Design and Simulation of Kinetic Energy Recovery System using a Flywheel in Bicycle

Introduction:

The flywheel is a rotating mechanical device which is used to store rotational kinetic energy. They have a significant moment of inertia which resists change in rotational speed. In flywheel, as there is no conversion of energy from one form to another the efficiency of this tool is very high. Flywheels can also be named as mechanical batteries. The kinetic energy recovery system recovers the kinetic energy of a vehicle under braking or halting and stores this energy to be utilised when the vehicle is under movement. The loss of energy during braking is very high and the energy required during the start of the vehicle is less. Usually, during barking, the energy is lost in the form of heat or by producing some noise but when a flywheel is this energy can be reused by supplying this energy to the vehicle when it is started.

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Process:

Bicycle which was used for this experiment was known as KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) Bicycle.

KERS Bicycle Process:

It is a normal bicycle with a major modification which is - a crank wheel connected to the rear wheel which rotates the clutch plate which in turn is connected to the flywheel axle. The weight of the flywheel can be varied with the amount of energy to be stored or the energy which has been generated.

Working:

When the bicycle is under motion, the rear wheel rotates the clutch and the flywheel and when the bicycle has stopped the speed of rotation of the flywheel is fast and the speed of the rear wheel is slow. And when the bicycle is started again the energy or the boost to the cycle is provided from the flywheel which reduces the energy required for peddling by 10-15%. If sudden brakes are applied then we can disengage the flywheel connections so that the energy of the flywheel is not wasted. While riding down the hill or slope we use more brakes and don’t paddle much, the bicycle gets pulled down by the gravity and in this case, we can store the maximum amount of energy in an out flywheel. During the downhill ride, by engaging the flywheel all of the energy can be stored and for some distance, we need not ride the bicycle which would be done by the flywheel.

Conclusion:

By adopting this system in other vehicles, we can reduce the fuel consumption and increase the efficiency of the vehicle which improves the mileage of the vehicle. The flywheel gives a powerful boost to the vehicles. The maintenance of the vehicle comes down. The emission of carbon content is reduced and the weight and size of the wheel are less. The temperature has no effect on this kind of system. By updating this concept can lead to huge savings in the country. The conservation of energy is very high, but the friction loss can shoot up which might increase heat inside the engine and can demote the energy conservation. All the problems seen in this bicycle can be overcome by using electric bicycles which can store energy for a longer time and can also store a huge amount of energy inside it. Usage of this system reduces human effort and can be made automatic in the coming future.

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Design and Simulation of Kinetic Energy Recovery System using a Flywheel in Bicycle