In this paper a novel flywheel-accumulator for increasing the energy storage in hydraulic systems was presented. By integrating a flywheel and an accumulator, energy can be stored in both pneumatic and rotating kinetic form. A novel feature of the system is the ability to change the flywheel inertia by adding or removing hydraulic fluid from the flywheel-accumulator. Through a numerical simulation, the energy storage capacity of the flywheel-accumulator system was demonstrated to be approximately 10 times greater than a conventional accumulator occupying the same volume. Furthermore, because energy can be stored in two domains, the hydraulic system pressure becomes independent of the quantity of energy stored, allowing the potential power of the hydraulic system to remain constant. The significant increase in energy storage density and the ability to manage the hydraulic pressure make the flywheel-accumulator an enabling technology. A logical application for the technology is hydraulic hybrid vehicles where the low energy density of conventional hydraulic accumulators has been a barrier to compete with electric hybrid systems. The flywheel-accumulator could be coupled to the internal combustion engine, directly storing energy from the engine in the flywheel. The significant increase in energy density also enables a plug-in version of a hydraulic hybrid vehicle where the flywheel is charged from grid energy, allowing the vehicle to drive a limited distance without operating an internal combustion engine. Additional applications for the flywheel-hybrid include regeneration in construction, mining, agriculture, and industrial equipment that heavily rely on hydraulic systems. Other alternative energy applications for the technology include storing energy for wind turbines, tidal energy, wave energy, or other areas requiring energy storage. The flywheel-accumulator presents numerous opportunities for future research and development. While there are numerous challenges for this technology, none of them appear insurmountable. This promising technology has the potential to be transformative for numerous applications.
Increasing hydraulic energy storage capacity: flywheel-accumulator
International Journal of Fluid Power ; 10 , 3 ; 41-50
2009
10 Seiten, 9 Bilder, 3 Tabellen, 21 Quellen
Article (Journal)
English
Comparison of accumulator and flywheel energy storage for motor vehicle applications
Tema Archive | 1985
|Hydraulic accumulator energy storage in a city bus
Tema Archive | 1986
|Hydraulic accumulator energy storage in a city bus
Automotive engineering | 1986
|Vehicle, hydraulic suspension system, energy accumulator and operation method of energy accumulator
European Patent Office | 2024
|