Kinetic Energy Storage (KES) is a technology that stores energy in the form of rotational motion. It’s like a spinning flywheel that keeps spinning, storing energy. When energy is needed, the flywheel slows down, releasing the stored energy.
How KES Works
- Acceleration Phase: Electrical energy is used to spin a flywheel at very high speeds.
- Storage Phase: The flywheel continues to spin, storing kinetic energy.
- Deceleration Phase: When energy is needed, the flywheel is slowed down, converting its kinetic energy back into electrical energy.
Advantages of KES
- High Power Density: KES systems can deliver high power output in short bursts.
- Long Cycle Life: Flywheels can endure many cycles of charging and discharging without significant degradation.
- Fast Response Time: KES systems can respond quickly to changes in energy demand.
- Environmentally Friendly: KES systems have low environmental impact and can be used in conjunction with renewable energy sources.
Challenges of KES
- Mechanical Complexity: Flywheels require high-precision bearings and robust materials to withstand high speeds and forces.
- Energy Losses: There are energy losses due to friction and other factors, which can reduce the overall efficiency of the system.
- Initial Cost: KES systems can be relatively expensive to install.
Potential Applications of KES
- Grid Energy Storage: KES can be used to balance the grid by storing excess energy during periods of low demand and releasing it during peak demand.
- Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS): KES can provide backup power for critical systems, such as data centers and hospitals.
- Vehicle Propulsion: KES can be used to power electric vehicles, especially for regenerative braking and acceleration.
While KES has the potential to be a valuable tool in the energy storage landscape, it’s important to note that it’s still a relatively emerging technology. As technology advances and costs decrease, we can expect to see more widespread adoption of KES in various applications.
While you may have considered KES for storing power, the reality is that it is around 80% effective and holds a limited amount of energy, the more power you require, the larger the fly wheel would need to be. More ideal for smaller power requirements and short term for most domestic solutions.
I find myself thinking that rather than having a small battery as a buffer for solar a fly wheel may be a better solution.
There are commercial solutions available which are relatively small and there are also larger systems. There has been many start up companies who have gone into this area and vanished as they have not been able to make their product work. I suspect that this is down to the familiar use of batteries as storage.
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