🚀 go-pugleaf

I am not certain as to the relevance of this, but this topic seems to be
pretty hot with the Physics department at the U of M. The professors have
brought out several newly built flywheel demonstrations, etc. And on the
final, we were given the following question:

Estimate the practicality of using a flywheel to store energy to operate a
car. Suppose a car needs a road power of 30 HP. Suppose that the flywheel
had a mass of 100 Kg, and in fitting in a small part of the trunk. Take it
to be a cylinder of radius 30 cm. How fast must the flywheel rotate to have
enough energy to operate the car for one hour? What would be the maximum
centripetal acceleration of a point on the rim?

I realize this is "easy" freshman physics to most of you, but the theory is
certainly of interest.

.___________________________________________________________________________.
| Grant Erickson                                                           
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|   eric0139@student.tc.umn.edu     University of Minnesota / Twin Cities  
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|   granteri@pnet51.orb.mn.org      People's Network 51 / Minneapolis      
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| Please obeserve the 55 MPH speed limit, the drivers passing you could use
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| the laugh.                                                               
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