Composite flywheel material design for high-speed energy storage

Lamina and laminate mechanical properties of materials suitable for flywheel high-speed energy storage were investigated. Low density, low modulus and high strength composite material properties were implemented for the constant stress portion of the flywheel while higher density, higher modulus and strength were implemented for the constant thickness portion of the flywheel. Design and stress analysis were used to determine the maximum energy densities and shape factors for the flywheel. Analytical studies along with the use of the CADEC-online software were used to evaluate the lamina and laminate properties. This study found that a hybrid composite of M46J/epoxy–T1000G/epoxy for the flywheel exhibits a higher energy density when compared to known existing flywheel hybrid composite materials such as boron/epoxy–graphite/epoxy. Results from this study will contribute to further development of the flywheel that has recently re-emerged as a promising application for energy storage due to significant improvements in composite materials and technology.