Flywheel Energy Storage System

Active Power can design and deliver innovative continuous power solutions for your traditional data center building. Start with highly efficient and reliable CleanSource UPS. Then add switchgear, generator, and other equipment from best-in-class partners to provide a complete electrical plant room. Or take the plant room outside with our PowerHouse continuous power solution and use that space for additional mission-critical IT equipment.
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Flybrid Systems

"Flybrid Systems is an award winning, innovative engineering company at the forefront of hybrid vehicle technology.

In 2007 the company developed an entirely mechanical high-speed flywheel based energy storage and recovery system to meet the 2009 Formula One regulations. This Flybrid® technology is now being applied to a range of applications outside motorsport and is well suited to use in road, rail and off highway vehicles.

High-speed flywheel based energy storage systems using Flybrid® technology are powerful, small and light giving a better power to weight ratio than existing automotive hybrid technologies. This higher power makes it possible to store more energy during short braking periods dramatically increasing system effectiveness. The systems are also very efficient with up to 70% of braking energy being returned to the wheels to drive the vehicle back up to speed. The devices are readily recycled and relatively inexpensive to make as they can be made entirely from conventional materials.

Vehicles equipped with this type of hybrid system promise to deliver low CO2 emissions at an attractive price and this combination of characteristics has already attracted vehicle development programmes with major vehicle manufacturers all over the world." ... more

Other sites:
    - The Flybrid Flywheel Capacitor
    - The Flybrid CFT KERS

Torotrak

"Torotrak is the global innovator in gearless traction drive technology to reduce CO2 emissions in vehicles. Our technology substantially improves fuel economy in vehicles, harnesses the power of supercharging to reduce engine size and enables wasted energy to be recovered efficiently through flywheels.

Our aim is to take Torotrak technology from the test-track to the road, field or workplace, putting proven innovations into mass production. Over the past year, we've shown how our cleaner transmission technology can reduce CO2 emissions, conserve energy, save costs and significantly boost efficiency. Now our journey is entering a new phase, driving real change in the world of transport. " ... more

Beacon Power, LLC

"Beacon Power has long been a pioneer and technology leader in flywheel energy storage design and development. Our 4th-generation flywheel, the Smart Energy 25, can instantly absorb and inject up to 25 kilowatt-hours of electricity in response to power grid requirements. Our current focus is on grid frequency regulation, whereby flywheels help maintain the necessary balance between energy supply and demand by effectively "recycling" electricity. In addition, we are constantly exploring other applications for our technology, including those made available through government-funded programs.

Smart Energy 25 Flywheel
The Smart Energy 25 flywheel is a 4th-generation advanced energy storage solution designed to meet the requirements of demanding utility grid applications. It features a long-life, low-maintenance design, highly cyclic (charge-discharge) capability, and zero fuel consumption or CO2 or other emissions. An array of Smart Energy flywheel units can be configured to form a Smart Energy Matrix plant, which can store and return megawatts of energy to maintain grid reliability and stability.

The Smart Energy 25 flywheel offers many technical and performance advantages, including:
    - Highly cyclic capability: Smart Energy 25 flywheels are designed for hundreds of thousands of charge-discharge cycles over their 20-year life, making them ideally suited to the frequency regulation function.
    - Smart Grid attributes: Smart Energy 25 flywheels and Smart Energy Matrix plants are interactive systems that can be monitored and operated remotely as part of an intelligent grid design.
    - 20-year design life: Smart Energy 25 flywheels are designed and built for 20 years of virtually maintenance-free operation.
    - Sustainable technology: Smart Energy 25 flywheels are emissions-free, do not require fuel, and contain no hazardous chemical materials, simplifying permitting and avoiding potential ground contamination issues.

The Smart Energy 25 flywheel system includes a rotating carbon-fiber composite rim, levitated on hybrid magnetic bearings operating in a near-frictionless vacuum-sealed environment." ... more

POWERTHRU

"POWERTHRU designs and manufactures advanced flywheel energy storage systems that provide ride-through power and voltage stabilization for power quality and power recycling applications. Designed to provide high-power output and energy storage in a compact, self-contained package, POWERTHRU flywheel products are a long-lasting, low-maintenance, lightweight, and environmentally-sound alternative to flooded and valve regulated lead-acid (VRLA) batteries in uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems.

The company shipped its first commercial production flywheel in 2004, and continues to provide award-winning flywheel products to critical applications around the world.

The PowerTHRU product occupies a floor space of only 19" x 25". This equates to nearly 58kW of stored energy per square foot, an industry first. The cabinet is available in a variety of colors to match the color scheme of the data center. The installation is as simple as drilling four holes to mount the unit and connecting the electrical feed.

The POWERTHRU flywheel is currently being manufactured in 2012 for a government application and will be available to the general public beginning in 2013." ... more

"KINETIC TRACTION'S REVOLUTIONARY SYSTEMS

    - Less than 1% rated power standby losses
    - Cycle every 75 seconds continuous duty
    - Custom engineered parallel capability for high power ratings
    - Lifespan of 10,000,000 charge-discharge cycles

Kinetic Traction's unique high-speed carbon flywheel systems feature high cycling composite rotors running on magnetic and hydrodynamic bearings at up to 36,000 RPM to provide 200kW each. Our systems are capable of delivering more than 1000 charge-discharge cycles per day for 20 years with minimal maintenance.

The GTR flywheel utilizes a fully integrated, permanent magnet, brushless, DC motor generator to provide clean energy capture with significantly lower costs than traditional energy substations. The GTR flywheel technology was introduced nearly 20 years ago and tested in major rail and subway systems in New York, London and Lyon. KTSi builds on this technology, pioneered in the 1990's, to develop high-speed flywheel systems that absorb and deliver power more reliably, economically and effectively than any competing technology.

High-Speed Composite Flywheel System Information
    - Two terminal, DC kinetic energy storage system
    - Fully integrated high-speed, permanent magnet, brushless, DC motor generator output
    - 200kW power rating per individual unit
    - Adjustable operating voltage 570 - 900 VDC
    - Custom engineered, parallel systems for high power requirements
    - DC Ripple < 1%

To learn more about Kinetic Traction's high-speed flywheel technology" ... more

Flywheel Energy Systems Inc.

"Blueprint Energy is the research and product development division of Flywheel Energy Systems Inc. Our focus is to work with channel partners such as OEM's, tier 1 suppliers and research institutions to design and develop advanced energy storage solutions for transportation markets.

Advanced kinetic energy storage research and development

Founded in 1993 we have developed a flywheel kinetic energy storage platform suitable for transportation applications. Our world leading technology was originally designed for low earth orbit satellite applications. Our transportation solutions, derived from our spacecraft power systems research, provide a low cost, reliable alternative to battery, ultra capacitor and hydraulic energy storage systems.

Focused on high power, short duration applications, our products are ideally suited for charge sustaining hybrid vehicles of all kinds and offer the following benefits:
    - Long life / high cycle tolerance (> 20 years, > 5 million cycles)
    - High round trip efficiency
    - No capacity fade, power fade or efficiency fade
    - Wide temperature tolerance
    - Low maintenance cost
    - No end of life disposal costs
    - Low total cost of ownership / through life cost
    - No high voltage exposure during maintenance operations and first responder intervention." ... more

BREAKTHROUGH TECHNOLOGY FOR KINETIC ENERGY RECOVERY AND STORAGE (KERS)

"What would be the effect on air pollution in your town and other urban areas if 90% of heavy vehicle braking energy was used to relaunch equipment such as refuse collection trucks and municipal transit buses?

A great deal of development work has already been done to get the KERS concept accepted throughout the world. And that's good news for all of us. The Kinetic Power Launch Assist Module now makes KERS applicable for large, heavy vehicles.

The High Efficiency High Torque (HEHT) design is more efficient and less complicated than other KERS systems. Remember that Keep-it-Simple axiom? The Kinetic Power Launch Assist Module collects and stores the vehicle's braking energy as kinetic energy and relaunches the vehicle using that same never-converted kinetic energy.

There's no conversion to electric and then to chemical (battery) energy for storage, and we avoid the complexity of compressing a gas over hydraulic fluid and then using that high pressure fluid to turn a hydraulic motor.

Kinetic Power LLC introduces an all-mechanical system that offers a simple and highly efficient design with high torque capacity, ideal for use in large trucks, buses and other stop and go applications.

Less exhaust emissions, less noise, less maintenance, less employee exposure and certainly a lot less fuel." Learn more ...

PowerStore - Powercorp

Powercorp has developed a very rapid energy source and sink system based on a modern flywheel and bi directional inverter. Energy that is required to prevent under frequency is drawn from the flywheel at a rate of 1MW in 5msec. Alternatively the system can absorb energy surges at the same rate and prevent grid conditions being driven out of utility specifications.

The problem of power fluctuation in grids is common with the issue being most acute in soft grids such as remote area isolated networks, mine site electrical distribution and community power supply. However the problem also exists in large networks at the end of long distribution lines, at the interconnection point of wind farms and other critical nodes. PowerStore is able to smooth all of these fluctuations and ensure utility standards are met by the electrical supply.

The PowerStore Concept.
    - Modular Inverter Design to change kW rating
    - Fully Integrated with local or grid generation
    - Highly dynamic performance with large power ratings, 500kW and 1,000kW with sub-cycle performance
    - 100% of power available at any charge level

PowerStore Applications
    - Peak Lopping - Cyclic machines / Electric Winders/Hoists / Electric Drag lines
    - Frequency Regulation - Off-Grid Gas Generation / Reduce diesel generation / Improve frequency stability
    - Electrification of Mines - Frequent Starting of Large Machines / Electric Trains / Electric Trucks for haulage." ... more

Power Tree
Power Tree Corp is developing breakthrough technology in the area of energy storage, solar energy storage, wind energy storage, alternative energy storage and renewable energy storage technology. Our smarter power grid technology can connect everyone to clean, efficient, and reliable electric power anytime, anywhere.

Energy Storage Technology
Power Tree's patent pending energy storage technology device mechanically stores kinetic energy in a unique flywheel design. In general, flywheel energy storage works by accelerating a rotor which maintains kinetic energy as it spins. This stored energy can then be distributed out as the rotor slows down. The primary engineering challenge associated with flywheel technology has resulted from the extreme forces exerted on the rotors as they spin, causing them to lose shape and shatter. Power Tree, among other innovations, has devised a proprietary method of design which solves this considerable challenge by enabling our device to maintain integrity upon scalability of mass and speed.

Storage Capacity.
Power Tree's energy storage technology design differs vastly from other technologies in the flywheel arena which only allow for small, lightweight devices that discharge electrical loads for mere seconds or minutes at a time and are mainly intended for uninterruptible power supply (UPS) back-up usage. Power Tree's energy storage technology is designed for clean, efficient, cost effective storage capacity with hours of continuous megawatt discharge power, enabling widespread applications previously unattainable, surpassing other storage technologies such as batteries, pumped hydro, capacitors, etc." ... more

Aretê Corporation

"Aretê Corporation has been managing venture capital funds focused on energy technologies since 1983. The five Utech Funds addressed ventures related to the needs and interests of the electric and gas utility industries and the Micro-Generation Technology Fund made investments in small scale electric generation technologies. Our most recent fund, SC Green Tech Ventures, focused on investments in alternative energy.

Aretê has the ability to:
    - Participate in the origination of ventures to address unfilled needs in the alternative energy market.
    - Provide active management assistance to ventures in the Fund's portfolio.

What is micro-generation?
Micro-generation systems range in size from a few kilowatts (kW) to 500 kW. They bring power generation to the customer's site and make it possible for the customer to disconnect from the grid, if desired. A small number of customers with micro-generators may choose to connect to a local micro-grid to enhance reliability and further reduce the cost of power. The emergence of Micro-Generation Technologies has the potential to create a structural shift with major impact on the way the electric utility industry operates.

What is alternative energy?
Alternative energy can be loosely defined as any energy source/carrier that is not already well established in the economy. Our focus within the alternative energy space includes solar technologies, hydrogen technologies including fuel cells, hydrogen production and hydrogen storage, biofuels with particular emphasis on cellulosic ethanol production, and advanced battery systems." ... more