Energy control

Abstract

An energy storage apparatus is provided comprising a flywheel ( 12 ) having at least one input. According to an aspect, the flywheel input is arranged, in use, to supply energy to the flywheel, wherein that energy has been recovered from engine exhaust gas. According to another aspect, an apparatus is provided comprising a charge boosting device arranged, in use, to provide inlet pressure boost to an engine. The apparatus further comprises a flywheel wherein said flywheel is arranged to supply energy to drive operation of the charge boosting device.

1 . An energy storage apparatus, said apparatus comprising a flywheel having at least one input, the input being arranged, in use, to supply energy to the flywheel, wherein said energy has been recovered from engine exhaust gas. 
     
     
         2 . The energy storage apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising an exhaust gas recovery, the exhaust gas recovery being arranged, in use, to direct exhaust gas output from an engine towards the flywheel. 
     
     
         3 . The energy storage apparatus as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the exhaust gas recovery includes a Tesla turbine. 
     
     
         4 . The energy storage apparatus as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said exhaust gas recovery includes a turbocharger. 
     
     
         5 . The energy storage apparatus as claimed in  claim 4  wherein said turbocharger is a variable geometry turbocharger (VGT). 
     
     
         6 . The energy storage apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising a clutch located in the energy pathway between the exhaust gas recovery and the flywheel. 
     
     
         7 . The energy storage apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising an output for directing recovered excess exhaust gas energy away from the flywheel. 
     
     
         8 . The energy storage apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising a controller for controlling energy flow through the energy storage apparatus. 
     
     
         9 . The energy storage apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the flywheel is mechanically connected to a variable ratio system. 
     
     
         10 . The energy storage apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein an output of the flywheel is mechanically coupled to an output of an engine, to provide hybrid energy input to a vehicle, machine or apparatus. 
     
     
         11 . The energy storage apparatus as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the engine to which the flywheel is mechanically coupled is further arranged, in use, to output exhaust gas for use as an energy input to the flywheel. 
     
     
         12 . The energy storage apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the flywheel is operable as a mechanical battery supply for one or more devices in a vehicle, engine, machine or apparatus in which the energy storage apparatus is provided. 
     
     
         13 . A vehicle, engine, machine or apparatus including an energy storage apparatus comprising a flywheel having at least one input, the input being arranged, in use, to supply energy to the flywheel, wherein said energy has been recovered from engine exhaust gas. 
     
     
         14 . A method of energy recovery comprising capturing energy present in engine exhaust gas, channelling said energy to a flywheel device, and storing said energy in the flywheel for future use. 
     
     
         15 . The method as claimed in  claim 14  further comprising the step of supplying energy from the flywheel to one or more devices in an engine, vehicle, machine or apparatus, in which the flywheel is provided. 
     
     
         16 . A method of controlling energy flow through an energy storage apparatus, the method comprising:
 recovering exhaust gas energy from an exhaust gas flow, supplying said exhaust gas energy to a flywheel; and   outputting energy stored in the flywheel to in accordance with dynamic operating conditions.   
     
     
         17 . The method as claimed in  claim 16  further comprising directing excess exhaust gas energy away from the flywheel. 
     
     
         18 . The method as claimed in  claim 16  further comprising repeating the step of supplying exhaust gas energy to the flywheel during use, in accordance with flywheel charge requirements. 
     
     
         19 . An apparatus comprising a charge boosting device arranged, in use, to provide inlet pressure boost to an engine, and a flywheel wherein said flywheel is arranged to supply energy to drive an operation of the charge boosting device. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 19  wherein the charge boosting device is a supercharger. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 19  wherein the charge boosting device is a turbocharger. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 19  further comprising an input arranged, in use, to supply energy to the flywheel. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 22  wherein the input is arranged to direct energy recovered from at least one of:
 a vehicle power train, engine exhaust gas, a mechanical device, a chemical battery, and an electric motor, and supply that recovered energy to the flywheel. 
 
     
     
         24 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 19 , further comprising a controller for controlling energy flow through the apparatus. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 19  wherein the charge boosting device is a turbocharger including a wastegate and wherein the flywheel is arranged in a wastegate loop of said turbocharger, so that the flywheel is arranged to both supply energy to drive the turbocharger and to store energy recovered from gas wastegated from the turbocharger. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 19  wherein the charge boosting device is further arranged to receive an energy input from the engine into which the charge boosting device provides a boost input. 
     
     
         27 . A vehicle, engine or machine including an apparatus comprising a charge boosting device arranged, in use, to provide inlet pressure boost to an engine, and a flywheel wherein said flywheel is arranged to supply energy to drive operation of the charge boosting device. 
     
     
         28 . A method of increasing engine power comprising utilising a flywheel to supply energy to drive operation of a charge boosting device and operating said charge boosting device to boost inlet charge pressure in the engine. 
     
     
         29 . A method as claimed in  claim 28  further comprising the step of supplying energy to the flywheel using an existing energy source within the vehicle or machine in which the engine is provided. 
     
     
         30 . A method of controlling inlet gas pressure in an engine comprising operating a charge boosting device to increase said inlet gas pressure above atmospheric pressure and using a flywheel to supply energy to drive an operation of the charge boosting device, wherein the amount of energy supplied by the flywheel is controlled in order to provide an optimal boost pressure according to instantaneous engine operating conditions. 
     
     
         31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . An engine control unit (ECU) programmed and operable to execute instructions for carrying out the method according to  claim 14 . 
     
     
         33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . A non-transitory computer program including instructions executable by a processor for carrying out the method according to  claim 14 . 
     
     
         36 . (canceled)