GYRO BUS -THE FLYWHEEL POWERED BUS

A Technical Seminar Report

Submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for the award of degree of

BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY
IN
ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING
BY
Student name: B.REVATHI Roll no: 17031A0205

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING

JAWAHARLAL NEHRU TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY KAKINADA
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING -NARASARAOPET
NARASARAOPET– 522601, GUNTUR (Dt.), A.P.
2020-2021
 Table of Contents

ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................... i
INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................1
DEVELOPMENT ..............................................................................................2
EARLY COMMERCIAL SERVICE ................................................................4
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS ....................................................................7
TYPES OF GYROBUSES ..............................................................................12
ADVANTAGES ..............................................................................................16
DISADVANTAGES ........................................................................................16
FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS ......................................................................17
CONCLUSION ................................................................................................18
REFERENCES.................................................................................................19
 ABSTRACT
Since 1955 there have been some practical applications of
electro gyrobuses. Such buses are equipped with a flywheel unit
consisting of an asynchronous motor and generator coupled to a
flywheel and of electric traction motors. The unwinding of the
flywheel of an electro gyrobus is accomplished with the aid of
an electric motor. The stored kinetic energy is sufficient for
traveling a distance of 4 – 5 km. The efficiency of an
electrogyrobus is not better than 50 percent. The weight-to-
work ratio of the flywheel unit is 322 kg/kWh (32 times greater
than that of the currently used electrochemical current sources).
The unit operational expenses of an electro gyrobus are 5
percent greater than those of a trolleybus and 20 percent greater
than those of an autobus. Experimental electrogyrobuses have
been operated on some interurban runs, for instance, between
Ghent and Merelbeke (Belgium). The electrogyrobus is an
auxiliary means of passenger transport on short runs; it is also
usable in transporting dangerously explosive objects.

i
 INTRODUCTION

A Gyrobus is an electric bus that uses flywheel

energy storage, not overhead wires like a trolleybus. The
name comes from the Greek language term for flywheel,
gyros. While there are no gyrobuses currently in use
commercially, development in this area continues. A
gyro bus is a special bus which does not use a normal
engine. It has a big flywheel of steel or other materials
(weighing about one ton) rotating at very high speed
(RPM). By rotating at such high speed, the flywheel
stores large amounts of kinetic energy. This big wheel
moves the wheels of the bus. At special stations, electric
engines accelerate the flywheel so the bus can still run.
There are not many buses of this kind because they are
expensive.

1
 DEVELOPMENT

The concept of a flywheel-powered bus was developed

and brought to fruition during the 1940s by Oerlikon (of
Switzerland), with the intention of creating an alternative to
battery-electric buses for quieter, lower- frequency routes,
where full overhead-wire electrification could not be justified.

Rather than carrying an internal combustion engine

or batteries, or connecting to overhead powerlines, a gyrobus
carries a large flywheel that is spun at up to 3,000 RPM by a
"squirrel cage" motor. [1] Power for charging the flywheel was
sourced by means of three booms mounted on the vehicle's
roof, which contacted charging points located as required or
where appropriate (at passenger stops enroute, or at terminals,
for instance). To obtain tractive power, capacitors would excite
the flywheel's charging motor so that it became a generator, in
this way transforming the energy stored in the flywheel back
into electricity. Vehicle braking was electric, and some of the
energy was recycled back into the flywheel, thereby extending
its range.

Fully charged, a gyrobus could typically travel as far as

6km on a level route at speeds of up to 50 to 60 km/h,
depending on vehicle batch (load), as top speeds varied from
batch to batch. The installation in Yverdon-les-Bains
(Switzerland) sometimes saw vehicles needing to travel as far
as 10 km on one charge, although it is not known how well they
performed towards the upper end of

2
 the distance Charging a flywheel took between 30 seconds and
3 minutes; in an effort to reduce the charge time, the supply
voltage was increased from 380 volts to 500 volts. Given the
relatively restricted range between charges, it is likely that
several charging stops would have been required on longer
routes, or in dense urban traffic. It is not clear whether vehicles
that require such frequent delays would have been practical
and/or suitable for modern-day service applications.

The demonstrator was first displayed (and used)

publicly in summer 1950 and, to promote the system, this
vehicle continued to be used for short periods of public service
in a myriad of locations at least until 1954.

In 1979, General Electric was awarded a $5 million

four-year contract by the United States government, the
Department of Energy and the Department of Transportation, to
develop a prototype flywheel bus.

In the 1980s, Volvo briefly experimented with using

flywheels charged by a small Diesel engine and recharged via
braking energy. This was eventually dumped in favour of using
hydraulic accumulators. During the 1990s, CCM had
developed a flywheel for both mobile and stationary
applications .

In 2005, the Centre for Transportation and the

Environment, working with the University of Texas at Austin,
Centre for Electromechanics, Test Devices, Inc., and DRS
Technologies sought funding for the development of a
prototype gyrobus

3
 EARLY COMMERCIAL SERVICE

The first full commercial service began in October

1953, linking the Swiss communities of Yverdon-les-Bains and
Grandson. However, this was a route with limited traffic
potential, and although technically successful it was not
commercially viable. Services ended in late October 1960, and
neither of the two vehicles (nor the demonstrator) survived.

The next system to open was in Léopoldville in

Belgian Congo (currently Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic
of the Congo). Here there were 12 vehicles (although
apparently some reports suggest 17), which operated over four
routes, with recharging facilities being provided about every 2
km. These were the largest of the gyrobuses, being 10.4 m in
length, weighing 10.9 tonnes, carrying up to 90 passengers, and
having a maximum speed of 60 km/h (about 37 mph).

There were major problems related to excessive

"wear and tear". One significant reason for this was that drivers
often took shortcuts across unpaved roads, which after rains
became nothing more than quagmires. Other problems included
breakage of gyro ball bearings, and high humidity resulting in
traction motor overload. The system's demise, however, came
because of high energy consumption.

4
INTERIOR OF GYROBUS

5
ENGINE OF GYROBUS

LOADING UP THE FLYWHEEL

6
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

The Gyro bus prototype was built on the massive chassis of

an FB W lorry dating' from 1932. The flywheel (MFO called
it the gyro) was positioned in the centre of this chassis
between the axles. This disc weighing 1.5t and with a

7
diameter of 1.6m was enclosed in an airtight chamber filled
with hydrogen gas at a reduced pressure of 0.7 bar to lower
"air" resistance. The flywheel would spin at a maximum of
3000rpm.

The principle of operation would be that the bus would

"dock" into an overhead gantry located at selected stops.
Contact blades would automatically rise and deliver three
phase electricity to the flywheel at 380V.

This choice of voltage permitted the normal m

mains
ains power
supply to be used, so minimising the technical installations
required. The flywheel could equally be charged by plugging
it into a socket. This was the usual charging procedure at
depots.

8
The flywheel was spun up with a three-phase asynchronous motor.
The same motor acted as a generator when disconnected from the
ground supply. The choice of an asynchronous brushless machine
helped reduce friction within the flywheel assembly to an absolute
minimum. Once in generator mode, power from the flywheel would
be fed to the 52kW asynchronous traction motor, which was
arranged longitudinally behind the rear axle. Capacitors controlled
the motor torque. The arrangement could be reversed, with energy
recovered by the motor during braking or on downhill runs
being fed back to the flywheel.

In normal operation the flywheel could slow down

from its initial 3000 rpm to2100 rpm. In emergencies the
speed could further be reduced to 1500 rpm, but this would
negatively affect the performance of the vehicle. Below this
speed a proper functioning of the transmission could no
longer be guaranteed. Under normal conditions, the Gyro bus
could cover 5 to 6km between charges (taking stops and
traffic into account). A charge would then take two to five
minutes. In idle mode, the flywheel could continue spinning
for more than ten hours. The bus would, however, be
plugged in at the depot overnight to keep the flywheel at 2850
rpm. This was done to permit a quick start in the morning and
also because a full recharge would have posed a heavy load on
the grid, A recharge from standstill could take 40 minutes .

9
 Contact Blades ——-- - — -

Flywheel

To obtain tractive power, capacitors

would excite the flywheel's
charging motor (Electric motor
generator) so that it became a
generator, in this way transforming
the energy stored tn the flywheel
back into electricity.

10
 TYPES OF GYROBUS

YVERDON

The first order was placed by a private company in

Yverdon The Societéaonyme Gyrobus Yverdon — Grandson
(GYG) inauguarated
nauguarated a bus service between those two places
in 1953 using a fleet of two Gyro buses, numbered 1 and 2.
Like the prototype, these used a chassis by FBW, a body by
CWA, and electrics by MFO. In contrast to the prototype,
however, the chassis was pur
purpose-designed
designed for Gyrobus use,
and weight savings were achieved. In keeping with the times,
an angular body style was adopted. The route was 4.5km long
and had four recharging points. In order to speedup

11
charging process, the charging voltage was raised from 380V to
500V in 1954. The small fleet was joined by the prototype that
year, with the new arrival being numbered 3.

The extremely light loadings of the route caused

financial difficulties and led to service cuts. Rather than
turing the company's forfortunes
tunes around, these led to even
greater difficulties. The high electricity consumption and
other costs led GYG to replace its Gyrobuses by diesel
minibuses in 1960.

LÉOPOLDVILLE

12
The next order came from Léopoldville in the Belgian Congo
(todayKinshasa in D.R. Congo). The 12 buses ordered were
largely similar to those ofYverdon and were numbered 101-
112. The operator, Société: des transports encommun de
Léopoldville (TCL) used them on a four-route system of about
20km,making it the largest Gyrobus system ever operated.
However poor operatingconditions and the tendency for
drivers to deviate from the official routes and driveon rough
unmade roads lead to heavy wear and tear Consequently,
TCL made generous use of its warranty rights with MFO to
obtain spare parts. The outbreak of war in 1959 finally put an
end to Gyrobus operations in Léopoldville.

Gent

The third operator to acquire Gyrobuses was the Belgian

SNCV/NMVB. Three buses numbered G1 to G3 (later 1451-
3) were supplied by the usual consortium, but presented a
more rounded front-end, maybe more in line with Belgian
tatses. The Gent — Merelbeke service replaced a tram line in
1956. This line was and remained an island operation. It was
especially the high costs of
electricity that led to abandonment in 1959. One vehicle has
survived and is preserved in the tram museum in Antwerpen.
This vehicle, the only know Gyrobus survivor, visited Yverdon
in 2003 to mark the 50th anniversary of that system.

13
 OTHER GYRO APPLICATIONS

Besides these Gyrobuses, it should be noted that similar

flywheels by MFO found use on various mining locomotives
in Switzerland, Belgium and in Africa.

One of the main obstacles facing the Gyrobus was its

inability to gain a firm market presence and so cut down
manufacturing costs
osts through economy of scale .A further
recurring issue was the high cost of electricity (or shall we say low
cost of fuel). Furthermore, the manufacturers would appear to
have been unfortunate in their choice of pilot projects, with many
of the problems being external rather than strictly technical. Not
necessarily a disadvantage but certainly a point worth noting

14
was the dynamic behaviour of the vehicle. The spinning flywheel
acts like a giant gyroscope and so resists changes in orientation.
This had to be taken into account be the driver and so induced an
adapted driving technique. At the same time, this gyroscope effect
led to a very smooth ride. As reduced comfort through eratic driving
is precisely an argument that is often used against buses, this is
certainlysomething worth look into

In today's environment, many of the factors that

disadvantaged the Gyrobus have changed. Fuel prices are
rising and concerns over pollution and smog have
led to experiments with such inefficient and dangerous storage
technologies as hydrogen cells (which appear to be more in
political favour than technologically sound). Would a simpler,
safer and more comfortable alternative not do the same in a
friendlier manner? Modern power electronics would help
reduce power consumption whilst also enabling faster
charging. Modern materials could help reduce the overall
weight of the bus while retaining the required robustness.
Maybe the Gyrobus is far from dead.

15
 ADVANTAGES

 "Pollution-free" (Pollution confined to generators on

electric power grid.)

 Runs without rails (An advantage because the route can be

varied at will.

 Can operate flexibly at varying distances.

DISADVANTAGES

 Weight: a bus which can carry 20 persons and has a range

of 20 km requires a flywheel weighing three tonnes.

 The flywheel, which turns at 3000 revolutions per minute,

requires special attachment and security — because the
external speed of the disk is 900 km/h.

 Driving a gyrobus has the added complexity that the

flywheel acts as a gyroscope that will resist changes in
orientation, for example when a bus tilts while making a
turn, assuming that the flywheel has a horizontal rotation
axis.

16
 FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS

After the Gyrobus was discontinued in all locations,

there have been a number of attempts to make the concept
work. Recently, there have been two successful projects,
though the original idea of storing energy has been changed
considerably: In Dresden, Germany there is the "Autotram", a
vehicle that looks like a modern tram, but moves on a flat
surface, not on tracks. It has run since 2005 and is powered
by a flywheel, though the wheel is small and only used to
store energy from braking. The main source of energy is a
fuel cell. The second successful vehicle was the Capabus,
which ran at the Expo 2010 in Shanghai. It was charged with
electricity at the stops - just like the Gyrobus was. However,
instead of using a flywheel for energy storage the Capabus
utilized capacitors.

17
 CONCLUSION

Since 1955 there have been some practical applications of

electro gyro buses .Such buses are equipped with a flywheel
unit consisting of an asynchronous motor
and generator coupled to a flywheel and of electric traction
motors. The unwinding of the flywheel of an electro gyrobus
is accomplished with the aid of an electric motor. The stored
kinetic energy is sufficient for traveling a distance of 4-5 km.
The efficiency of an electro gyrobus is not better than 50
percent. The weight-to work ratio of the flywheel unit is 322
kg/kWh (32 times greater than that of the currently used
electrochemical current sources). The unit operational
expenses of an electro gyrobus are 5 percent greater than
those of a trolleybus and 20 percent greater than those of
an auto bus. Experimental electro gyrobuses have been
operated on some interurban runs, for instance, between
Ghent and Merelbeke (Belgium). The electro gyrobus is an
auxiliary means of passenger transport on short runs; it is also
usable in transporting dangerously explosive objects.

18
 REFERENCES

 "the GYROBUS: Something New Under the Sun?".

Motor Trend: p. p37. January 1952.
 Access to Energy Newsletter, Archive Volume: Volume 7,
Issue/No.: Vol. 7,No. 8, Date: April 01, 1980 03:23 PM,
Title: Anniversary of the Grand Disaster, Article: The
Flywheel Bus is Back
 Center View (CTE) Spring 2005

19