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Regenerative flywheel energy storage system. Volume III. Life-cycle and cost-benefit analysis of a battery-flywheel electric car

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5079987

This report describes the development, fabrication, and test of a regenerative flywheel energy storage and recovery system for a battery/flywheel electric vehicle of the 3000-lb class. The vehicle propulsion system was simulated on a digital computer in order to determine the optimum system operating strategies and to establish a calculated range improvement over a nonregenerative, all-electric vehicle. Fabrication of the inductor motor, the flywheel, the power conditioner, and the system control is described. Test results of the system operating over the SAE J227a Schedule D driving cycle are given and are compared to the calculated value. The flywheel energy storage system consists of a solid rotor, synchronous, inductor-type, flywheel drive machine electrically coupled to a d-c battery electric propulsion system through a load-commutated inverter. The motor/alernator unit is coupled mechanically to a small steel flywheel which provides a portion of the vehicle's accelerating energy and regenerates the vehicle's braking energy. Laboratory simulation of the electric vehicle propulsion system includes a 108-volt, lead-acid battery bank and a separately excited d-c propulsion motor coupled to a flywheel and generator which simulate the vehicle's inertia and losses. This volume presents the life-cycle and cost-benefit analyses of the proposed battery/flywheel electric vehicle.

Research Organization:
General Electric Co., Schenectady, NY (USA). Corporate Research and Development Dept.
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-48
OSTI ID:
5079987
Report Number(s):
UCRL-15290(Vol.3); SRD-79-148-3
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English