Study of a Magnetic Suspended Flywheel Energy Storage System for Pulsed Power

Flywheel Energy Storage Systems (FESS) are found in a variety of applications ranging from grid-connected energy management to uninterruptible power supplies. This article describes the application of FESS in high pulsed power area. The rotor of FESS for puled power is generally supported by the traditional bearings, which are considered as a source of friction during rotation, and require lubrication and high maintenance, and can’t be used at high speed ranges. In this paper, a magnetic suspended flywheel energy storage system (MSFESS) is proposed and designed for the pulsed power applications. Topology, principle and discharging model of the MSFESS are introduced and studied. The impacts of the high power pulsed discharge on the magnetic bearing system are analyzed. Scaled prototype of the MSFESS is manufactured and tested.