Autodesk Sustainability Workshop

Bike Wheels,
Rotational Inertia,
and Energy
Adam Kenvarg, Joel Rosenberg, and James Regulinski

2013
Autodesk

Which of These is Easier to Spin?

Aluminum

http://img.tradeindia.com/fp/1/001/012/187.jpg

2013
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Stainless Steel

http://www.wigglestatic.com/product-media/5360073219/shimano_WHR501R.jpg?w=1100&h=1100&a=7

What is Rotational Inertia?

Rotational inertia, often called moment of
inertia, is the resistance of an object to a
change in angular velocity.
It can be thought of as the rotational version
of the role that mass plays as the resistance
of an object to a change in straight-line
velocity.

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What is Rotational Inertia? II

Said another way, the higher the moment of
inertia of an object, the greater its resistance
to a change in the rotational velocity.
Similarly, the higher the mass of an object,
the greater its resistance to a change in the
straight-line velocity.

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Autodesk

Axis of rotation

The moment of inertia is almost always

different for each different axis of rotation.
Solid cylinder (or
disk) about
central axis

Solid cylinder (or

disk) about central
diameter

https://webspace.utexas.edu/cokerwr/www/index.html/RI.htm

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More Moment of Inertia Values

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Which object will finish first?

(All are equal mass and radius)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rolling_Racers_-_Moment_of_inertia.gif

Note: the red sphere is a hollow

shell
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Autodesk

Go!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rolling_Racers_-_Moment_of_inertia.gif

Note: the red sphere is a hollow

shell
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Autodesk

Results

Which object has the highest moment of

inertia?
Which has the lowest?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rolling_Racers_-_Moment_of_inertia.gif

Note: the red sphere is a hollow

shell
2013
Autodesk

Moment of Inertia

Remember, the higher the moment of inertia of

an object, the greater its resistance to a
change in the rotational velocity. Thats why
the green ring has the HIGHEST moment of
inertia (most resistance).

Moment of inertia is determined by the amount

of mass and its distance from the axis of
rotation.

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Autodesk

Classic Moment of Inertia Demo

Figure skaters control their moment of inertia

by moving the distribution of their mass
closer to the axis means faster rotation. A
simple demo of this can be done by spinning
someone in a chair while the person brings
weights closer and farther from their body.

http://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/momentum_machine/

2013
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When Do You Want a Low Moment

of Inertia?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:SC06_2005_Porsche_Carrera_GT_
wheel.jpg

Examples include all kinds

of wheels allows for faster
acceleration and
deceleration of wheels and
therefore the vehicle
Baseball bats lets the
batter swing the bat around
more quickly (this can be
accomplished by choking
up on the bat)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Fourbats.j
pg

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When Do You Want a High Moment

of Inertia?
Flywheels intended to
smooth power variations in
mechanical systems and
store energy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Samuel_Dixon_Ni
agara.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Volin.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MassesDeMalabari
sme.png

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Tightrope walkers sticks

to slow the rate of rotation
as they tip back and forth
Juggling clubs prevents
slight mistakes by the
jugglers from greatly
altering the spin of the
clubs. NOTE: You can buy
both fast-spinning and
slow-spinning clubs, i.e.,
ones with lower and higher
moments of inertia.

How Does Moment of Inertia Relate

to Energy?
In F1 racing cars are now allowed to
store energy from braking in
flywheels in a kinetic energy
recovery system (a.k.a. KERS).
These flywheels allow the driver to
later use the additional energy for a
speed boost to overtake opponents.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flybrid_Systems_Kinetic_Energy_Recovery
_System.jpg

Some companies are developing

large scale flywheels to help even
out the power output from power
plants. These flywheels obviate the
need for additional power plants
running as full-time backup (which is
a huge waste of energy and a large
contributor to CO2 emissions)
http://www.engadget.com/gallery/beacon-powersstephentown-ny-flywheel-plant/4187482/#!
slide=590081

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A Bike With a Flywheel (2:58 video)

http
://www.sciencefriday.com/video/08/12/2011/boost-your-bike
.html

http://www.gizmag.com/flywheel-bicycle-regenerative-braking/19532/picture/139996/

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Calculating Energy
The energy, E, stored in a rotating object is
related to its moment of inertia, I, and its
angular velocity, , by this equation:
E = 1/2 * I * 2
The angular velocity, , is the rate at which
something rotates, in radians per second.

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Angular velocity of Wheel

An average bike rider can pedal around once
every second (1 revolution per second).
1 revolution = 6.28 radians (= 2)
Average rider pedal speed = 6.28 radians /
second
NOTE: Radians are dimensionless, so 6.28
/s
EXAMPLE: For a high gear ratio of 44/11 = 4,
every revolution of the pedal/front gear turns
the rear gear/wheel four revolutions, so:
= 4 * (6.28 radians / second)
25 /

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Energy Stored in Bike Wheel

Plug in the moment of inertia and angular
velocity to find the energy stored in a bike
wheel. Here is the start of the calculation:
E = 1/2 * I * 2 = 0.5 * I * (25 / s)2
= I * (312.5 / sec2)
INVENTOR NOTE: The units of moment of
inertia are given in kg*mm2. To convert to
kg*m2, multiply by 10-6 (= 0.000001):
1 m2 = 1,000,000 mm2
0.000001 m = 1 mm
2

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http://www.homeschoolmath.net/teaching/g/area/100-squaremm.gif

Lets Explore This Using an Example

Open Bike_Rim_For_Rotation.ipt
Find the moment of inertia using
iProperties for variations on the rim.
Follow the instruction on the handout
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Back To the Flywheel

6.8 kg flywheel
from a Porche
The flywheel
increases
maximum
acceleration and
nets 10 percent
pedal energy
savings where
speeds are
between 20 and 24
kilometers per
hour.

2013
Autodesk

http://www.gizmag.com/flywheel-bicycleregenerative-braking/19532/picture/139993/

Moment of Inertia of Flywheel

The moment of inertia for the flywheel, modeled
as a ring, is:
I = 1/2 * M * (R12 + R22)

If we assume R2= 5 = 0.127 m and R1= 4 =

0.102 m, with mass M = 6.8 kg, then for the
flywheel:
I = 0.5 * 6.8 kg * ((0.102m) 2 + (0.127m) 2 )
= 3.4kg * (0.0161 m2 + 0.0104 m2)
= 0.0901 kg * m2

http://www.notechmagazine.com/2011/08/flywheel-bicycle.html

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Energy and Angular Velocity of

Flywheel
Lets say that the wheel has 32.5 Joules of
energy. If we assume that all of that energy is
transferred to the flywheel, we can calculate its
angular velocity, :
E=

32.5 J = 1/2 * I * 2
= 0.5 * 0.0901 kg*m2 * 2

32.5 J
0.0451 kg*m2
26.8 radians / s

= 2
=

4.25 revolutions / s)
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Autodesk

Summary
Moment of inertia is determined by both the
mass and shape of an object. Higher moment of
inertia results from more mass further from the
axis of rotation.
The amount of energy a rotating object stores is
determined by its moment of inertia (resistance
to motion) and angular velocity.
When a bike rider pedals, energy is transferred
to the parts of the bike, including the front
wheel.
Some of that energy can be stored in a
flywheel, and returned from the flywheel later.

2013
Autodesk

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