Originally Posted by GoHybrid

i wonder: what if you used a slightly heavier flywheel and had some method of electromechanical control to declutch the flywheel and re-engage it at a more desirable time?

So, say you spend the energy to spin a 20lb flywheel up to 7000rpm and then shift. When you declutch the transmission, the friction and pumping losses in the engine cause it to slow down. When you release the clutch and engage the new gear, you've lost a thousand rpms or more.

What if, instead, the flywheel declutches from the motor at the same time as the transmission clutch? The crankshaft can freewheel within the flywheel hub and has effectively lost 20lbs of rotating mass, so revs fall quickly, BUT the flywheel is still spinning and losing energy at a slower rate. So instead of losing that flywheel inertia to engine losses, you re-engage the flywheel once the new gear is selected and you get a small boost of power as the flywheel energy is dumped back into the drivetrain. You could even add flywheel energy by capturing energy during engine braking.

I've seen the concept before but in the form of a spinning armature used to capture energy during braking, and used to generate current for an electrical motor upon acceleration. This idea would be more mechanically rooted.

I don't know... just pie in the sky but this thread made me think of that possibility.

Originally Posted by The sweed

I like the one pice flywheels in cromoly..

Originally Posted by Bailhatch

You already have the heaviest stock crank and you added heavier rods and pistons. I think the lighter flywheel is a good idea.

I run an itr flywheel right now and it wasn't even noticable compared to the b16 one. My ACT forged chromoly (8lb i think?) is going in soon to help counteract new rods and pistons and a longer stroke crank.

Originally Posted by GoHybrid

i wonder: what if you used a slightly heavier flywheel and had some method of electromechanical control to declutch the flywheel and re-engage it at a more desirable time?

So, say you spend the energy to spin a 20lb flywheel up to 7000rpm and then shift. When you declutch the transmission, the friction and pumping losses in the engine cause it to slow down. When you release the clutch and engage the new gear, you've lost a thousand rpms or more.

What if, instead, the flywheel declutches from the motor at the same time as the transmission clutch? The crankshaft can freewheel within the flywheel hub and has effectively lost 20lbs of rotating mass, so revs fall quickly, BUT the flywheel is still spinning and losing energy at a slower rate. So instead of losing that flywheel inertia to engine losses, you re-engage the flywheel once the new gear is selected and you get a small boost of power as the flywheel energy is dumped back into the drivetrain. You could even add flywheel energy by capturing energy during engine braking.

I've seen the concept before but in the form of a spinning armature used to capture energy during braking, and used to generate current for an electrical motor upon acceleration. This idea would be more mechanically rooted.

I don't know... just pie in the sky but this thread made me think of that possibility.