Kinetic energy recovery system, or KERSis a widely known engineering concept that is able to recover part of the kinetic energy accumulated during the acceleration phase of the vehicle.
Bike mounted energy recovery system. Still images from YouTube videos.
This type of hardware has proven to be a useful component not only in transportation but also in other engineering fields. So if at least some cars use KERS, it’s probably possible to install it on bicycle?
In fact, using the principle of energy recovery in two-wheeled vehicles is also quite a feasible task. One of the first attempts was actually made by students from the University of Michigan, using hydraulic hybrid system with a high pressure accumulator. Seems complicated? Yes, this invention requires modification of the front wheel which is relatively heavy and somewhat cumbersome. However, it can save up to 70% of brake energy.
One of the latest attempts, captured in the video below, uses a different approach. Here, kinetic energy is accumulated using a rapidly rotating flywheel. From a construction point of view, this solution is more compact and easier to install. And it really works – watch the video to see how it’s made and what the effect is:
