EPSRC logo

Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/M03528/01
Title: FLYWHEEL ENERGY STORAGE
Principal Investigator: Campbell, Professor AM
Other Investigators:
Cardwell, Professor DA
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
BNFL
Department: Superconductivity (IRC)
Organisation: University of Cambridge
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 May 1998 Ends: 31 October 2001 Value (£): 235,298
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Energy Storage Power Sys Man, Prot & Control
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Energy No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
The program will investigate the use of magnetic bearings in flywheel energy storage. It will be carried out at Cambridge where we can conduct low speed tests and at BNFL (Capenhurst) where there is a full scaled high speed test facility. There are three elements to the programme. In the first stage conventional active bearings will be tested at BNFL (Capenhurst). At the same time a passive superconducting bearing using melt processed YBCO will be developed a Cambridge. This has already been constructed and demonstrated to levitate a 40kg rotor in a static test which is the largest flywheel in the works to been levitated by a superconductor. The proposal is to investigate thoroughly the characteristics of this bearing at low speeds in Cambridge, and then to install it at BNFL (Capenhurst) for high speed tests. The final aspect of this proposal is to investigate a novel eddy current bearing device. Such a bearing will be cheap, passive and should have an indefinite life since there is no contact between the moving surfaces. It successful this device will be the ideal bearing for energy storage flywheels.
Key Findings
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Potential use in non-academic contexts
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Impacts
Description This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Summary
Date Materialised
Sectors submitted by the Researcher
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Project URL:  
Further Information:  
Organisation Website: http://www.cam.ac.uk