Increased fuel economy in transportation systems by use of energy management. Third year's program. Final report, May 1, 1976--July 1, 1976

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Abstract
A report is given of the results accomplished during the third year of a three-year research program, the overall goal of which has been to conceive and evaluate practical ways to increase automobile fuel economy by energy management within the engine-transmission-vehicle system. The third year was devoted primarily to the detailed design, construction, and preliminary evaluation of a Flywheel Energy Management Powerplant (FEMP) installed in a Pinto. The vehicle has been built to experimentally verify performance simulations and to allow the practical aspects of a real flywheel vehicle to be studied. The FEMP consists basically of an internal combustion engine, a high-speed energy-storage flywheel, and a hydrostatic power-split continuously-variable transmission (CVT) system. The flywheel drives the car, and the engine comes on to ''recharge'' it (with efficient wide-open throttle operation) only when the flywheel speed drops below a predetermined value. The concept also permits effective and efficient regenerative braking. Computer simulations have indicated an improvement in city fuel mileage of about 50%, with improvements of 100% appearing feasible with further research. Preliminary testing of the car shows favorable performance.

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