Flywheel Energy Storage for Lunar Colonization

Bridget Wimer (EE Grad Student)

Background• NASA Challenge:

• Store solar power on moon• 336 hours of night

• UI Approach: Flywheel• High Efficiency• Low Maintenance• Long Life Span• 10x more cycles than

batteries• High Energy Density

Source: https://newbusiness.grc.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/green-forum-flywheels-final-july-2009-compressed-2.pdf.

U of I Flywheel Energy Storage SystemVacuum/Containment System (Minimizes Windage Losses)

Water Cooling System Pipes

Magnetic Levitation System (Minimizes Frictional Losses)

Vacuum Feedthroughs

Rotor (Stores Kinetic Energy)

Field Regulated Reluctance Machine

Bell Jar

Collar

Liquid Nitrogen Cooling System

ME Tasks

•Further develop solid model of the flywheel design•Create a thermal model •Analyze rotor dynamics of the machine•Assemble vacuum system

Comp E /EE Tasks

•Develop hardware/software for control algorithm •Perform a finite element analysis to predict electrical parameters

Stator

Rotor

Questions?

• Contact Information: – Kysen Palmer (ME):

kpalmer@vandals.uidaho.edu– Bridget Wimer (EE):

bwimer@vandals.uidaho.edu