Flywheel

How does it work?

Energy is stored by a rotating mass. In order to reduce friction which would cause power losses and heat generation, many systems operate under vacuum. The required vacuum level depends on the rotational speed of the flywheel. Typical targeted pressures are 1·10-1 hPa down to 1·10-3 hPa or even less. As a result, both heat generation and energy losses are drastically reduced. As there is a constant gas load due to small leakages and outgassing of the rotor, each flywheel system is equipped with vacuum pumps.

Product portfolio

Because of their high achievable pressure combined with reliable technology at low cost, dual stage rotary vane pumps are perfectly suited for this application. In systems with comparably high gas load or targeted pressures lower than 1·10-3 hPa, additional vacuum equipment is necessary. Therefore, turbopumps are usually added to the system. They offer good performance at a low level of power consumption. With its dual stage rotary vane pumps of the DuoLine and its popular HiPace turbopumps, Pfeiffer Vacuum offers ideal solutions that match the requirements of flywheel mass storage systems. Among them, the special edition of the Duo 3 with an innovative DC drive is outstanding on the market. The pump can be supplied with 24 V DC and is able to work in a temperature range from -20 °C up to +60 °C, which makes it ideal for mobile flywheel applications and thus directly dedicated to this field. Furthermore, Pfeiffer Vacuum pumps and gauges are used in flywheel systems worldwide.

Application Report

Solutions for stationary flywheel systems