• Ross_audio@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    Fly wheels are interesting.

    Especially as the turbines we currently put steam through are essentially flywheels holding momentum for a short time after shutdown.

    A flywheel that can turn for hours would be what’s needed. Whether lots of small ones like this:

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_STnL0U9PyQ

    Or a massive one.

    Williams F1 even used a flywheel KERS system at one point. Batteries won there eventually too but if it can be genuinely useful in an F1 car it’s certainly possible they could be useful when weight isn’t a problem.

    • egonallanon@lemm.ee
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      9 months ago

      Did Williams ever actually race the flywheel kers? I know it got used in WEC and some road applications.

      • Ross_audio@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        I don’t think they raced it in the end. They sold it to Audi for endurance racing as you say.

        Additional weight for occasional extra power wasn’t worth it in the end.