A.D.

PATEL INSTITUTE
OF
TECHNOLOGY

DESIGN OF FLYWHEEL

Prepared by:-
Dhiren P. Patel(120013119002)
 INTRODUCTION
• FLYWHEEL:-

• A flywheel is an inertial energy-storage device.

• It absorbs mechanical energy and serves as a reservoir, storing energy

during the period when the supply of energy is more than the requirement
and releases it during the period when the requirement of energy is more
than the supply.
 FLYWHEELS-FUNCTION NEED AND
OPERATION
• The main function of a fly wheel is to smoothen out variations in the
speed of a shaft caused by torque fluctuations. If the source of the driving
torque or load torque is fluctuating in nature, then a flywheel is usually
called for. Many machines have load patterns that cause the torque time
function to vary over the cycle. Internal combustion engines with one or
two cylinders are a typical example. Piston compressors, punch presses,
rock crushers etc. are the other systems that have fly wheel.

• Flywheel absorbs mechanical energy by increasing its angular velocity

and delivers the stored energy by decreasing its velocity.
 FLYWHEEL MATERIALS

Traditionally, flywheel are made of cast iron. From design consideration, cast
iron flywheel offer the following advantages:-

• Cast iron flywheels are the cheapest.

• Cast iron flywheel can be given any complex shape without involving
machining operations.
• Cast iron flywheel has excellent ability to damp vibrations.
however, cast iron has poor tensile strength compare to steel. The failure of
cast iron is sudden and total. The machinability of cast iron flywheel is
poor compared to steel flywheel.
 DESIGN APPROACH
There are two stages to the design of a flywheel.
• First, the amount of energy required for the desired degree of smoothening
must be found and the (mass) moment of inertia needed to absorb that
energy determined.
• Then flywheel geometry must be defined that caters the required moment
of inertia in a reasonably sized package and is safe against failure at the
designed speeds of operation.
Design Parameters:-
• It depend upon acceptable changes in the speed.
Speed fluctuation:-
• The change in the shaft speed during a cycle is called the speed
fluctuation and it is given by
Fl =ωmax−ωmin
 DESIGN OF FLYWHEEL
Design Equation:-
𝑬𝒌
IS= 𝑪𝒇∗ 𝝎𝒂𝒗𝒈 𝟐

where “Cf”is the co-efficient of speed fluctuation

and “Ek”is the kinetic energy and “𝝎avg” is the
average rotational motion.
Torque Variation and Energy:-
The required change in kinetic energy Ek is obtained from the known torque
time relation or curve by integrating it for one cycle and it is given by
𝜃@𝜔𝑚𝑎𝑥
(𝑇1 − 𝑇𝑎𝑣𝑔)d𝜃=Ek
 GEOMETRY OF FLYWHEEL

• It can be a solid cylindrical disc.

• It can be like conventional wheel design.
But energy requirements and size of the flywheel increases the
geometry changes to disc of central hub and peripheral rim connected
by webs and to hollow wheels with multiple arms.
GEOMETRY OF FLYWHEEL
 GEOMETRY OF FLYWHEEL
• For a solid disc geometry with inside radius ri and out side radius ro, the
mass moment of inertia I is

• The mass of a hollow circular disc of constant thickness t is

• Combing the two equations we can write

• Where is material’s weight density 

 STRESSES IN FLYWHEEL
• Flywheel being a rotating disc, centrifugal stresses acts upon its distributed
mass and attempts to pull it apart. Its effect is similar to those caused by an
internally pressurized cylinder.

•  = material weight density, ω= angular velocity in rad/sec. ν= Poisson’s

ratio, is the radius to a point of interest, ri and ro are inside and outside radii
of the solid disc flywheel.
 ADVANCE AND MODERN
FLYWHEEL
• Advanced flywheels are also now used for protecting against interruptions
to the national electricity grid.

– The flywheel provides power during period between the loss of utility
supplied power and either the return of utility power or the start of a
sufficient back-up power system

• Flywheels have also been proposed as a power booster for electric vehicles.
Speeds of 100,000 rpm have been used to achieve very high power
densities.

• Modern high energy flywheels use composite rotors made with carbon-
fibre materials. The rotors have a very high strength-to-density ratio, and
rotate at speeds up to 100,000 rpm. in a vacuum chamber to minimize
aerodynamic losses.
 BENEFITS IN AEROSPACE
Flywheels are preferred over conventional batteries in many aerospace
applications because of the following benefits:

• 5 to 10+ times greater specific energy

• Lower mass / kW output
• Long life. Unaffected by number of charge / discharge cycles
• 85-95% round trip efficiency
• Fewer regulators / controls needed
• Greater peak load capability
• Reduced maintenance / life cycle costs
APPLICATIONS
APPLICATIONS
APPLICATIONS
 REFERANCES
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flywheel

• http://nptel.ac.in/courses/IIT-MADRAS/Machine_Design_II/pdf/3_7.pdf

• Design of machine elements by V. B. BHANDARI