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Energy recovery systems for vehicles and wheels comprising the same

  • US 8,230,961 B2
  • Filed: 11/04/2009
  • Issued: 07/31/2012
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2009
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A wheel assembly for a vehicle comprising a rim and an energy recovery system, the energy recovery system comprising a flywheel and an infinitely variable transmission wherein:

  • the flywheel is substantially concentric with the rim and operable to rotate relative to the rim;

    the infinitely variable transmission is positioned within the flywheel and couples the rim to the flywheel such that;

    when the vehicle is decelerating and an angular velocity of the rim is greater than an angular velocity of the flywheel, kinetic energy of the rim is imparted to the flywheel and stored as mechanical potential energy thereby providing a braking force to the vehicle; and

    when the vehicle is accelerating and the angular velocity of the rim is less than the angular velocity of the flywheel, the mechanical potential energy of the flywheel is imparted to the rim thereby providing an accelerating force to the vehicle.

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