# Regenerative braking and motion recovery

Capturing energy when vehicles, lifts, cranes and motors slow down.

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_regen_braking/

Recovery and reuse · Pressure, motion and waste fuels · No. 132

- Recovery and reuse
- Waste energy: Motion
 Recovery and reuse · Pressure, motion and waste fuels · Foundation · Energy

Every time a container crane lowers a box, up to 89% of the hoisting energy could flow back as electricity.

Chart: Illustration: Regenerative braking and motion recovery

##### Where it comes from

Chart: Map of where it comes from

When a vehicle slows or a load is lowered, its motor can act as a generator instead of heating friction brakes. In EVs this helps lift overall efficiency to 87 to 91%.

##### Three things to know

1. Braking energy is pure work, not heat, so a motor run backwards can turn most of it straight into electricity.
2. On a DC metro, braking energy is wasted unless another train nearby is drawing power at that moment.
3. Flywheels in the Gyrodrive bus system spin at up to 36,000 rpm and saved 20% of fuel in trials.

##### The journey

1. 1 **Moving mass**Vehicle, lift, crane load or flywheel
2. 2 **Braking**Motor runs backwards as a generator
3. 3 **Power electronics**Inverter cleans and routes the current
4. 4 **Store or share**Battery, flywheel, nearby train or grid
5. 5 **Reuse**Next acceleration, lift trip or grid user

##### Go deeper pick a tab to open it in full

## Other sections

- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_regen_braking/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_regen_braking/correlation/index.md)
- [Science and thermodynamics](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_regen_braking/rc-sci/index.md)
- [Engineering and integration](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_regen_braking/rc-eng/index.md)
- [Economics and contracts](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_regen_braking/rc-econ/index.md)
- [Impact and additionality](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_regen_braking/rc-impact/index.md)
- [What to track](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_regen_braking/tracking/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_regen_braking/links/index.md)