Kinetic Energy Recovery System for Electric Buses: A Method for Extending Mileage Range

This paper proposes a novel system for electric buses (EBs) that utilizes an Airflow Kinetic Energy Recovery System (Air-KERS) to capture kinetic energy from the forward motion of the bus. The Air-KERS consists of a generator array with blades that rotate due to the airflow, generating electricity to recharge the battery. The analysis, calculations, and simulations presented support the feasibility of this concept. However, a key challenge is maintaining the required airflow speed for the generator array to operate optimally. The study proposes integrating air ducts, with the optimal placement found to be at the bottom of the EB due to the minimal drag coefficient. The research investigates the system's performance across three driving cycles, demonstrating a potential range increase of 2% with an efficiency range of 70–90% depending on the bus speed.