ENERGY CONSERVATION WITH FLYWHEELS

The flywheel can be made to store more energy per unit weight, volume and cost than conventional electric storage batteries. It accepts or delivers the energy at a much higher rate than the electric battery, and has a much longer operating life. These capabilities uniquely qualify the flywheel for many mobile energy conservation concepts which, if implemented, could significantly reduce world oil consumption. Flywheels made of isotropic materials, such as solid steel, are generally limited to about five or six watt-hours-per-pound. The performance of the improved wound flywheels are now in the range of ten to thirty-watt-hours-per-pound, and the principal objective of the current U. S. Department of Energy high performance program is a demonstration of flywheels having a capability of forty watt-hours-per-pound. Actual laboratory demonstrations have exceeded twice this value. Applications subject to current flywheel programs are for urban buses (flywheel only; flywheel/diesel hybrid), automobiles (flywheel/battery hybrid, flywheel/engine hybrid, miniature car with flywheel only), mine shuttle car, stationary electric generators from about 1 kWh to 100 kWh,and for tools.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/03605442
• Corporate Authors:

  Business Communications Company Incorporated

  P.O. Box 2070-C
  Stamford, CT  United States  06906
• Authors:
  • Rabenhorst, D W
• Publication Date: 1981

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 23-24
• Serial:
  • Energy
  • Volume: 6
  • Issue Number: 3
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0360-5442
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/03605442

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobiles; Buses; Electric generators; Energy conservation; Energy storage systems; Flywheels; Fuel conservation; Life cycle costing; Manual transmissions; Mine cars; Vehicle design
• Old TRIS Terms: Bus design; Mechanical drive
• Subject Areas: Design; Energy; Environment; Finance; Highways; Public Transportation; Vehicles and Equipment; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety; I96: Vehicle Operating Costs;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00366876
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Engineering Index
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 30 1982 12:00AM