Flywheel Energy Storage System with Thermal Insulation

This paper proposes a novel design of a magnetically supported flywheel energy storage system with thermal insulation. It utilizes a magnetic coupler to directly transmit the power. The proposed design can induce almost no energy loss. If the power is transmitted indirectly by electromagnetic induction, the energy transmission efficiency will be lower. The motor and the flywheel share the same rotor shaft, and the shaft is supported by two sets of five-degree-of-freedom magnetic bearings. Because the bearings are non-contact, the speed of the flywheel can be increased, thereby the stored energy can be increased. The driving heat source and the heat source of the magnetic bearings are both outside the vacuum chamber of the flywheel, which is easy to dissipate and will not affect the flywheel.