Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!samsung!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!ucsd!ucbvax!van-bc!rsoft!mindlink!a575
From: a575@mindlink.UUCP (Michael G. Henders)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Electronic Car Brakes
Message-ID: <3279@mindlink.UUCP>
Date: 23 Sep 90 14:52:14 GMT
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Lines: 19

> stebbins@sisler.ucr.edu (John Stebbins) writes:
>           <regarding electric brakes>
> involved here so this may be absurd, but I was thinking that a whopping big
> capacitor may take care of part of this problem and have the side
> benifit of giving you more readily available energy for your next
> acceleration.  The physical size of such a capacitor may be larger than
> the proposed vehicle for all I know.  Its just a thought.
> 
> John Stebbins
> stebbins@ucrmath.ucr.edu

Well, easy enough to see... Let's say 1500 kg of car, at 15 m/s (ie, about 3300
pounds, doing around 34 mph); kinetic energy is 0.5*Mv^2, or around 170kJ.
Since capacitive energy storage is 0.5*CV^2, let's look at a 1.0 mF
(*milli*Farad) cap.; we need it to run at about 18.5kV.  Ooops!  :-)  I don't
think it'll fly.  How big would a 1 mH, superconducting, 18.5 kA inductor be?
Seriously, now...inquiring minds want to know!  :-)  :-)

          Mike Henders               a575@mindlink.UUCP