(11 Jun 2015, 6:51 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote How does the flywheel work then? Does it work in the same fashion as the Streetlite (a.k.a powering all electrical systems and little engine power on pull off) or like the Volvo Parallel system in the B5LH?
The innovative Gyrodrive system is based on Formula One race technology developed in the UK. It will help increase the efficiency of each bus by using less fuel and thereby reducing carbon emissions.From:- http://www.simplygo.com/news/greener-cle...orth-east/
This same technology helped Audi’s R18 e-tron win at Le Mans in June this year.
The system uses a high speed flywheel made of carbon fibre to store the energy generated by a bus as it slows down to stop. [using a traction motor operating as a generator]
It then uses the stored energy to power an [the] electric motor which helps accelerate the bus back up to speed, generating fuel savings of more than 20 per cent.
More at:- http://www.gkn.com/landsystems/brands/hy...ochure.pdf
(see page 6)
In summary, there is a 'motor' mechanically connected to the drivetrain, which operates as a generator under braking and then as a traction motor when accelerating. The electricity generating during braking is used to spin-up a flywheel (kinetic energy) which is then reversed for acceleration (not actually reversed, merely 'slowed') and the electricity extracted is used to power the traction motor.
The difference from the B5LHs is that the (electrical) energy is stored in the flywheel (as kinetic/speed) rather than a (heavy) battery.