Advances in flywheel performance for space power applications

Power derived from stored energy rather than directly from the primary thermal source is an attractive alternative in certain space applications. To meet the stringent requirements for space needs will, however, require that flywheel performance be advanced from its current levels. Previous flywheel development programmes focused on the use of composite materials and resulted in storage densities, at ultimate speed, of 286 kJ/kg being attained. More recent work, directed at the space application, has advanced flywheel storage densities at ultimate speed to 878 kJ/kg.