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I wonder if the hazards from chemical batteries tips the scales in favor of otherwise less economical flywheel energy storage.
by smadge 4y ago
I wonder if the hazards from chemical batteries tips the scales in favor of otherwise less economical flywheel energy storage.
- Panzer04 4y agoStoring battery-tier volumes of energy in spinning flywheels sounds terrifying on scale - a cursory search indicates 1kWh ~ 1 KG of TNT. I guess it depends on the risk of an exploding flywheel, but batteries seem likely to fail in a much less explosive manner as opposed to a failed flywheel.
- rad_gruchalski 4y agoWhat’s “KG” in this context? As in, serious question because I can’t parse that sentence. Is it supposed to be “kg”?
- function_seven 4y agoYes it’s a kilogram.
- Commodore63 4y agoThermal runaway is a contagious failure mode.
- smadge 4y agoMy thought was that a failed flywheel would be locally catastrophic but as long as you are not building homes right next to them, it would be safe for the surrounding community and not inconvenience or put civilians danger.
- 20after4 4y agoTypical flywheel energy storage relies on enormous mass rather than high rotational speed. I don't think that flywheel storage is necessarily hazardous.