Flywheel
Revision as of 10:36, 19 February 2009 by Anders Feder (talk | contribs) (New page: Flywheel batteries work by accelerating a rotor (flywheel) to a very high speed and maintaining the energy in the system as rotational energy. The energy is converted back by slowing down ...)
Flywheel batteries work by accelerating a rotor (flywheel) to a very high speed and maintaining the energy in the system as rotational energy. The energy is converted back by slowing down the flywheel.
The space environment has a number of advantages for flywheel energy storage:
- The natural vacuum eliminates energy losses due to atmospheric drag.
- Cryogenic temperatures of space enable superconductor magnetic bearings that minimize friction in the system, without further refrigeration.
- Energy losses due to friction, hysteresis etc. can be utilized to heat the spacecraft.
- Due to the absence of living beings, minimal safety precautions, in case the spinning flywheel 'explodes', has to be made.
- Because of their angular momentum, flywheels can act as reaction wheels for attitude control as well, even while storing energy.
Furthermore, in vehicles, such as the rover, flywheels can stabilize motion due to the gyroscopic effect.
Current best theoretical energy densities of flywheel batteries are around 200 Wh/kg.
