Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Concrete flywheel storage system for residential PV
PV Magazine ^ | 21 June 2021 | GWÉNAËLLE DEBOUTTE

Posted on 06/23/2021 7:32:27 AM PDT by DUMBGRUNT

The flywheel has a diameter of one meter and weighs three tons, and can be placed in the garden of a private house.

The proposed solution consists of a hollow, solid cylinder that is rotated around an axis and connected to an electric motor and generator. “When you have the energy to store, the engine drives the flywheel, which accelerates,” said the company's co-founder and general director, André Gennesseaux. “In the other direction, the motor can act as a brake to discharge the electricity.”

Currently, Energiestro offers a standard storage solution with a nominal power of around 10 kW, which corresponds to a charge and discharge cycle in one hour.

According to him, in hot and humid regions, flywheels are much more robust and reliable than lithium-ion batteries.

(Excerpt) Read more at pv-magazine.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Chit/Chat; Travel
KEYWORDS: flywheel
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-62 next last
Flywheel power has a fun history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyrobus

A gyrobus is an electric bus that uses flywheel energy storage, not overhead wires like a trolleybus...

Air drag/vacuum containment plays a big part.

1 posted on 06/23/2021 7:32:27 AM PDT by DUMBGRUNT
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: DUMBGRUNT

Future environmentalists will protest the gyroscopic drag on the Earth’s rotation, causing seconds more to be added to each day as more gyroscopes are used.


2 posted on 06/23/2021 7:37:19 AM PDT by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DUMBGRUNT

I have absolutely no knowledge of electrical engineering. Question: If someone had such a flywheel, could it quickly transfer a full charge to an electric car? Would a bank of flywheels at a filling station allow EV to charge up exactly like an internal combustion vehicle? Two minutes and you’re ready to go 400 more miles?

I’m never really clear on what governs how fast electricity can be transferred from “this” to “that”.


3 posted on 06/23/2021 7:37:22 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy ("I see you did something -- why you so racist?")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ClearCase_guy

The conductor is a major limiting factor - pull too much, melt the wires/bars.


4 posted on 06/23/2021 7:40:11 AM PDT by NativeSon ( )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: DUMBGRUNT

a hollow, solid cylinder?............................


5 posted on 06/23/2021 7:41:01 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DUMBGRUNT

> . “In this context, we will install a 10 kWh flywheel which will manage fluctuations on the network for one hour if a cloud passes.” <

That was an interesting article. But is the flywheel is only good for one hour of discharge under normal conditions? Am I reading that right?


6 posted on 06/23/2021 7:41:55 AM PDT by Leaning Right (I have already previewed or do not wish to preview this composition.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DUMBGRUNT

In order to store large amounts of energy flywheels have to spin at very high rpms. Makes for quite a show when they fail.


7 posted on 06/23/2021 7:43:25 AM PDT by CA_soon_gone
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

> a hollow, solid cylinder? <

I caught that too. I guess a solid, hollow cylinder wouldn’t work as well.


8 posted on 06/23/2021 7:54:05 AM PDT by Leaning Right (I have already previewed or do not wish to preview this composition.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: CA_soon_gone

This system buries it underground so it’s contained if it flies apart, which seems like a smart move.


9 posted on 06/23/2021 8:03:06 AM PDT by Yardstick
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: CA_soon_gone

My first thought when they mentioned concrete - It’s a lousy material in tension. I see they have it reinforced, but when she goes, wow. Glad it’s underground.


10 posted on 06/23/2021 8:03:28 AM PDT by GOP_Party_Animal
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Leaning Right

It would be very difficult to manufacture..................


11 posted on 06/23/2021 8:04:02 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Yardstick

Wouldn’t work in Florida. The water table is like 2 feet................


12 posted on 06/23/2021 8:05:05 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Florida Man don’t need no steenking flywheel containment...


13 posted on 06/23/2021 8:08:53 AM PDT by Yardstick
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Yardstick

Sure! We’ll put it on the roof!....................


14 posted on 06/23/2021 8:09:40 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: DUMBGRUNT

Conservation of energy.

However, inputs always must exceed out put due to friction, electrical resistance and other inefficiencies. IOWs, the flywheel requires 12 kw hours of input to provide 10 kw hours of output. Probably more like 12kwh in and 8 out max.

Fine if you don’t mind expending 2 kw of input to provide back up power when the sun don’t shine.

Storage of electricity is rather tedious.


15 posted on 06/23/2021 8:12:45 AM PDT by Manly Warrior (US ARMY (Ret), "No Free Lunches for the Dogs of War" )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

There is something else that needs to be mentiond & I think this is basic physics. If it takes...let’s say 20KWH to spin up the flywheel to operating, you will always get less than that when it is charging into a load. In other words, it will always produce less power than it takes to get the flywheel spinning. What the flywheel would produce as it reaches very low speeds is also questionable.


16 posted on 06/23/2021 8:12:54 AM PDT by oldtech
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: oldtech

2nd Law of Thermodynamics!.....................


17 posted on 06/23/2021 8:14:01 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Yardstick

This system buries it underground so it’s contained if it flies apart, which seems like a smart move.


It should also do some good sound dampening. These fly-wheels can be noisy.


18 posted on 06/23/2021 8:20:19 AM PDT by lepton ("It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of a thing he was never reasoned into"--Jonathan Swift)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: CA_soon_gone

Exactamundo!


19 posted on 06/23/2021 8:33:02 AM PDT by Rurudyne (Standup Philosopher)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger
Kind of like this?


20 posted on 06/23/2021 8:38:17 AM PDT by Larry Lucido (Donate! Don't just post clickbait!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-62 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson