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Mechanical Energy Storage: Created by Nick Stroud
Mechanical Energy Storage: Created by Nick Stroud
• Flywheels
Pumped Hydroelectric
Storage (PHS)
• Used for load balancing of
energy
• Water is pumped up in
elevation during time of low
demand
• Water flows back down
during times of high demand
• Turbines recapture the
energy.
Pumped Hydroelectric
Storage (PHS)
• 70-85% of electrical energy
is recovered
• Energy loss due to
evaporation and
Pump/generator inefficiency
• Currently the most cost
effective way to store large
amounts of electricity
• Low energy density calls for
large bodies of water
• Never used in portable
technology
• 1000 kg at 100 ft = .272 kWh
Pumps: On the Grid
• The Us has 19.5 gigawatts
capacity
• 2.5% of baseload
• Technology is in use world
wide
• Hundreds of plants around
the world
• Man made reservoirs as well
as natural reservoirs
Future Of PHS
• This energy storage can
be used to level the grid
for renewable energy
• Wind power and solar
power are not
constantly on
• Using salt mines to
increase energy density
Compressed air
energy storage (CAES)
• Large tank is buried
underground
• During times of low
demand electricity
compresses air
• During times of peak
demand compressed air
is heated and released
http://www.sandia.gov/media/NewsRel/NR2001/norton.htm
Types Of CAES
• Adiabatic storage • Diabatic storage
• Heat from compression is • Heat is lost through
captured and stored in a cooling
solid or liquid
• Natural gas is burned to
• Hot Oil 3000C
reheat compressed air
• Molten Salt 6000C
• Very inefficient 38-68%
• Heat is reincorporated
during release • Uses 1/2 gas of an all
• Close to 100% efficiency gas plant
• No utility scale plants
More about CAES
• Can use sandstone layer
to hold compressed air
• USA has good ground
for this type of storage
• Can be used to level
load from wind and
solar
• 200-300 MW Plants
Compressed air in Cars
• Zero pollution Motors
• Stores air at around 300atm
• Under 35 mph it is zero
emissions
• Over 35 mph uses
combustion engine to
compress air
• Runs on many different types
of fuel
• 1 air tank + 8 gal gas= 848 miles
Fueling/Refueling
• Flex engine runs off of
gas, diesel, alcohol,
possibly even vegetable
oil
• Refueling air tank at
refuel station about 3
minutes
• Home refuel unit takes 4
hours, electrical cost $2
• 3 cents per mile
FlowAir
• After 35 mph only 1/2 the
CO2 emissions of Prius
• Takes advantage of light
engine and light frame to be
efficient
• Uses fiberglass frame filled
with foam
• May lose efficiency in cold
weather
Future of Air Vehicles
• Flowair- release in 2010
• First needs to pass US safety
ratings
• 6 seats
• 106 mpg
• 800-1000 mile range
• Top speed 96 mph
• $17500
Flywheels
• Captures energy in a rotating
Mass
• Flywheel is charged using
electric motor
• Electric generator extracts
energy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:G2_front2.jpg#filehistory
Operation Of Flywheel
• Energy held in Spinning
Rotor (Steel or Carbon
composite)
• Steel rotors can spin at
several thousand rpm
• Carbon composite spin
up to 60k rpm
• Kinetic Energy 1/2mv2
http://www.aretepower.us/images/Composite%20Flywheel%20Rotor.jpg
Bearings
• Mechanical bearings not
practical
• Friction is directly
proportional to speed
• Magnetic bearings used
to minimize friction
• Rotor is suspended-
state of levitation
• Operates in a Vacuum
Superconductors
• New technology uses high temperature
superconductors (HTSC)
• HTSC operate at -1960C or -3210F
• Diamagnetism- creates a field of opposition to a
magnetic field
• Hybrid systems use conventional magnets to levitate
and superconductors to stabilize
Flywheels Vs. Batteries
Pros Cons