Ok, video link works... just not the video on this page... I still dont get it, you will lose energy when you spin them up, lose it when you convert the spin back to energy (thermodynamics) you cant win either way...
Also, another powerplant is going to say Look, someone is using our energy (these things), and just make more anyway (thus more polution)
It doesn't have to be 100% efficient, just more efficient than letting generators trying to match demand, which according to the video is pretty inefficient.
What they are doing is using energy that would be wasted (unstored) to spin up the fly wheels. For the most part anything greater then demand is wasted power for a power station since they don't store it.
You use this wasted (excess supply) to spin the flywheel, and then when demand is greater then the supply you can generate (without bringing another generator online) you use the stored mechanical energy to spin up another generator instead of coal (or other fuel). They didn't say what the percentage of recovered energy was, so it leaves a big question mark.
The only other option is to continually take generators on or off line (or change their RPM which isn't efficient), this gives the system an elastic generation capability to keep up with variations in demand.
@Mike K: Thanks for the explanation. It makes perfect sence then. It looks like they are using energy to spin the fly wheels but in essence, they're storing most of that energy which is then available at a later time. If that energy didn't spin the fly wheels to be stored then it would just be wasted. Cool!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
marty.com.au @ Jun 17th 2008 9:30AM
Ok, video link works... just not the video on this page...
I still dont get it, you will lose energy when you spin them up, lose it when you convert the spin back to energy (thermodynamics) you cant win either way...
Also, another powerplant is going to say Look, someone is using our energy (these things), and just make more anyway (thus more polution)
am I missing something?
Joel @ Jun 17th 2008 9:38AM
It doesn't have to be 100% efficient, just more efficient than letting generators trying to match demand, which according to the video is pretty inefficient.
m.kozanecki @ Jun 17th 2008 9:43AM
the idea is its more efficent then what we got currently...
Mike K @ Jun 17th 2008 10:25AM
marty,
What they are doing is using energy that would be wasted (unstored) to spin up the fly wheels. For the most part anything greater then demand is wasted power for a power station since they don't store it.
You use this wasted (excess supply) to spin the flywheel, and then when demand is greater then the supply you can generate (without bringing another generator online) you use the stored mechanical energy to spin up another generator instead of coal (or other fuel). They didn't say what the percentage of recovered energy was, so it leaves a big question mark.
The only other option is to continually take generators on or off line (or change their RPM which isn't efficient), this gives the system an elastic generation capability to keep up with variations in demand.
apeguero @ Jun 17th 2008 11:29AM
@Mike K: Thanks for the explanation. It makes perfect sence then. It looks like they are using energy to spin the fly wheels but in essence, they're storing most of that energy which is then available at a later time. If that energy didn't spin the fly wheels to be stored then it would just be wasted. Cool!