Flywheel Kinetic Energy Storage: Energy in Motion

Posted on October 24, 2015 by Emil Morhardt

by Chad Redman

Rapidly spinning masses known as flywheels are used for energy storage in a wide variety of applications, including transportation, sport, and grid level electricity. Focusing on grid solutions, flywheel energy storage systems (FESS) comprise massive rotors magnetically suspended in a stator, which acts as a motor when the flywheel needs to be spun up and a generator when the kinetic energy of the flywheel needs to be converted into electricity. Through the use of magnetic bearings and a vacuum chamber for the flywheel housing, FESS are highly efficient for short-term energy storage. Continue reading →

Trackside Flywheel Energy Storage in Light Rail Systems

Posted on November 4, 2014 by Emil Morhardt

by Emil Morhardt

Light rail systems, like hybrid electric vehicles, use their electric engines to generate electricity when they are slowing down, a process called regenerative braking. In hybrid electric vehicles, the energy usually gets stored in lithium-ion batteries, which work well because they are comparatively light weight and not overly bulky. If neither of these were constraints, then flywheels or supercapacitors would be a better choice because they can deliver power faster and they take much longer to wear out. Of the two, flywheels are lighter, less bulky, cost less, and have longer lives according to a study by the UK Rail and Safety Standards board (Kadim 2009). If they are installed alongside the tracks rather than on the trains, weight and bulk are not very important but cost and lifetimes still favor flywheels. Continue reading →