Wind, Solar, Nuclear, and Electricity Storage Aug 19, 2008
Battery facilities, super capacitors, compressed air storage, and flywheels have all been proposed and some even put on line for a while but none have shown commercial promise worthy of private investment. One could presuppose a micro-level storage device that would work only within the photovoltaic cell, like science fiction author Robert Heinlein did in The Roads Must Roll or maybe windmills with big wind-up springs inside, but for our purposes, we can confine our discussion to pumped... (Energy Pulse, CO)
Low-tech machine aims to help Ugandans Jul 4, 2008
Just a routine mechanical device that requires two sets of human hands to spin flywheels to crush rock -- which proves that high technology is in the eye of the beholder ... The result is a quarter-ton stone crusher that works by hand-spinning two flywheels that cause two tool-steel plates to chew chunks of rock into specific sizes, then let them fall to the ground in a convenient pile. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Slideshow: Renewable energy goes mainstream Jun 24, 2008
The talk at one solar thermal dealer's booth focused on concepts like "cold climate water heating" and "solar flywheels" capable of storing hot water for months. Given the prospect of $5-a-gallon gas, next year's energy fair--again timed for the summer solstice--is likely to attract unexpected visitors like the fisherman and his son. (EETimes)
Expertswork on storing wind energy Jun 5, 2008
Other storage devices, such as batteries and flywheels, cannot store nearly the same amount of energy and are much more expensive to install than CAES.. Currently only two operating CAES facilities exist in Germany and Alabama. (MSNBC -- Environment)
New club celebrates old engine collecting May 20, 2008
By linking an engine's spinning flywheels to a farm machine with a belt, the engines - most of which average around 4 to 5 horsepower - could perform a variety of tasks that once required great labor. In the early 1900s, the engines were used to run a variety of mills, water pumps and air compressors. (Brookhaven Daily Leader, MS)
Modern spin on old technology May 14, 2008
A cornfield in the rural hills of Rensselaer County could become home to the nation's first flywheel frequency regulation plant, in which an array of massive flywheels spinning at up to 16,000 revolutions per minute will help smooth the electrical grid ... Instead, 200 flywheels -- each a rotating disk standing 7 feet tall and 3 feet wide -- will spin using motors that draw excess energy from the grid when it is not needed ... When demand for power increases, the flywheels -- sealed in a vacuum... (Albany Times Union)
Pumb project a risky business Apr 14, 2008
Solar energy could rev up the flywheels. The energy stored is equal to one half the moment of inertia times the angular velocity squared. (Logan Herald Journal, UT)
New data centers reduce power with green tech Mar 19, 2008
In addition, Power Loft and Terremark are investing in a new kind of battery backup that uses spinning flywheels, which generate the power a data center needs if it ever lost electricity. Flywheels are cleaner than conventional batteries long used for that purpose. (Washington Business Journal, DC)
Bus-Sized Batteries May Help Efficiency Of US Grid Mar 10, 2008
"Big generators have a hard time changing speed very quickly," said Bill Capp, chief executive of Beacon Power Corp , which makes flywheels that can store energy and relieve pressure on power grids. "We can do it very fast.". (Planet Ark, United States)
AFS Trinity Unveils 150 MPG Extreme Hybrid (XH(TM)) SUV Jan 13, 2008
"Say someone drives 40 miles a day 6 days a week and 100 miles the seventh. That's 340 miles a week. The first 280 are electric. The next 60 miles use gas. That's 340 miles on a little more than two gallons of gasoline for the week, assuming 32/29 urban/highway mileage in the host unmodified hybrid SUV. Although this translates into 170 MPG, we use a more conservative 150 MPG to take into account that mileage will vary depending on where and how a car is driven, but we are comfortable that 150... (PR Newswire)
Ricardo Delivers AFS Trinity Power's Extreme Hybrid(TM) Demonstrator Vehicle in Record Time Jan 13, 2008
AFS Trinity Power is a privately-owned Delaware corporation headquartered in Bellevue, WA, that is developing Fast Energy Storage(TM) energy storage and power systems for vehicular, spacecraft and stationary power systems that utilize batteries, ultracapacitors, and/or flywheels ... Although AFS Trinity is not currently using flywheels in systems that are designed for consumer cars, it is actively engaged in developing flywheel power systems for Formula One Racing (F1) and is currently also... (PR Newswire)
A Light Bulb Goes On Dec 22, 2007
Utilities would be better off storing power in flywheels, or as ice for air-conditioning systems, he says. "They're way cheaper than anything Detroit can build.". (Forbes)
Why did solar energy lose its flare? Dec 11, 2007
Giant flywheels or improved batteries could help smooth out the power flow. Diversify None of the technological options are sure to work, so Baker thinks policy makers and the solar industry should fund research into several possibilities, much like a diversified stock portfolio. (MSNBC -- Environment)
Read a passage from 'Free for All' Nov 20, 2007
I worked for the Ford Motor Company testing water pumps and flywheels, whatever they are. I worked the midnight shift at a convenience store in suburban Cleveland, where every so often the pay phone in the front of the store would start ringing around 3:00 a.m., and someone identifying himself as a policeman would suggest that I lock the front door for fifteen minutes or so, because two individuals white, male, early twenties were holding up convenience stores in my area in a primer-coated... (USA Today -- Life)
Calnetix Announces the Acquisition of Elliott Energy Systems Nov 15, 2007
This acquisition brings EESI and the microturbine business under the umbrella of the Calnetix Group of companies which include, Vycon, which specializes in energy storage flywheels; Direct Drive Systems, which specializes in large motors ators over two megawatt; TurboGenix, which specializes in waste heat recovery to electricity systems and Calnetix, which specializes in high efficiency motors ator systems. Brad Garner Chief Operating Officer of Calnetix said: "We are pleased to have the people... (Canada Newswire)
Future of transport Nov 3, 2007
Flywheels, even relatively small ones, can produce very high horsepower. A twenty-pound flywheel could easily store the energy needed to accelerate a car from zero to 45mph in a few seconds, comparable to a V-8's performance. (CNN -- Tech)
University Breaks All the Storage Rules Oct 16, 2007
Think of a grandfather's clock pendulum: It's the same general idea, with the 800-pound spinning flywheels from Active Power needing little maintenance and requiring only that their ball bearings be replaced once every four years. And this is not a small data center. (eWeek)
Pentadyne Flywheel Energy Storage Fleet Exceeds One Million Operating Hours Sep 26, 2007
Pentadyne s magnetically levitated carbon fiber flywheels are the world s most energy efficient, using 90% less power than other flywheels. Sold by several of the world s leading UPS manufacturers, Pentadyne systems deliver vastly higher long-term reliability and uptime availability at a fraction of the footprint, weight and cost of hazardous lead-acid UPS batteries. (BusinessWire)
Arete Power, Inc. Offers Sale of Key Flywheel Energy Storage Technology Patent Sep 13, 2007
The Company has put up for sale U.S. Patent No. 6,664,680, which covers flywheel systems utilizing high speed steel flywheels that are supported by active magnetic bearings ... Some flywheel energy storage system manufacturers currently utilizing steel flywheels include Vycon, Inc., Active Power, Inc. and Piller Power Systems. (PR Newswire)
Dispatchable Wind: Enabling Wind to Play a Mainstream Role in Power Production Sep 12, 2007
To help meet these challenges, the wind industry has done an excellent job of optimizing turbine efficiency, and it has come up with solutions to store wind energy on short time scales: capacitors smooth power on the scale of a few seconds; flywheels store power for a minute or two; flow batteries, though still expensive, hold some hope for storing wind energy for an hour. Still, such short-term solutions are clearly not able to make wind energy available on demand, nor can they make it... (Energy Pulse, CO)
High-caliber Performance! All-new 2008 Dodge Caliber SRT4(R) Delivers Renowned SRT Performance and Value in Aggressive Sport-compact Package Sep 1, 2007
The dual-mass flywheel consists of two flywheels sandwiching internal springs that are specially tuned to reduce noise and vibration. The GF DMT-6 six-speed transmission and an electronically tuned Brake Lock Differential deliver 265 lb.-ft. (PR Newswire)
Toyota Unveils Plug-in Hybrid Prius Jul 29, 2007
(Score:2) by on Saturday July 28, @10:37AM () () I read something a few years ago about spinning up a whole bunch of crazy composite ceramic flywheels under the hood and then tapping their kinetic energy. Of course, a 300lb flywheel spinning at 150,000rpm could do some damage in an accident. (Slashdot)
Active Power Receives Multimillion Dollar Order for 7.6 Megawatts of Mission Critical Power Systems Jul 24, 2007
The company has shipped more than 1,600 flywheels in systems delivering more than 400 MW of power to customers worldwide. Active Power systems operate at efficiency levels of up to 98 percent, resulting in lower energy consumption and a real bottom-line impact to energy costs for the end user. (BusinessWire)
Beacon Power Files Replacement Shelf Registration With SEC Jul 24, 2007
In July, Beacon also expects to have conducted sufficient pre-production testing of its Smart Energy 25 flywheel to enable it to begin to order inventory and supplies and start producing flywheels for its frequency regulation plants. The registration statement has been filed in order to provide the Company with the flexibility to raise additional capital in the future. (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
Active Power Selected by Nestl Waters Algeria Jul 11, 2007
"Our field proven UPS systems provide inherent reliability to customers working in challenging physical environments. Active Power has deployed more than 1,600 flywheels in UPS system installations in more than 40 countries around the world.". Nestl; Waters is the world leader in bottled water with a presence in 130 countries. (Yahoo News -- Press Releases)
The Rise and Fall of the Steorn Orbo Free Energy Machine Jul 7, 2007
Gizmodo, the gadget guide. So much in love with shiny new toys, it's unnatural. (Gizmodo.com)
Reclaiming past glory Jun 24, 2007
It is fully human-powered - no springs, no flywheels. Team members Matt Young and Ken Kelly act as crew. (The Palm Beach Post)
Huge new hothouse of data storage turned upside down to stay cool Jun 12, 2007
Polaris' UPS will instead use the technology of flywheels - rotating disks that store kinetic energy. Power and air were other concerns and created aesthetic and security challenges. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Technology)
Power takes its toll on trapped 'Tyrant' Jun 10, 2007
In a section of the score that compares the kingdom to "Heavenly Clockwork," Dresher unleashes a stately musical twittering machine of ticks and chimes and whirring flywheels. Hints of Strauss, Poulenc and Penderecki come and go, like ripples sent shivering across the surface of a lake. (San Francisco Chronicle)
The call of the Chicken May 27, 2007
e had an exceptionally good crowd today, said Chickentown Gas and Steam Engine Association vice-president Roger Rayman, he hit-or-miss flywheels were turning, the three full sized steam engines and four miniature steam engines were under steam, and we had a good turnout for Little Miss Chickentown. One thing that has to be experienced at the Chickentown Gas and Steam Engine Association show is the smells. (Somerset Daily American, PA)
The truth is out there May 14, 2007
The man said two flywheels moving in opposite directions created the ship s gravitation. The ship also used energy from the stars for power and momentum. (Helena Independent Record)
Flywheel Festival coming next week Apr 19, 2007
Tractors, flywheels and steam engines will be on display throughout the event and an anvil shoot is set for 11 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Stinkin' Jim's activities. (Houston Times Post, MS)
The Perfect (Solar) Storm and Power Generation Mar 27, 2007
Small site energy storage could include flow batteries, flywheels, small-site hydraulic storage (including smaller caves in high mountains), production of hydrogen and compressed gas technology. It may be also possible to develop electrical circuits that filter power surges from small networks and divert the excess energy into banks of ultra-capacitors before transferring it into storage. (Energy Pulse, CO)
Researcher's 3-D Digital Storage System Could Hold A Library On One Disc Dec 11, 2006
(November 14, 2003) -- Technology that significantly improves the ability of high-speed flywheels to store energy has been developed by research engineers at The University of Texas at. . (Science Daily)
Fall in profits hits AMAZON share price; down 10% after hours... Jul 26, 2006
Mr Bezos said Amazon remained committed to a strategy of developing what he called three big flywheels for sustaining growth selection, price and availability. So the energy that we put into building those flywheels today will continue to pay dividends years from now, he said. (The Drudge Report)
Enova Systems Announces Results for the First Quarter Ended March... May 9, 2006
" REVIEW OF OPERATIONS We believe we are a leader in the development and production of proprietary, commercial digital power management systems for transportation vehicles and stationary power generation systems. Power management systems control and monitor electric power in an automotive or commercial application such as an automobile or a stand-alone power generator. Drive systems are comprised of an electric motor, an electronics control unit and a gear unit which power an electric vehicle.... (CNBC -- Research Alerts)
Can DC Power Cut Data Center Costs? Apr 14, 2006
The flywheels are light and spin very fast, and they have fewer moving parts than a UPS device. The flywheel also has an expected life span of about 15 years, triple that of cells in a generator, and doesn't result in ongoing battery maintenance. (eWeek)
Nissan Unveils Its Concept Car Feb 15, 2006
R-tune parts include headers, camshafts, cold-air intakes, brake pads, lightweight flywheels, power steering oil cooler kits, clutch discs and clutch covers, limited-slip differentials, front strut tower bars, lower tie bars, rear stabilizer bars and bushing kits. The idea behind the showing of the car in Melbourne this week was to highlight the depth and breadth of the range of parts available for the Nissan 350Z. When Nissan Australia's managing director, Shinya Hannya, unveiled the vehicle at... (BusinessWeek)
