SYNOPSIS ON GYRO BUS

Submitted by : Auvas Jalalee(8802)

A Gyro bus 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.
 HYSTORY
• The concept of a flywheel
powered bus was developed
and brought to originality
during the 1940s by Oerlikon
(of Switzerland), with the
intention of creating an
alternative to battery-electric
buses for quieter, where full
overhead-wire electrification
could not be justified.
 WORKING PRINCIPLE
Rather than carrying an internal combustion
engine or batteries, or connecting to overhead
power lines, a gyro bus carries a large flywheel
that is spun at up to 3,000 RPM by a "squirrel
cage” motor/generator.
 FLYWHEEL

The flywheel was positioned in the center of the chassis

between the axles This disc weighing 1.5t and with a
diameter of 1.6m was enclosed in an airtight chamber
filled with hydrogen gas at a reduced pressure of 0.7 b to
lower “air” resistance. The flywheel would spin at a
maximum of 3000rpm
 CONTACT BLADES
Power for charging the
flywheel was sourced by
means of three contact
blades mounted on the
vehicle’s roof, which
contacted charging points
located as required or
where appropriate ( at
passenger stops end root
ort at terminals for
instance).
• 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.
• To obtain tractive power, capacitors would
excite the flywheel charging motor(Electric
motor generator) so that it become a
generator , in this way transforming the energy
stored in the flywheel back into electricity.
• In normal operation the flywheel could slow down from its
initial 3000 rpm to 2100 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 S 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.
• A recharge from standstill could take 22 minutes.
 CONCLUSION
• One of the main obstacles facing the Gyro bus was its inability to gain a firm
market presence and so cut down manufacturing costs through economy of
scale.
• In today's environment, many of the factors that disadvantaged the Gyro
bus 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 Gyro bus is far from dead.