View Single Post
Old 06-13-2008, 01:46 PM   #9 (permalink)
jamesqf
Master EcoModder
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Earth
Posts: 5,209
Thanks: 225
Thanked 811 Times in 594 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by ttoyoda View Post
Do you happen to know what the storage efficiency is compared to capacitors or battries?
Well, don't take what I say as gospel: I'm just going by some reading & a physics background. With that caveat:

Flywheels seem to be very, very efficient for short-term energy storage. That is, you can put X amount of energy into one in a very short time, and get out something like 99% of X minutes or hours later.

Batteries are less efficient at input/output: a larger fraction of the energy is wasted as heat, and they are more limited on the rate. On the other hand, they'll store the energy for weeks/months with little loss.

With capacitors, the problem is the exponential nature of the energy output. Without some sort of switching device, the energy all wants to come out in a rush.
  Reply With Quote