I'm proposing that regular piston-engine manual transmission cars have a three-position clutch, where in one position, the drive-train is connected to a significant high-speed flywheel. In the 'released' position, the engine is connected to the drive-train (like now), in the 'middle' depressed position, the drivetrain isn't connected to anything (like now) and in the far or floor position, the drivetrain would be connected to the flywheel.

In driving, this way you'd be able to harness All of your deceleration energy without using the brakes and you'd get most of it back when you left the stop light.

The use of this would work like this: the first start of the day would have to be engine-only, just like a current manual car, and might be the slowest. The first stop of the day, you'd put the transmission in an appropriate lower gear and push the clutch to the floor while you might watch your flywheel rpm-gage go up. If you still need to decelerate more, you'd drop to a lower gear--even first--and spin that flywheel way-up--even 20K rpms. Then you'd partially release the clutch pedal and sit at the Stop sign with the clutch in 'the middle,' or you can put the trans in neutral and full-release. When the light turns green, you push to the floor (not abruptly, it's a clutch) and the flywheel alone accelerates the car. You shift through gears until you have the best part of the energy out of the flywheel, then you release the clutch all-the-way to go back to engine power.

Most cars have oversized engines strictly for acceleration--the most horsepower required is from a stop, not at normal highway speeds. Cars could be designed with efficient 40 horsepower engines and still have enough acceleration (after a spin-up) to do great 0-60 times, using just the flywheel. Stop and go traffic-jams could be done with the engine off. A pinion shaft would exit the bell housing on the 'back' pressure plate and you could probably get all of the energy you need out to the flywheel in about two-inches of additional width--not small in a FWD, but I think do-able.

I'd recommend the flywheel be positioned at a canted-angle between the engine and the radiator. You would make it more horizontal so-as to not affect turning with gyroscopic forces. It would be additional weight (I'm thinking about 100 lbs, 75-cm dia) but the smaller-size engine would off-set much of that.

Completely mechanical, completely controlled by the driver's foot--no electrics.

I've given away one of my pet ideas--will this work? will it sell?

I'll be pleased to hear any comments.

What do you think of this idea or comment?
(You can change your vote at any time)

I agree

No opinion

I disagree