FLYWHEEL ENERGY STORAGE FOR ELECTROMECHANICAL ACTUATION SYSTEMS

THE INNOVATION IN THIS PROJECT IS A FLYWHEEL ENERGY-STORAGE SYSTEM DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY TO PROVIDE LOAD LEVELING IN AN ADVANCED LAUNCH SYSTEM (ALS) EMPLOYING ELECTROMECHANICAL ACTUATORS (EMA). ONE OF THE MAJOR ADVANTAGES OF AN EMA SYSTEM IS THAT IT SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCES THE TOTAL ENERGY CONSUMED DURING A LAUNCH PROFILE. TO ACHIEVE THIS ENERGY REDUCTION, HOWEVER, A LOCALIZED ENERGY STORAGE MUST BE DEVISED THAT IS CAPABLE OF DELIVERING THE PEAK POWER REQUIRED BY THE EMAS. A COMBINED FLYWHEEL-MOTOR-GENERATOR UNIT THAT INTERFACES DIRECTLY WITH THE 20-KHZ POWER BUS REPRESENTS AN IDEAL CANDIDATE FOR THIS LOAD LEVELING. THE OVERALL OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEFINE A FLYWHEEL ENERGY-STORAGE SYSTEM FOR THIS APPLICATION. TO ACCOMPLISH THIS OVERALL OBJECTIVE, THE PROJECT WILL HAVE FOUR SPECIFIC TECHNICAL OBJECTIVES: DEFINITION OF THE SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE FLYWHEEL-MOTOR-GENERATOR SYSTEM, INCLUDING SYSTEM-LEVEL TRADE-OFF ANALYSIS; DESIGN OF THE FLYWHEEL ROTOR; DESIGN OR SELECTION OF THE ELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEM COMPONENTS INCLUDING THE MOTOR-GENERATOR AND BEARINGS; AND PRELIMINARY RELIABILITY, SAFETY, AND FAILURE MODES AND EFFECTS ANALYSES FOR THE BASELINE SYSTEM. THE INNOVATION IN THIS PROJECT IS A FLYWHEEL ENERGY-STORAGE SYSTEM DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY TO PROVIDE LOAD LEVELING IN AN ADVANCED LAUNCH SYSTEM (ALS) EMPLOYING ELECTROMECHANICAL ACTUATORS (EMA). ONE OF THE MAJOR ADVANTAGES OF AN EMA SYSTEM IS THAT IT SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCES THE TOTAL ENERGY CONSUMED DURING A LAUNCH PROFILE. TO ACHIEVE THIS ENERGY REDUCTION, HOWEVER, A LOCALIZED ENERGY STORAGE MUST BE DEVISED THAT IS CAPABLE OF DELIVERING THE PEAK POWER REQUIRED BY THE EMAS. A COMBINED FLYWHEEL-MOTOR-GENERATOR UNIT THAT INTERFACES DIRECTLY WITH THE 20-KHZ POWER BUS REPRESENTS AN IDEAL CANDIDATE FOR THIS LOAD LEVELING. THE OVERALL OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEFINE A FLYWHEEL ENERGY-STORAGE SYSTEM FOR THIS APPLICATION. TO ACCOMPLISH THIS OVERALL OBJECTIVE, THE PROJECT WILL HAVE FOUR SPECIFIC TECHNICAL OBJECTIVES: DEFINITION OF THE SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE FLYWHEEL-MOTOR-GENERATOR SYSTEM, INCLUDING SYSTEM-LEVEL TRADE-OFF ANALYSIS; DESIGN OF THE FLYWHEEL ROTOR; DESIGN OR SELECTION OF THE ELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEM COMPONENTS INCLUDING THE MOTOR-GENERATOR AND BEARINGS; AND PRELIMINARY RELIABILITY, SAFETY, AND FAILURE MODES AND EFFECTS ANALYSES FOR THE BASELINE SYSTEM.