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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Regenerative flywheel energy storage system

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5420330

The development, fabrication, and testing of a regenerative flywheel energy storage and recovery system for a battery/flywheel electric vehicle of the 3000 lb class are described. The vehicle propulsion system was simulated on a digital computer in order to determine the optimum system operating strategies and establish a calculated range improvement over a nonregenerative, all-electric vehicle. Fabrication of the inductor motor, flywheel, power conditioner, and system control are 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/alternator 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. The 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 which simulates the vehicle's inertia.

Research Organization:
General Electric Co., Schenectady, NY (USA). Research and Development Center
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-48
OSTI ID:
5420330
Report Number(s):
UCRL-13982(Rev.1)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English