How Flywheels Work

Introduction to Flywheels
A flywheel is a rotating disk that stores energy as kinetic energy. The faster the flywheel spins the more kinetic energy it stores. The flywheel rotates with a connecting rod, known as the shaft. The shaft is where the energy moves in and out of the flywheel.

Benefits
Energy moving in and out of the flywheel can be used to provide temporary and constant power. A flywheels greatest benefit is in mechanisms where the main power source is provided in unsteady bursts. By using conservation of energy, the flywheel stores energy as it is being released from the main power source in a surge or burst. As the main source of energy decreases, the energy stored in the flywheel is released. Mechanisms will receive an uninterrupted supply of energy. Currently, flywheels are used in electrical grids to level out power surges and in cars to smooth the rapid explosions from the engine that provide power.
Figure 1: A flywheel with the axis of rotation 1 displayed in blue.

Earliest Uses
One of the earliest uses of the flywheel was in the potters wheel. A potters wheel is a mechanism with a rotating turntable on top where the clay is shaped. There is a pedal that must be pressed and released in order to power the turntable. A shaft from the turntable to the pedal has a flywheel attached. The flywheel provides uninterrupted, steady rotation of the turntable between pedaling. As the person operating the potters wheel presses down and releases the pedal, the flywheel keeps the turntable moving at a constant speed. The operator could even stop pedaling and the turntable would keep moving due to the energy stored in the flywheel. The convenience of the flywheel allows the potter to form the clay without problems caused by an uneven rate of spinning.

Figure 2: A typical potters wheel. The large 2 flywheel can be seen at the bottom of the shaft.

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How Flywheels Work

Energy
When more kinetic energy can be stored in a flywheel, the less energy needs to come from the main power source. This increases the efficiency of the mechanisms energy output. Because a flywheel can be used in such a variety of mechanisms, the amount of energy stored in the flywheel varies. There are two factors that control the amount of energy the flywheel stores: the moment of inertia and the rotational speed of the flywheel.
E = 1 I 2 2
where E is energy stored I is moment of inertia is rotational speed

Moment of Inertia
Newtons Second Law of Motion states that force is equivalent to the mass of the object multiplied by its acceleration. However, this equation is different for an object that rotates. In rotation, force is replaced with torque, acceleration is replaced with rotational acceleration, and mass is replaced with the moment of inertia. Newtons Second Law of Rotation states that torque is equivalent to the moment of inertia multiplied by rotational acceleration. The objects mass, radius, and inertia constant determine the moment of inertia. The mass and radius of a flywheel can easily be determined by weighing and measuring. However, the inertia constant of a flywheel is dependent on the shape. Flywheels are usually one of two shapes: a ring with spokes or a solid disk. A ring with spokes most clearly resembles a wheel, while a solid disk looks like a CD without a hole in the middle. Since flywheels usually only come in these two shapes we will only be concerned with two values of inertia constant. The inertia constant for a ring is 1.0 and the inertia constant for a disk is 0.5. The difference in the inertia constants is due to the fact that all of the mass in a ring is concentrated at its circumference, while the mass of a disk is evenly distributed from the center to the outside.
F = ma
where F is force m is mass a is acceleration

T = I
where T is torque I is moment of inertia is rotational acceleration

I = kmr 2
where I is moment of inertia k is the inertia constant m is mass r is radius

Inertia Constants Disk k = Ring k = 1

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How Flywheels Work

Rotational Speed
The second factor determining the energy a flywheel stores is the rotational speed. The energy a flywheel stores is proportional to the square of the rotational speed. Therefore, if a flywheels speed doubles, the amount of energy it stores will quadruple. Rotational speed is a factor that must be measured using a tachometer.

Figure 3: An IR transmitter and receiver tachometer measures the rotational speed of a 3 disk.

Capacity
The amount of energy a flywheel can store is limited by how fast it can rotate. A flywheel cannot rotate at a speed faster than its materials density and strength can support. The strength of the material divided by the density of the material is known as specific strength. Specific strength is proportional to the total amount of energy a flywheel can store before failing. The table on the right provides a list of materials and their specific strengths. Material/Specific Strength4 Rubber 16.3 Brass 67.8 Nylon 69.0 Oak 86.95 Polypropylene 88.88 Magnesium 158 Aluminium (alloy) 222 Steel 254 Titanium (alloy) 288 Silicon carbide 1088 Glass fiber 1307 Vectran 2071 Carbon fiber (AS4) 2457

Current Uses
With modern materials flywheels are smaller, weigh less, and can spin more quickly, therefore they can store more energy. One of the most promising areas where flywheels are being applied is the automobile industry. Williams, a Formula 1 racing team, is currently researching the use of flywheel hybrid car systems. These flywheel systems would replace current electric hybrid systems. In a hybrid system, a flywheel stores energy from the motion of the car as the car breaks. To accelerate after slowing down or stopping, the car uses the energy stored in the flywheel instead of using the engine and more fuel. Unlike a battery, a flywheel will never lose its ability to charge and discharge energy. They would be cheaper, more efficient, and better for the environment.

Figure 4: The hybrid flywheel system Williams is 5 developing for their race car

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How Flywheels Work

Works Cited
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Maley, Michael. Flywheel Generated in SolidWorks. 17 Apr 2009. Lanes End Studios. Potters Wheel Flywheel. <http://www.lanesendstudios.com/>. 17 Apr 2009. Kamal, Ibrahim. Contact Less Tachometer Principle of Operation. 8 Apr 2008. <http://www.ikalogic.com/d_tach.php>. 17 Apr 2009. Wikipedia. Specific tensile strength of various materials. 9 Apr 2009. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specific_strength>. 17 Apr 2009. Franca Davenport. Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems in Formula One. 28 Feb 2009. <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/motorsport/2753049/Formula-1-goes-green.html>. 17 Apr 2009.

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