I remember reading in Scientific American a car engine which was basically a fast turning wheel which generted electricity, and each wheel had a motor. find this article
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Under the Hood: Building a Better Engine
It seems you’re recalling an article from Scientific American that discussed a car engine utilizing a rapidly spinning flywheel to generate electricity, with individual motors powering each wheel. While I couldn’t locate the exact article, this concept aligns with flywheel energy storage systems explored in automotive applications.Wikipedia
In the 1990s, Rosen Motors developed a hybrid automotive powertrain featuring a flywheel spinning at 55,000 rpm. This flywheel stored energy from regenerative braking and provided bursts of acceleration, with individual wheel motors delivering power directly to each wheel. Although the prototype was successfully road-tested in 1997, it was never mass-produced. Wikipedia
Additionally, a 2013 article reported that Volvo tested a flywheel system in its S60 sedan. In this setup, braking action spun the flywheel at up to 60,000 rpm, storing energy that could later power the vehicle, potentially reducing fuel consumption by up to 25%. Wikipedia
While these examples may not be the exact article you recall, they illustrate the concept of using high-speed flywheels to generate electricity for vehicle propulsion, with individual wheel motors providing direct power.
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