Flybrid may be next new thing
A small British firm is developing what it claims to be a more cost-effective alternative to battery hybrid power, a totally mechanical system that uses a flywheel to capture energy from braking. The system is already being used by Porsche and others in race car technology, and the company believes the so-called flybrid system could make its first appearance in automotive showrooms before the middle of the decade.
The technology is smaller, lighter, more powerful and more efficient than battery-based hybrids, claims Jon Hilton, managing partner of Flybrid Systems, which is based at the Silverstone race circuit in Northants, England. More impressive, it is expected to cost between $1,800 and $2,000 per vehicle, less than half the cost of a battery hybrid system.
The Flybrid flywheel weighs barely 11 pounds, measures 8 inches in diameter and spins at 60,000 RPMs. The outer edge of the flywheel spins at Mach 2, or twice the speed of sound.
A larger, 83-pound flybrid on an LMP1 race car entered in the recent 24 Hours of Le Mans by Hope Racing pumped out a remarkable 135 hp almost instantaneously.
Theoretically, the flybrid can produce up to 200 hp, and would be suitable in applications ranging from minicars like the Nissan Versa or Ford Fiesta, all the way up to a medium-duty truck.
Flybrid Systems says it is currently working with nine different manufacturers on a variety of passenger car and truck programs, including one that sees a potential application on a 35,000-pound garbage truck. A major automaker is also expected to unveil a mechanically-based hybrid model using the Flybrid technology at the Frankfurt (Germany) Motor Show in September.
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