Advanced Flywheel Energy Storage

Applying multivariable optimization in conjunction with modern materials technology has revealed an opportunity to dramatically improve flywheel energy storage technology. Using this innovative approach, GTL’s Advanced Flywheel™ could deliver 500 W-hr/kg with the potential to achieve in excess of 1000 W-hr/kg. This represents a substantial increase in performance over conventional high-performance energy storage technologies that deliver 100-300 W-hr/kg. While it has long been believed that the maximum energy density of a flywheel is achieved with the classic heavy-rim flywheel design. By controlling the location, orientation and curvature of each fiber, the Advanced Flywheel design ensures that the strength and inertia of every fiber is fully utilized while also minimizing or eliminating any under performing material. This allows the opportunity to exceed the classic flywheel performance limit. In the proposed effort, after developing the preliminary design of the overall Advanced Flywheel Energy Storage system, a detailed design of the Advanced Flywheel rotor will be created. A proof-of-concept unit will then be fabricated and tested to verify the performance potential of the design. The results of this effort will be used to determine the maximum performance that can be achieved with this transformational technology.