BATERÍAS ELECTROMECÁNICAS: VOLANTES DE INERCIA PARA EL ALMACENAMIENTO TEMPORAL DE ENERGÍA

ELECTROMECHANICAL BATTERIES: FLYWHEELS FOR TEMPORARY ENERGY STORAGE

Abstract

In the Electromechanical batteries (EMB) a flywheel stores mechanical
energy that interchanges in form of electrical energy by means of an elec-trical machine with a bidirectional power converter. EMB are suitable
whenever numerous charge and recharge cycles (hundred of thou-sands) are needed with medium to high power (kW to MW) during short periods (seconds). The materials of the flywheel, the type of the electrical
machine, the type of the bearings and the atmosphere inside the housing
determine the energy efficiency of the EMB. EMB are commercially available
with more than a dozen of manufac-turers. Amongst the applications of
BEM are: uninterruptible power supplies, hybrid power systems, power
grids feeding trains, hybrid vehicles and space satellites.