Volvo completes tests of flywheel hybrid system

• 
• 

Next Slide Previous Slide

About two years ago we told you that Volvo was about to commence testing of an innovative flywheel-based kinetic energy recovery system (KERS), not in motorsport but in the realm of production cars.

The basic setup called for a flywheel KERS to be fitted to the free axle of a car.

When approaching a red light, the driver would hit the brakes like normal.This would cause the flywheel to spool up and keep spinning until the lights turn green and the driver hits the accelerator.

At this point, the flywheel's rotation is transferred to the rear wheels via a specially designed transmission, giving the car a little boost of energy off the line.

Volvo has announced that it has now completed extensive testing of the technology on public roads, using an S60 sedan as the test vehicle.

According to the automaker, the results show that the technology combined with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine has the potential to reduce fuel consumption by as much as 25 percent compared with a turbocharged six-cylinder engine--while offering comparable performance.

The energy stored in the flywheel is equivalent to an extra 80 horsepower. And when being transferred back to the wheels, swift torque build-up means rapid acceleration. The S60 test car would accelerate from 0-62 mph in about 5.5 seconds--remember, this is a turbocharged four-cylinder model we’re talking about.

Researchers found that the system works best in urban environments, which makes sense since the duration of the energy storage (the length of time the flywheel spins) is limited. In addition, researchers found that the stored energy was sufficient to power the car for short periods, meaning the engine could be switched off for as much as 50 percent of the time.

But the benefits don’t end there. Compared to a conventional gasoline-electric hybrid, Volvo’s flywheel KERS is lighter, cheaper and easier to maintain.

Now that the technology has proven successful in one of its existing models, Volvo will start tests in prototypes for its upcoming models and further evaluate the performance before potentially putting the technology into production.

More from Motor Authority

View the original article here

Boeing Phantom Eye completes 2nd flight

A liquid-hydrogen-powered unmanned spy plane from Boeing’s Phantom Works had a very successful test flight earlier this week, climbing a mile and a half into the sky.

If eventually deployed, this unmanned aerial system would give the United States state-of-the-art intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance with its cutting-edge capabilities: The drone can fly a whopping four days without refueling.

Testing was conducted at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California on Monday. During the flight, Phantom Eye flew higher than 8,000 feet at a cruising speed of 62 knots, and it stayed in the air for 66 minutes.

The current Phantom Eye is intended to carry a 450-pound payload while operating for up to four days at altitudes of up to 65,000 feet.

Phantom Eye is propeller-driven and weighs 9,800 pounds. With its advanced propulsion system, using hydrogen-powered internal combustion engines, it could provide an advantage monitoring large areas.

Typical payloads for Phantom Eye would include multiple sensor packages for monitoring, tracking and communications. It could provide an “eye in the sky” for surveillance, search and rescue, disaster relief and many other purposes.

Last Flight
Phantom Eye completed its first autonomous flight on the first of June last year at NASA Dryden.

Flying at an altitude of 4,080 feet and staying in the air for twenty-eight minutes – the second flight has achieved more than twice the flight duration in less than a year.

At this point, Phantom Eye reached a cruising speed of 62 knots and this was accomplished using Boeing’s COMC2 software.

Following the first flight, Boeing upgraded both the aircraft's software and hardware such as the landing gear. While the first landing was a bit bumpy with landing gear taking a bit of damage, this time the landing was spot on.

Reflecting the company’s belief in its potential, Boeing has chosen to self-fund the unmanned air vehicle’s development.

From a green perspective, Phantom Eye’s tech liquid hydrogen propulsion has extraordinary fuel economy.

Boeing says its only by-product is water – quite a remarkable innovation.

Boeing is also exploring beyond Phantom Eye into other HALE concepts based on its technologies. One project the company is investigating would stay aloft for a week or more while carrying payloads more than an astonishing 2,000 pounds.

Ballet dancer turned defense specialist Allison Barrie has traveled around the world covering the military, terrorism, weapons advancements and life on the front line. You can reach her at wargames@foxnews.com or follow her on Twitter @Allison_Barrie.

View the original article here