Optimizing a Hydraulic Regenerative Braking System for a 20” Bicycle Wheel

Abstract

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is researching hydraulic hybrid transportation systems in an effort to address the growing concerns about global climate change and insatiable fossil fuel demands. Hydraulic hybrid vehicles use regenerative braking to store energy in pressurized fluids. This energy is then released to assist in vehicle acceleration. For the past seven years, ME450 students at The University of Michigan (U-M) have been developing designs for hydraulic hybrid bicycle systems. This semester we refined the design of a hydraulic hybrid system enclosed in a 20” bicycle wheel, with a focus on decreasing weight, improving safety, and reducing the number of moving parts.