Superconducting Energy Storage Flywheel——An Attractive Technology for Energy Storage

Flywheel energy storage(FES) can have energy fed in the rotational mass of a flywheel,store it as kinetic energy,and release out upon demand.The superconducting energy storage flywheel comprising of magnetic and superconducting bearings is fit for energy storage on account of its high efficiency,long cycle life,wide operating temperature range and so on.According to the high temperature superconducting(HTS) cooling mode,there are zero field cooling(ZFC) bearings and field cooling(FC) bearings.In practice,the superconducting bearings are formed by field-cooled superconductors and permanent magnets(PMs) generally.With respect to the forces between a permanent magnet and a superconductor,there are axial(thrust) bearings and radial(journal) bearings.Accordingly,there are two main types of high-temperature superconducting energy storage flywheels,and if a system comprising both the thrust bearing and the radial bearing will have the characteristics of both types of bearings.Magnetic force,magnetic stiffness and damping are these three main parameters to describe the levitation characteristics.Arrangement and shape of superconductors,thickness of superconductor,superconducting flux creep and critical current density of the superconductor affect the magnetic levitation force of these superconducting bearings.The key factors of FES technology,such as flywheel material,geometry,length and its support system were described,which directly influence the amount of energy storage and flywheel specific energy.All these results presented in this paper indicate that the superconducting energy storage flywheel is an ideal form of energy storage and an attractive technology for energy storage.

Analysis of the Comprehensive Physical Field for a New Flywheel Energy Storage Motor/Generator on Ships

A novel flywheel energy storage （FES） motor/generator （M/G） was proposed for marine systems. The purpose was to improve the power quality of a marine power system （MPS） and strengthen the energy recycle. Two structures including the magnetic or non-magnetic inner-rotor were contrasted in the magnetostatic field by using finite element analysis （FEA）. By optimally designing the size parameters, the average speed of FEA results of was 17 200 r/m, and the current was controlled between 62 and 68 A in the transient field. The electrical machine electromagnetism design was further optimized by the FEA in the temperature field, to find the local overheating point under the normal operation condition and provide guidance for the cooling system. Finally, it can be concluded from the comprehensive physical field analysis that the novel redundant structure M/G can improve the efficiency of the M/G and maintain the stability of the MPS.

Dynamical investigation and parameter stability region analysis of a flywheel energy storage system in charging mode

In this paper, the dynamic behavior analysis of the electromechanical coupling characteristics of a flywheel energy storage system （FESS） with a permanent magnet （PM） brushless direct-current （DC） motor （BLDCM） is studied. The Hopf bifurcation theory and nonlinear methods are used to investigate the generation process and mechanism of the coupled dynamic behavior for the average current controlled FESS in the charging mode. First, the universal nonlinear dynamic model of the FESS based on the BLDCM is derived. Then, for a 0.01 kWh/1.6 kW FESS platform in the Key Laboratory of the Smart Grid at Tianjin University, the phase trajectory of the FESS from a stable state towards chaos is presented using numerical and stroboscopic methods, and all dynamic behaviors of the system in this process are captured. The characteristics of the low-frequency oscillation and the mechanism of the Hopf bifurcation are investigated based on the Routh stability criterion and nonlinear dynamic theory. It is shown that the Hopf bifurcation is directly due to the loss of control over the inductor current, which is caused by the system control parameters exceeding certain ranges. This coupling nonlinear process of the FESS affects the stability of the motor running and the efficiency of energy transfer. In this paper, we investigate into the effects of control parameter change on the stability and the stability regions of these parameters based on the averaged-model approach. Furthermore, the effect of the quantization error in the digital control system is considered to modify the stability regions of the control parameters. Finally, these theoretical results are verified through platform experiments.

Analysis of a Novel Mechanically Adjusted Variable Flux Permanent Magnet Homopolar Inductor Machine with Rotating Magnetic Poles for Flywheel Energy Storage System

Permanent magnet homopolar inductor machine(PMHIM) has attracted much attention in the field of flywheel energy storage system(FESS) due to its merits of simple structure,brushless excitation, and rotor flywheel integration. However, the air-gap flux generated by the PM cannot be adjusted, which would cause large electromagnetic losses in the standby operation state of FESS. To solve this problem, a novel mechanically adjusted variable flux permanent magnet homopolar inductor machine with rotating magnetic poles(RMP-PMHIM) is proposed in this paper. The permanent magnet poles are rotated by an auxiliary rotating device and the purpose of changing the air-gap flux is achieved. First, the structure and operation principle of the proposed RMP-PMHIM are explained. Second,the flux weakening principle of the RMP-PMHIM is analyzed and the equivalent magnetic circuit models under different flux weakening states are built. Third, the parameters of the PM and its fixed structure are optimized to obtain the good electromagnetic performance. Fourth, the electromagnetic performance, including the air-gap flux density, back-EMF, flux weakening ability, loss, etc. of the proposed RMP-PMHIM are investigated and compared. Compared with the non-rotating state of the PM of RPM-PMHIM, the air-gap flux density amplitude can be weakened by 99.95% when the PM rotation angle is 90 degrees, and the no-load core loss can be suppressed by 99.98%,which shows that the proposed RPM-PMHIM is a good candidate for the application of FESS.

Improving Kinetic Energy Storage for Vehicles through the Combination of Rolling Element and Active Magnetic Bearing

The demand for short term energy storage providing high power for electric and hybrid-electric vehicles is increasing drastically. Stationary FESS （flywheel energy storage systems） is established as UPS （uninterruptible power supply） and represent an emerging market. In contrast, mobile FESSs are currently only used in a few application, e.g., in motor sports. To enable a wider use in personal and public transportation the life-span of the flywheel＇s bearings needs to be increased significantly. This paper presents an alternative approach to extend the lifespan of the flywheel＇s bearings significantly by using a CREAMB （combination of rolling element and active magnetic bearings）.

SVPWM Techniques and Applications in HTS PMSM Machines Control

This paper introduces the principle of space vector pulse width modulation （SVPWM）, and discusses a method for implementing the SVPWM based on MATLAB/SIMULINK, as well as modeling of AC servo system with permanent magnet synchronous motor （PMSM）. Simulation results show that the model is effective, and the method provides a frame of reference for software and hardware designs which can be applied in high temperature superconducting （HTS） flywheel energy storage system （FESS） and linear motor （LM）.

Failure-analysis of carbon nanotubes and their extreme applications

The study of material failure is crucial for the design of engineering applications,as it can have significant social and economic impacts.Carbon nanotubes(CNTs),with their exceptional electrical,mechanical,and thermal properties,hold immense potential for a wide range of cutting-edge applications such as superstrong fiber,lightning strike protector,and even space elevator.This review provides an overview of the advancement in understanding the mechanical and electrical failure study of CNTs and their assemblies,serving as a comprehensive reference for utilizing CNTs in various forms.To begin,we emphasize the importance of studying material failure and provide a brief introduction to CNTs.Subsequently,we explore the mechanical and electrical failure characteristics of CNTs and their assemblies,along with notable examples of applications that utilize their failure-resistant properties,such as flywheel energy storage and lightning strike protection.Lastly,we present perspectives associated with analyzing CNT failure and its implications for extreme applications.

Multi–physical-field characteristics modeling and structure optimization for kW-level ultra-high-speed PM motors with integrated support system

In the aerospace industry,the low-mass ultra-high-speed flywheel system play a critical role.In this paper,a kW-level Ultra-High Speed Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor(UHSPMSM)as the core component of flywheel system is proposed and analyzed with consideration of multiple physical fields,including electromagnetic characteristics,mechanical strength and rotor dynamics.The integrated support structure is put forward to improve rotation accuracy and operation stability of the UHSPMSM.Further,influence of the integrated support structure on critical speed is explored,and the key parameters such as support position and support stiffness are designed.Moreover,the rotor strength is analyzed by analytical model developed of rotor stress that can deal with multiple boundary types.Material and thickness of the sleeve are optimized,and range of interference value is accurately limited based on four extreme operating conditions.The 3-D Finite Element Model(FEM)is used to validate the strength characteristics and stress distribu-tion of rotor.A 1.5 kW-150000 r/min UHSPMSM with integrated support system is manufactured and tested.The feasibility of UHSPMSM proposed and the accuracy of analysis method are verified through electromagnetic,temperature rise and vibration characteristics test.The machine prototype realizes the load operation at rated speed and the multi-physical-field characteristics achieve the design specification.