Hi! I am the inventor of the Flywheel assisted Rotary Pulse Jet Engine and also the originator of a thread in this forum entitled"Car Engine that gives a minimum of 1000 mpg". This being the case it is only natural that I should keep up with the latest developments in flywheel energy storage, since in a sense, the Rotary Pulse Jet Engine, may be considered to be a renewable energy hybrid design, utilizing flywheel energy storage as the renewable energy resource. John Hilton, himself a Formula 1 designer for many years, has formed a company known as Flybrid that has designed a flywheel energy storage system (KERS: Kinetic energy recovery system) for use in Formula 1 racing.

Formula 1 racing, as you are aware, has one of the most rigorous testing regimes available anywhere, with respect to safety and performance. However for those who do not know what I am talking about, it is necessary to dilate on the subject.

In 2007 the organizing body of Formula 1 racing decided that it was time to create interest in Green energy by making it possible for their racing cars to use a limited amount (about 440Kw per lap) of renewable energy storage. This can come in any form, batteries, super capacitors, flywheels etc., The system will be implemented in Formula 1 racing from this year (2009). John Hilton took up the challenge, designing a system that could use regenerative braking to get the flywheel up to speed and then use that stored energy in the flywheel to assist with a boost of extra power as the car leaves the pit stop. Here are some of the figures; the flywheel weighs about 5Kg, and spins at 64,000 rpm, it is capable of storing about 1MW, but is restricted in this application to 440 KW, this power can be released over about 6-7 seconds as the car leaves the pit-stop.

However, what really excites me is the robust way that the flywheel is used in the CVT that they have designed. CVT stands for continuously Variable Transmission, which means that the power stored in the flywheel can be released, very efficiently and very accurately, in practically any amounts that are desired. The same system also works in reverse to bring the flywheel up to a speed of 64,000 rpm. This is easily achieved in a matter of a few seconds by using a gearing of 6:1, if the wheel turns one time the flywheel turns 6 times. The CVT system uses a system with a roller, rather like the way the velos in France, (motor assisted bicycles in France) used a roller to rub on the rear wheel and thus turn it. The roller is turned directly by the shaft of the flywheel and the transmission system selects the appropriate ratio depending on the torque demand and can change its 6-to-1 ratio within one revolution.

The whole system has been crash tested under the rigorous standards of Formula1 racing and the containment system worked effectively, in fact the flywheel was still spinning.

So all this is very encouraging news.