As alternative energy generating devices (i.e., solar, wind, etc) are added onto the electrical energy grid (AC grid), irregularities in the available electricity due to natural occurrences (i.e., clouds reducing solar input or wind burst increasing wind powered turbines) will be dramatically increased.  Due to their almost instantaneous response, modern flywheel-based energy storage devices can act a mechanical mechanism to regulate the AC grid; however, improved spin speeds will be required to meet the necessary energy levels to balance these 'green' energy variances.  Focusing on composite flywheels composed of carbon fiber (C-fiber), glass fiber, and a 'glue' (resin) to hold them together.  For this effort, we have focused on the addition of fillers to the resin in order to improve its properties.  Based on the high loads required for standard meso-sized fillers, this project investigated the utility of ceramic and grapheme nanofillers since they can be added at very low load levels due to their high surface area.  The impact these nanofillers had on the final strength of the flywheel material was determined by a 'three-point-bend' test. Based on an analysis of the economic impact, it was determined based on the 30% improvement in strength, this change may enable a 20-30% reduction in flywheel energy storage cost ($/kW-h).  Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000

Improved nanocomposite materials for flywheel energy storage applications

247th National Meeting (2014)

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