Principle of motor inertia energy storage

How does an energy storage system work?

Energy Storage: The system features a flywheel made from a carbon fiber composite, which is both durable and capable of storing a lot of energy. A motor-generator unit uses electrical power to spin the flywheel up to high speeds. As it spins, the flywheel accumulates kinetic energy, similar to how a spinning top holds energy.

What does the inertia of a flywheel do?

The inertia of the flywheel opposes and moderates fluctuations in the speed of the engine and stores the excess energy for intermittent use. Flywheel, heavy wheel attached to a rotating shaft so as to smooth out delivery of power from a motor to a machine.

How does a flywheel energy storage system work?

Flywheel Energy Storage Systems (FESS) rely on a mechanical working principle: An electric motor is used to spin a rotor of high inertia up to 20,000-50,000 rpm. Electrical energy is thus converted to kinetic energy for storage. For discharging, the motor acts as a generator, braking the rotor to produce electricity.

How does a motor-generator work?

As the flywheel stores energy, it speeds up, and when it discharges, it slows down to release the stored energy. To make this happen, a motor-generator (MG) unit drives the rotating flywheel, converting electrical energy to mechanical energy, and vice versa. They’re connected in a way that controlling the MG also controls the flywheel’s operation.

What is a magnetic bearing in a flywheel energy storage system?

In simple terms, a magnetic bearing uses permanent magnets to lift the flywheel and controlled electromagnets to keep the flywheel rotor steady. This stability needs a sophisticated control system with costly sensors. There are three types of magnetic bearings in a Flywheel Energy Storage System (FESS): passive, active, and superconducting.

What is the most common flywheel energy storage configuration?

The most common configuration for flywheel energy storage is a hermetically sealed system incorporating a motor generator, as explained in Section 1 (Fig. 11.1).