911 flywheel energy storage

What is a flywheel energy storage system?

Flywheels are considered one of the world’s oldest forms of energy storage, yet they are still relevant today. On a high level, flywheel energy storage systems have two major components: a rotor (i.e., flywheel) and an electric motor.

Can a flywheel store energy?

A project team from Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) recently developed a prototype flywheel storage system that can store electrical energy and provide fast charging capabilities. Flywheels are considered one of the world’s oldest forms of energy storage, yet they are still relevant today.

Was the 911 GT3 R A 'flywheel hybrid'?

Hybrid street cars were becoming mainstream, and "road relevance" was repeatedly cited by Oge along with energy independence and low carbon emissions as EPA imperatives. But, like its similarly new Formula One hybrid race car cousins, this special 911 GT3 R was not a street-going hybrid. This was a "flywheel hybrid."

How does a 911 GT3 R flywheel motor work?

In the 911 GT3 R, the flywheel motor used a carbon-fiber composite flywheel with a 16-inch (406mm) diameter. Mounted in a carbon fiber box where the passenger seat would be in a road-going 911, the flywheel motor received power from, and sent power to, an 80hp (60kW) electric motor/generator at each front wheel.

How does a flywheel work?

Electrical energy is transferred to rotating kinetic energy by a novel magnetic material (sometimes a magnetic powder) embedded within the flywheel. The more energy applied, the faster it spins. (NB: this is different to the mechanical flywheel hybrid system that Nissan attempted unsuccessfully to develop for its 2015 Le Mans racer.)

Can a flywheel store electricity and provide fast charging outputs?

Recently, a team of researchers led by TU Graz announced the successful development of a flywheel prototype that can store electricity and provide fast charging outputs. The new prototype, FlyGrid, is a flywheel storage system integrated into a fully automated fast-charging station, allowing it to be a solution for fast EV charging stations.