24-06-2014, 11:42 AM
FLY WHEEL TECH
[attachment=65247]
Flywheel Batteries
A friend of mine recently installed solar panels on his roof to generate electricity. They were quite expensive, but my friend considers it an investment that will pay for itself in lower electricity bills over a period of decades. Of course, the panels generate electricity only when the sun is shining. The house is still connected to the electrical grid just like every other house in the neighborhood, but in such a way that it uses electricity from the grid only when the demand is greater than the output from the solar panels. When the panels are producing more electricity than is being used, the electric meter spins backward, and the electric company effectively buys the excess power. So if there were a power outage, the house would have electricity only during the day.
Homes that are off the grid and use solar panels or windmills to produce electricity must store the excess for times when insufficient power is being produced. The usual way to do this is to install a large bank of lead-acid batteries, similar to the ones used in cars. When electricity is being generated, itâ„¢s stored in the batteries, and when itâ„¢s needed, itâ„¢s drained from the batteries. The very same principle is used in hybrid gasoline-electric cars, on the International Space Station and in a number of satellites and spacecraft. Itâ„¢s also fundamental to an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), which you can purchase to keep your computer going for a while or provide emergency lighting in the event of a power outage.
Battery Up
But thereâ„¢s a problem with using batteries for storing electricity: they wear out. Even the most sophisticated modern batteries used in cell phones and laptops can only be discharged and recharged a finite number of times; sooner or later, they refuse to hold a charge. Depending on the type of battery and how itâ„¢s used, the lifespan can be as little as three to five years. Now, buying a new laptop battery every few years for $50 is one thing, but buying enough batteries to power a whole house is going to be enormously expensive. Meanwhile, those old batteries will need to be disposed of very carefully, because they contain toxic elements. And letâ„¢s not forget that such high-capacity batteries are both heavy and bulky. If youâ„¢re using them to power a space station, youâ„¢re going to face considerable inconvenience in replacing them.
Although chemical batteries are likely to be around for a very long time, those with a need for high-capacity, long-term electricity storage are eagerly looking for alternatives. One such alternative is based on a very old and simple device: the flywheel. A flywheel is simply a heavy spinning wheel that stores kinetic energy and then releases it as needed. Flywheels are common in mechanical devices from pottersâ„¢ wheels to automobiles to clocks as a means of regulating or smoothing motion that comes in spurts. Because a flywheel can build up a good bit of inertia, it can keep a mechanism moving during lulls in energy input.
Now people are turning flywheels into batteries. Conceptually, a flywheel battery is very simple. Hook up a motor to a flywheel to spin it when electricity is supplied (storing the energy as kinetic energy). When you want to retrieve energy from the flywheel, hook it up to a generator. (In fact, the motor and the generator can be one and the same.) So you put electricity in and get electricity out, and in the meantime itâ„¢s stored as the motion of a spinning wheel.
Dual mass flywheel
The dual mass flywheel, or DMF, eliminates excessive transmission gear rattle, reduces gear change/shift effort, and increases fuel economy. There are two basic types of Dual Mass Flywheels. The first is made up of a primary and secondary flywheel with a series of torsion springs and cushions. There is a friction ring located between the inner and outer flywheel that allows the inner and outer flywheel to slip. This feature is designed to alleviate any damage to the transmission when torque loads exceed the vehicle rating of the transmission. The friction ring is the weak spot in the system and can wear out if excessive engine torque loads are applied through it. The system also has a center support bearing that carries the load between the inner and outer flywheel, and is fitted with damper springs to absorb shocks. The second type of DMF incorporates planetary gearing. It is designed for engines with stronger vibrations in the lower RPM range. As well as greater driving and shifting comfort, the planetary DMF provides the benefit of lower fuel consumption because the idling RPM is lower. Dual mass flywheels are fitted to light-duty diesel trucks with standard manual transmissions and, and to higher performance luxury vehicles to dampen vibration in the drive train. This also allows vehicles to be operated for longer periods without long term damage. Transmissions in light-duty diesel powered trucks have a heightened sensitivity to fluctuating tensional inputs. This results in a strong tensional resonance or vibration that occurs during operation of the vehicle within normal driving ranges. The function of the dual mass flywheels is to isolate torsion crankshaft spikes created by diesel engines with high compression ratios. By eliminating the torsion spikes, the system eliminates any potential damage to the transmission gear teeth. If the dual mass flywheel was not used, the tensional frequencies could damage to the transmission. The dual mass flywheel construction relocates the damper from the driven disc to the engine flywheel. This repositioning dampens engine tensional vibrations more than is possible with standard clutch disc dampening technology. Dual mass flywheels are designed to provide maximum isolation of the frequency below the engine's operating RPM, usually between 200-400 RPM. They are also most effective during engine startup and shutdown. and a A dual mass flywheel for a vehicle includes a primary flywheel connected to a crankshaft of an engine; a damper housing integrally formed in a circumferential direction of the primary flywheel; a secondary flywheel connected to an input shaft of a transmission and rotatable mounted on a hub of the primary flywheel; driven fingers integrally formed on the second flywheel and inserted vertically into the damper housing to be forced by the damper springs. The damper springs comprises two spring sets symmetrically disposed within the damper housing, one end of each damper springs being driven by the stoppers which are integrally formed on the primary flywheel, while the other end of spring sets drives the driven fingers of the secondary flywheel. The primary and second flywheels are integrally provided with projections for preventing the damper springs from being excessively compressed and damaged. The damper springs comprises a plurality of springs, each having different spring coefficients and the damper springs are supported by a plurality of sliding guides or blocks.
[attachment=65247]
Flywheel Batteries
A friend of mine recently installed solar panels on his roof to generate electricity. They were quite expensive, but my friend considers it an investment that will pay for itself in lower electricity bills over a period of decades. Of course, the panels generate electricity only when the sun is shining. The house is still connected to the electrical grid just like every other house in the neighborhood, but in such a way that it uses electricity from the grid only when the demand is greater than the output from the solar panels. When the panels are producing more electricity than is being used, the electric meter spins backward, and the electric company effectively buys the excess power. So if there were a power outage, the house would have electricity only during the day.
Homes that are off the grid and use solar panels or windmills to produce electricity must store the excess for times when insufficient power is being produced. The usual way to do this is to install a large bank of lead-acid batteries, similar to the ones used in cars. When electricity is being generated, itâ„¢s stored in the batteries, and when itâ„¢s needed, itâ„¢s drained from the batteries. The very same principle is used in hybrid gasoline-electric cars, on the International Space Station and in a number of satellites and spacecraft. Itâ„¢s also fundamental to an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), which you can purchase to keep your computer going for a while or provide emergency lighting in the event of a power outage.
Battery Up
But thereâ„¢s a problem with using batteries for storing electricity: they wear out. Even the most sophisticated modern batteries used in cell phones and laptops can only be discharged and recharged a finite number of times; sooner or later, they refuse to hold a charge. Depending on the type of battery and how itâ„¢s used, the lifespan can be as little as three to five years. Now, buying a new laptop battery every few years for $50 is one thing, but buying enough batteries to power a whole house is going to be enormously expensive. Meanwhile, those old batteries will need to be disposed of very carefully, because they contain toxic elements. And letâ„¢s not forget that such high-capacity batteries are both heavy and bulky. If youâ„¢re using them to power a space station, youâ„¢re going to face considerable inconvenience in replacing them.
Although chemical batteries are likely to be around for a very long time, those with a need for high-capacity, long-term electricity storage are eagerly looking for alternatives. One such alternative is based on a very old and simple device: the flywheel. A flywheel is simply a heavy spinning wheel that stores kinetic energy and then releases it as needed. Flywheels are common in mechanical devices from pottersâ„¢ wheels to automobiles to clocks as a means of regulating or smoothing motion that comes in spurts. Because a flywheel can build up a good bit of inertia, it can keep a mechanism moving during lulls in energy input.
Now people are turning flywheels into batteries. Conceptually, a flywheel battery is very simple. Hook up a motor to a flywheel to spin it when electricity is supplied (storing the energy as kinetic energy). When you want to retrieve energy from the flywheel, hook it up to a generator. (In fact, the motor and the generator can be one and the same.) So you put electricity in and get electricity out, and in the meantime itâ„¢s stored as the motion of a spinning wheel.
Dual mass flywheel
The dual mass flywheel, or DMF, eliminates excessive transmission gear rattle, reduces gear change/shift effort, and increases fuel economy. There are two basic types of Dual Mass Flywheels. The first is made up of a primary and secondary flywheel with a series of torsion springs and cushions. There is a friction ring located between the inner and outer flywheel that allows the inner and outer flywheel to slip. This feature is designed to alleviate any damage to the transmission when torque loads exceed the vehicle rating of the transmission. The friction ring is the weak spot in the system and can wear out if excessive engine torque loads are applied through it. The system also has a center support bearing that carries the load between the inner and outer flywheel, and is fitted with damper springs to absorb shocks. The second type of DMF incorporates planetary gearing. It is designed for engines with stronger vibrations in the lower RPM range. As well as greater driving and shifting comfort, the planetary DMF provides the benefit of lower fuel consumption because the idling RPM is lower. Dual mass flywheels are fitted to light-duty diesel trucks with standard manual transmissions and, and to higher performance luxury vehicles to dampen vibration in the drive train. This also allows vehicles to be operated for longer periods without long term damage. Transmissions in light-duty diesel powered trucks have a heightened sensitivity to fluctuating tensional inputs. This results in a strong tensional resonance or vibration that occurs during operation of the vehicle within normal driving ranges. The function of the dual mass flywheels is to isolate torsion crankshaft spikes created by diesel engines with high compression ratios. By eliminating the torsion spikes, the system eliminates any potential damage to the transmission gear teeth. If the dual mass flywheel was not used, the tensional frequencies could damage to the transmission. The dual mass flywheel construction relocates the damper from the driven disc to the engine flywheel. This repositioning dampens engine tensional vibrations more than is possible with standard clutch disc dampening technology. Dual mass flywheels are designed to provide maximum isolation of the frequency below the engine's operating RPM, usually between 200-400 RPM. They are also most effective during engine startup and shutdown. and a A dual mass flywheel for a vehicle includes a primary flywheel connected to a crankshaft of an engine; a damper housing integrally formed in a circumferential direction of the primary flywheel; a secondary flywheel connected to an input shaft of a transmission and rotatable mounted on a hub of the primary flywheel; driven fingers integrally formed on the second flywheel and inserted vertically into the damper housing to be forced by the damper springs. The damper springs comprises two spring sets symmetrically disposed within the damper housing, one end of each damper springs being driven by the stoppers which are integrally formed on the primary flywheel, while the other end of spring sets drives the driven fingers of the secondary flywheel. The primary and second flywheels are integrally provided with projections for preventing the damper springs from being excessively compressed and damaged. The damper springs comprises a plurality of springs, each having different spring coefficients and the damper springs are supported by a plurality of sliding guides or blocks.