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248:. The flywheel was in the center of the bus, spanning almost the whole width of the vehicle, and having a vertical axis of rotation. The Ghent to Merelbeke route was intended to be the first of a proposed multi-route network; instead, its gyrobuses stayed in service for only three years, being withdrawn late autumn 1959. The operator considered them unreliable, "spending more time off the road than on", and that their weight damaged road surfaces. They were also considered to be energy hungry, consuming 2.9 kWh/km—compared with between 2.0 kWh/km and 2.4 kWh/km for trams with much greater capacity.
114:. Power for charging the flywheel was sourced by means of three booms mounted on the vehicle's roof, which contacted charging points located as required or where appropriate (at passenger stops en route, or at terminals, for instance). To obtain tractive power, capacitors would excite the flywheel's charging motor so that it became a generator, in this way transforming the energy stored in the flywheel back into electricity. Vehicle braking was electric, and some of the energy was recycled back into the flywheel, thereby extending its range.
229:), carrying up to 90 passengers, and having a maximum speed of 60 km/h (37 mph). There were major problems related to excessive "wear and tear". One significant reason for this was that drivers often took shortcuts across unpaved roads, which after rains became nothing more than quagmires. Other problems included breakage of gyro ball bearings, and high humidity resulting in traction motor overload. The system's demise, however, came because of high energy consumption. The bus operator deemed that 3.4
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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,
117:
Fully charged, a gyrobus could typically travel as far as 6 km (3.7 mi) on a level route at speeds of up to 50 to 60 km/h (31 to 37 mph), depending on the total weight of passengers, as top speeds varied as passenger levels varied from stop to stop. The installation in
217:). Here there were 12 vehicles (although apparently some reports suggest 17), which operated over four routes, with recharging facilities being provided about every 2 km (1.2 mi). These were the largest of the gyrobuses, being 10.4 m (34 ft) in length, weighing 10.9
202:. However, this was a route with limited traffic potential, and although technically successful it was not commercially viable. Services ended in late October 1960, and neither of the two vehicles (nor the demonstrator) survived.
259:. It is sometimes shown (and used to carry passengers) at Belgian exhibitions, transport enthusiasts' bazaars, etc. The tram depot in Merelbeke has been closed since 1998, but it still stands, as it is protected by the law.
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The demonstrator was first displayed (and used) publicly in summer 1950 and, to promote the system, this vehicle continued to be used for short periods of public service in myriad locations at least until 1954.
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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. This effect can be counteracted by using two
126:) sometimes saw vehicles needing to travel as far as 10 km (6.2 mi) on one charge, although it is not known how well they performed towards the upper end of that distance.
595:- some of the information contained in this article comes from the January / February 2005 issue of "BusesWorldWide" Magazine as issued by the organisation of the same name.
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or in dense urban traffic. It is not clear whether vehicles that require such frequent delays would have been practical and/or suitable for modern-day service applications.
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321:, Germany has had an Autotram, a vehicle that uses a fuel cell as its main source of energy and a small flywheel for regenerative braking only.
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233:/km per gyrobus was unaffordable, so closure came in the summer of 1959 with the gyrobuses being abandoned and replaced with diesel buses.
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186:, Center for Electromechanics, Test Devices, Inc., and DRS Technologies sought funding for the development of a prototype gyrobus.
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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.
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Gyrobus G3, the only surviving gyrobus in the world (built in 1955) in the
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59:. While there are no gyrobuses currently in use commercially, development in this area continues.
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The first full commercial service began in
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244:. Three gyrobuses started operation in late summer 1956 on a route linking Ghent and
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One of Ghent's gyrobuses has been preserved and restored, and is displayed at the
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and recharged via braking energy. This was eventually dumped in favour of using
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520:"Leopoldville 1954 – Transports en Commun de Leopoldville hits the streets"
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Runs without rails (An advantage because the route can be varied at will.)
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Driving a gyrobus has the added complexity that the flywheel acts as a
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455:"Anniversary of the Grand Disaster, Article: The Flywheel Bus is Back"
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had developed a flywheel for both mobile and stationary applications.
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Fraunhofer
Institute for Transportation and Infrastructure Systems
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586:- with a photograph showing two gyrobuses at a charging point
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briefly experimented with using flywheels charged by a small
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was developed and brought to fruition during the 1940s by
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The third location to use gyrobuses commercially was
419:- a British train that uses fly wheel energy storage
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was awarded a $ 5 million four-year contract by the
79:), with the intention of creating an alternative to
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171:During the 1990s, the Dutch Centre for Concepts in
205:The next system to open was in Léopoldville in
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437:"the GYROBUS: Something New Under the Sun?".
180:Center for Transportation and the Environment
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277:Can operate flexibly at varying distances
609:Concept of Mechanically Powered Gyrobus
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153:, to develop a prototype flywheel bus.
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584:Electric buses in citytransport.info
350:Interior of the Gyrobus G3 (front)
290:The flywheel, which turns at 3000
67:The concept of a flywheel-powered
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599:Technology in Parry People Movers
362:Interior of the Gyrobus G3 (back)
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518:Mboka, Mwana (24 October 2011).
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215:Democratic Republic of the Congo
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784:Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit
497:Center View (CTE) Spring 2005
184:University of Texas at Austin
90:Loading up the flywheel with
16:Flywheel-powered electric bus
461:. 1980-04-01. Archived from
151:Department of Transportation
477:"CCM - Flywheel Technology"
459:Access to Energy Newsletter
443:. January 1952. p. 37.
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100:internal combustion engine
47:. The name comes from the
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374:Engine of the Gyrobus G3
190:Early commercial service
98:Rather than carrying an
577:Gyroscope-powered buses
545:"Propulsion technology"
338:Loading up the flywheel
37:flywheel energy storage
928:Capacitor electric bus
292:revolutions per minute
166:hydraulic accumulators
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702:Lowbridge double-deck
579:at Wikimedia Commons
524:Kinshasa Then and Now
112:"squirrel cage" motor
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923:Battery electric bus
313:Further developments
147:Department of Energy
963:Hybrid electric bus
692:Cutaway van chassis
417:Parry People Movers
182:, working with the
502:2006-02-22 at the
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480:. Retrieved
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463:the original
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402:Electric bus
394:Buses portal
317:Since 2005,
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173:Mechatronics
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81:trolleybuses
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33:electric bus
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687:Combination
667:Articulated
440:Motor Trend
255:-museum in
124:Switzerland
92:three-phase
77:Switzerland
63:Development
1047:Categories
1003:Trolleybus
998:School bus
973:Trolleybus
860:by country
749:Snow coach
729:Multi-axle
709:High-floor
554:2022-06-04
424:References
308:flywheels.
263:Advantages
227:short tons
45:trolleybus
35:that uses
953:Fuel cell
941:Inductive
932:Charging
913:Dual-mode
714:Low-floor
299:gyroscope
246:Merelbeke
223:long tons
137:In 1979,
104:batteries
51:term for
1031:Category
946:Overhead
918:Electric
887:Training
830:Campaign
825:Armoured
734:Open-top
500:Archived
380:See also
211:Kinshasa
200:Grandson
149:and the
94:charging
73:Oerlikon
53:flywheel
877:Transit
872:Sleeper
867:Shuttle
835:Express
820:Airport
777:Roadway
754:Trailer
660:Chassis
529:23 June
325:Gallery
319:Dresden
303:coaxial
257:Antwerp
242:Belgium
225:; 12.0
213:in the
43:like a
29:gyrobus
855:School
850:Police
815:Advert
794:Guided
482:22 May
253:VlaTAM
221:(10.7
219:tonnes
39:, not
31:is an
968:Solar
906:Power
845:Party
739:Rigid
682:Coach
677:Bruck
644:Buses
603:Trams
268:Quiet
238:Ghent
209:(now
158:Volvo
110:by a
57:gyros
958:Gyro
892:Tour
808:Uses
724:Mini
719:Midi
653:List
531:2014
484:2014
412:OLEV
198:and
75:(of
231:kWh
108:RPM
102:or
69:bus
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122:(
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