Flywheels store energy in large wheels sealed in a vacuum, used to store and release electrical energy. They have a mechanical method of storage, making the amount of energy stored limited only by the size of the flywheel. Flywheels are supported by magnetic bearings, making them cheap, reliable, and requiring little maintenance. They have virtually unlimited lifespan, unlimited refills, and are environmentally clean. The best material for flywheels is carbon nanotubes, but it is currently too expensive. Flywheels have been touted as ideal for uninterruptible power supplies and electric automobiles. They have a conversion efficiency of around 80%.
Flywheels are a way to store energy in the rotational momentum (kinetic energy) of large wheels sealed in a vacuum. They’re used as a way to store and release large amounts of electrical energy, and while their storage method isn’t chemical, flywheel arrays are sometimes called batteries. Because the method of storage is mechanical rather than chemical, the amount of energy stored is limited only by the size of the flywheel, its ability to rotate rapidly without breaking, and the design of the motor/generator. Flywheels have found use in specialized applications where large, rapid bursts of power are needed, such as in military railway guns or to provide the electricity to ignite fusion reactions.
Flywheels are typically supported by magnetic bearings that require no external power input. Therefore, they are relatively cheap, reliable and require little maintenance. Flywheels have been around for centuries, but only recently have we developed the high quality vacuum cleaners, magnetic bearings, and durable materials needed to store significant amounts of energy in flywheels. In addition to being able to store significant amounts of energy, other benefits of flywheels include their virtually unlimited lifespan, unlimited refills, and environmentally clean nature.
Many flywheels are made from steel, iron, or various composite materials. Maximum rotations per minute for these materials are approximately 1,000-5,000, depending on wheel size. The experiments used carbon fiber based flywheels for superior performance. Perhaps the best material for flywheels is carbon nanotubes, or buckminsterfullerene, a substance with a tensile strength many times that of diamond. However, the cost of the material currently makes it prohibitively expensive for use in flywheel systems.
Flywheels have been touted as the ideal energy storage systems for uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) and, in the future, electric automobiles. Since flywheels are designed to spin very fast, they must have a uniform density and be free from microscopic defects. A tiny crack can be magnified and cause the wheel to break off and fly off in multiple directions, in a catastrophe sometimes called a flywheel blowout. Flywheels have a conversion efficiency of around 80%, which is considered substantial.
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