The electromechanical device for energy accumulation

BACKGROUND: Short-term peak loads of machines and mechanisms arise necessity in mechanical energy accumulation for its consequential impulse use. For instance, it is quite relevant for trucks at the initial stage of dragging heavy trailers. Use of mechanical energy accumulator will help to decrease truck engine power and to enlarge its functional capabilities.

AIM: Development of the mathematical model of the mechanical energy accumulator.

METHODS: The mechanical energy accumulator can be made either as a permanent magnet synchronous machine or as a converter-fed electric motor with the super flywheel mounted at the motor shaft. When the machine is connected to the supply source, the non-stationary process described with two differential equations, mechanical and electric, occurs. Solutions of the differential equations replicate ratios for charging and discharging of an electric capacitor.

RESULTS: According to the obtained formulae, the mechanical energy accumulator seems identical to an electric capacitor for an electric circuit. Therefore, artificial electric capacity can be discussed. Moreover, artificial electric resistance not related to conductor’s specific resistance, length and cross-area, occurs. In view of the aforesaid, the mechanical energy accumulator can be considered as an artificial electric capacitor accumulating not electric field energy but kinematic energy of super-flywheel’s rotation.

CONCLUSIONS: There are designs of super-flywheels capable of accumulating sufficient amount of kinetic energy. The ability of implementing them into passenger vehicles was studied as well. In this context, massive trucks have an undeniable advantage because weight increase is not only non-problematic but preferable in some cases.