A Novel, Elastically-Based, Regenerative Break and Launch Assist Mechanism

This project involves a spring-based mechanical regenerative brake and launch assist system to increase vehicle fuel economy. When a vehicle slows, traditional brakes waste the kinetic energy by dissipating it to the environment as heat. Regenerative brakes, by comparison, store this energy for later use. A novel mechanical system has been designed that stores the energy in a spring and then uses that energy to later propel the vehicle. Hybrid electric vehicles have a successful electrical regenerative braking system but it is only beneficial for hybrid and electric vehicles, about 3% of the market. The proposed mechanical system could be incorporated in the design of most conventional vehicles with internal combustion engines. Preliminary estimations predict fuel efficiency improvements between 5-10% in the city. The modeling, mechanism design, optimization, and a dynamic simulation validate further investigation of the concept.https://ecommons.udayton.edu/stander_posters/1380/thumbnail.jp