speed outside the vacuum chamber.

 CLUTCH
The clutch is used to couple the flywheel hybrid
system to the transmission.
It engages the system while the flywheel is
accelerating from rest and disengaging while the
flywheel is rotating and the vehicle is at rest.
Torque is transferred through clutch between the
flywheel and vehicle. Hence, the power
transmitted in the Flywheel system can be
controlled by a clutch that could continuously
manipulate the torque.

MECHANISM
When the brakes are applied or the vehicle
decelerates, the clutch connecting the flywheel
system to the transmission is engaged, causing
energy to be transferred to the flywheel via the
CVT.
The flywheel stores this energy as rotational
energy and can rotate up to a maximum speed of
60000 rpm.
When the vehicle stops, or the flywheel reaches
its maximum speed, the clutch disengages the
flywheel unit from the transmission allowing the
flywheel to rotate independently.
Whenever this stored energy is required, the
clutch is engaged and the flywheel transmits this

APPLICATION
WRIGHT BUS
The Flybridsystem fitted to the Wrightbus is situated
parallel to the transmission and transmits power to the
rear axle through a secondary propshaft.
Energy is captured under deceleration and stored in a
carbon-fibre and steel flywheel, before being deployed to
accelerate the bus while proportionally reducing load on
the internal combustion engine and saving fuel.
Flybrid system has a life cycle of 1,000,000km, 40,000
operational hours or 8,000,000 charge/discharge cycles.
CO2 emission and fuel consumption reduced by 20%
Peak Storage Capacity:670kJ
Peak Power Capacity:135 kW (180 hp)

ADVANTAGES

High efficiency
Low fuel consumption
Low cost compared to electric hybrids
Low maintenance costs
Power to weight ratio is higher

DISADVANTAGES
Cannot be used as a stand alone source of energy
Temporary storage

CONCLUSION
Cars with a flywheel based energy recovery
system, though significantly more expensive than
cars without this system, have more power and
better fuel efficiency.
Volvo's Flywheel KERS has the potential to reduce
fuel consumption by up to 20%.
A lot of research and development work is being
done by well-known car companies to implement
this system into their production cars.
Better fuel efficiency directly translates to a
cleaner, greener environment. It reduces the
negative impact on the environment by
decreasing harmful CO2 emissions.

REFERENCE
Thomas Mathews et al. / International
Journal of Engineering Science and
Technology (IJEST)
International Journal of Mechanical
Engineering and Technology (IJMET)