Seminar on

FLYWHEEL ENERGY AND POWER STORAGE SYSTEM

ABSTRACT
Energy storage is increasingly becoming a vital target in research as the potential gains are enormous. Numerous energy storage technologies exist from the common battery, to compressed air systems, all the way to a proposed hydrogen infrastructure. They all have their advantages and disadvantages, but none seem to meet all our requirements; efficiencies must be high and costs low, resources must be plentiful or renewable, emissions must be miniscule to none. Such harsh requirements call for rigorous engineering and innovation. One might wonder, maybe our answer isnt looking forward at a new cutting edge technology, but rather looking back at a classic mechanical marvel that has lasted centuries. The flywheel has been around for hundreds of years in various forms from spindles to CVT transmissions. New advances in materials, bearings, seals, and more help the flywheel boast near immediate response times, long life under constant cycling, and efficiencies reported at 85% and higher. Some drawbacks that still may need to be overcome to meet our strict energy storage requirements include initial costs, design complexities, transmission requirements, and overall system size and weight. With that said, this technology is currently being put to use for several stationary electricity back-up systems and could one day find their way in a hybrid vehicle. Future applications span a wide range including electric vehicles, intermediate storage for renewable energy generation and direct grid applications from power quality issues to offering an alternative to strengthening transmission. An overview of flywheel technology and previous projects are presented and moreover a 200kW flywheel using high voltage technology is simulated. A two-dimensional finite element method (FEM) is used in the calculations.

ABHIJITH.M