8 ms·

I'm just waiting for flywheel powered buses to make a return: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyrobus https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyrobus

Ericson2314 2y ago
Cool :) but reminds me that all energy storage is scary and an accident waiting to happen. Flows > stocks, overhead wire for the win!
- NikkiA 2y ago
  I personally think Battery buses with SAE J3105 'docking' points at key stops (basically, the stops that are used to loiter to set timing, rather than leaving as soon as possible) is a better solution than the cost of stringing OHL through every major road in a city. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battery_electric_bus#Charging https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battery_electric_bus#Chargin... https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAE_J3105 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAE_J3105
  - seb1204 2y ago
    Reading about this and matching it up with what I see in some more recent electric truck and ferry charging videos I feel this is almost historic tech. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megawatt_Charging_System https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megawatt_Charging_System
- rsynnott 2y ago
  Think that’s bad? Look at this thing! https://www.en-former.com/en/mammoth-flywheel-for-irelands-grid-stability/ https://www.en-former.com/en/mammoth-flywheel-for-irelands-g... 4GJ of stored energy, dischargeable in eight seconds.
askvictor 2y ago
I'm currently reading "The Windup Girl" set in a mostly-post-fossil-fuel future, where most energy storage is springs.
why_at 2y ago
Wow I had no idea this existed >Disadvantages >Weight: a bus which can carry 20 persons and has a range of 2 km (1.2 mi) requires a flywheel weighing about 3 tons. >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 (560 mph). It's truly a mystery why they never caught on
- adamanonymous 2y ago
  You missed the last and most funny one >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. So you have a giant blender than can travel one mile in a straight line before needing to be recharged
  - frollogaston 2y ago
    Shouldn't it still be able to turn, just not tilt?
    - satiric 2y ago
      It depends what orientation you mount the gyroscope in, but yeah the "correct" way would be to make it axis vertical to limit pitch and roll
  - iefbr14 2y ago
    There once was a train that made clever use of that effect: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyro_monorail https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyro_monorail
whenc 2y ago
Trains in operation: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_139 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_139

Ericson2314 2y ago

Cool :) but reminds me that all energy storage is scary and an accident waiting to happen. Flows > stocks, overhead wire for the win!

NikkiA 2y ago
I personally think Battery buses with SAE J3105 'docking' points at key stops (basically, the stops that are used to loiter to set timing, rather than leaving as soon as possible) is a better solution than the cost of stringing OHL through every major road in a city. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battery_electric_bus#Charging https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battery_electric_bus#Chargin... https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAE_J3105 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAE_J3105
- seb1204 2y ago
  Reading about this and matching it up with what I see in some more recent electric truck and ferry charging videos I feel this is almost historic tech. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megawatt_Charging_System https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megawatt_Charging_System
rsynnott 2y ago
Think that’s bad? Look at this thing! https://www.en-former.com/en/mammoth-flywheel-for-irelands-grid-stability/ https://www.en-former.com/en/mammoth-flywheel-for-irelands-g... 4GJ of stored energy, dischargeable in eight seconds.

askvictor 2y ago

I'm currently reading "The Windup Girl" set in a mostly-post-fossil-fuel future, where most energy storage is springs.

why_at 2y ago

Wow I had no idea this existed >Disadvantages >Weight: a bus which can carry 20 persons and has a range of 2 km (1.2 mi) requires a flywheel weighing about 3 tons. >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 (560 mph). It's truly a mystery why they never caught on

adamanonymous 2y ago
You missed the last and most funny one >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. So you have a giant blender than can travel one mile in a straight line before needing to be recharged
- frollogaston 2y ago
  Shouldn't it still be able to turn, just not tilt?
  - satiric 2y ago
    It depends what orientation you mount the gyroscope in, but yeah the "correct" way would be to make it axis vertical to limit pitch and roll
- iefbr14 2y ago
  There once was a train that made clever use of that effect: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyro_monorail https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyro_monorail

whenc 2y ago

Trains in operation: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_139 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_139