Title: Improvements of vehicle fuel economy using mechanical regenerative braking

Authors: Alberto A. Boretti

Addresses: School of Science and Engineering, University of Ballarat, P.O. Box 663, Ballarat, Victoria 3353, Australia

Abstract: The paper presents a mixed theoretical and experimental evaluation of the improvements in fuel economy that follow the introduction of a mechanical Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) on a full size passenger car. This system, made up of a high speed storage flywheel and a Constant Variable Transmission (CVT), has a full regenerative cycle overall efficiency about twice the efficiency of battery-based hybrids. With reference to the baseline configuration having a 4L gasoline engine, adoption of a KERS may reduce the fuel consumption covering the NEDC by 25% without downsizing, and by 33% downsizing the engine to 3.3L.

Keywords: fuel consumption; GHG emissions; regenerative braking; kinetic energy storage; gasoline engines; downsizing; greenhouse gases; vehicle fuel economy; kinetic energy recovery; passenger cars; storage flywheels; continuously variable transmission; CVT; vehicle design.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVD.2011.038046

International Journal of Vehicle Design, 2011 Vol.55 No.1, pp.35 - 48

Published online: 10 Apr 2015 *

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