CHAPTER 2

BASIC IDEA OF REGENERATIVE BRAKING SYSTEM

Concept of Regenerative Braking System is better understood from

Bicycle fitted with Dynamo. If our bicycle has a Dynamo (a small electricity
generator) on it for powering the lights. We will know it’s harder to peddle when
the dynamo is engaged than when it’s switched off. That’s because some of our
peddling energy is ‘stolen’ by the Dynamo and turned into Electrical energy in the
lights. If we are going along at speed and we suddenly stop peddling and turn on
the dynamo, it will bring us to a stop more quickly than we could normally, for the
same reason: it’s stealing your kinetic energy. Now imagine a bicycle with a
dynamo that’s 100 times bigger and more powerful. In theory, it could bring our
bike to a half relatively quickly by converting our kinetic energy into electricity
which we could store in battery and use again later. And that’s basic idea is behind
the Regenerative Braking System.

Electric trains, cars and other electric vehicles are powered by electric
motors connected to the batteries. When we are driving along, energy flows from
the batteries to the motors, turning the wheels and providing us with kinetic energy
we need to move. When we stop and hit the brakes, the braking will apply on the
wheels with the help of braking wheels.

The braking wheels are subjected to stop or slow down the speed of
wheels. Thus the brake wheels result in rotation due to friction with wheels
for a short time. Then this kinetic energy (rotation energy) is converted into
electricity by the use of Dynamos. Therefore, the power flows back from
these dynamos to the batteries, charging them up. So some of good proportion
of energy we lose by braking is returned to the batteries and can be reused when
we start off again. In practice regenerative brakes takes time to slow things down.
So most vehicle that use the frictional brake shoes (that’s also a good idea when
the regenerative brake wheels fails).

The device recovers the kinetic energy that is present in the waste heat
created by the car’s braking process. The concept of transferring the vehicle’s
kinetic energy using Flywheel energy storage was postulated by physicist ‘Richard
Feynman’ in the 1950’s.

2.1 The Dynamo as a generator

Vehicle driven by the electric motor use the dynamo as a generator

when using regenerative braking, it is operated as a generator during braking and
its converted output energy is supplied to an electrical load. The transfer of energy
to the load provides the braking effect.

Regenerative braking system is used to overcome the energy lost during

stopping. This energy is stored in a battery and used later to power motor whenever
the car is in electric mode.
2.2 Basic Idea of Regenerative Braking System

GO

Battery

Motor

a) Driving – Battery supply energy

Stop

Battery

Motor

b) Braking – Battery recharged