Torsion Powered Vehicle

[kandrathe]

So, considering the most common fuels yield around 40-45 MJ/Kg, and an average fuel tank being around 55 liters. Or, a gallon of gas is equivalent to about 132 MJ.

Would it be possible to store around 2000-2500 MJ of energy in a lightweight serial sequence of torsion springs to replace the chemical fuel? I say serial, since it wouldn't need to be a single torsion spring that contains the energy, just an interlinked sequence of springs that would release their energy over time. So far my GoogleFu has not revealed any torsion spring capable of doing what I'm asking. In order for me to calculate the possibilities I would need to research more about materials properties to understand maximum potential spring constants.

For the less physics minded reader, to put the 2500 MJ or 2,500,000,000 joules in perspective;
joules = newtons * meters
power = work / time or in electrical terms, watts = joules / seconds
and, power = work/time = (force * distance) / time

I would envision the release of the spring energy into a generator that would power the wheels, and regenerative braking into high energy capacitors as is standard on today's hybrids. Rewinding the car would be accomplished via an electrical motor in the home garage, or even someday the "winding station".

If one could design such a series of springs, wouldn't this be a better option than batteries which are heavy, present their own chemical/electrical hazards and wear out rather quickly?

Here are some interesting sites I came across in my research, Mechanical, Industrial and Technical Calculations, Spring Makers Resource, Spring Engineers and Engineers Edge.