British Sign Language Glossaries of Curriculum Terms

BSL Environmental Science Glossary - Kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) definition

Definition: A number of cars have kinetic energy recovery systems fitted to them. When a car decelerates, braking generates kinetic (forward motion) energy in the wheels which can be put back into the car and converted into electrical energy which is then stored in a battery, or in a flywheel. This energy can then be used to power the vehicle when it moves off thereby reducing the amount of fuel needed. This system is also used on F1 race cars - when these cars brake the kinetic energy is captured and stored - it can then be used by the driver to provide additional power alongside that from the fuel driven engine making the car go much faster.