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Projects: Projects for Investigator
Reference Number	GR/S70364/01
Title	Flywheel Energy Storage
Status	Completed
Energy Categories	Other Power and Storage Technologies(Energy storage) 100%;
Research Types	Basic and strategic applied research 100%
Science and Technology Fields	ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (General Engineering and Mineral & Mining Engineering) 100%
UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation	Not Cross-cutting 100%
Principal Investigator	Dr TA Coombs No email address given Engineering University of Cambridge
Award Type	Standard
Funding Source	EPSRC
Start Date	01 April 2004
End Date	30 September 2007
Duration	42 months
Total Grant Value	£201,564
Industrial Sectors	Energy
Region	East of England
Programme	Process Environment and Sustainability
Investigators	Principal Investigator	Dr TA Coombs , Engineering, University of Cambridge (99.999%)
	Other Investigator	Professor AM Campbell , Superconductivity (IRC), University of Cambridge (0.001%)
	Industrial Collaborator	Project Contact , Urenco (Capenhurst) Ltd (0.000%)
Web Site
Objectives
Abstract	This proposal is for an investigation into the use of superconducting bearings and motors running at cryogenic temperatures in an energy storage flywheel. Building on previous experience it appears that the ideal configuration for a cylindrically shaped flywheel is a journal bearing. This bearing has the dual advantages that it will be inherently stable and that it will have up to twice the stiffness of a passive magnetic bearing. In addition a large source of loss in an energy storage flywheelis parasitic loss which occurs in the iron core. The use of cryogenic temperatures presents the possibility that the reduction in ohmic losses makes it practical to use an air cored rather than an iron cored motor. Achieving this will allow flywheels to be used for diurnal storage in addition to their current applications
Publications	(none)
Final Report	(none)
Added to Database	01/01/07