Peak power bi-directional transfer from high speed flywheel to electrical regulated bus voltage system: a practical proposal for vehicular technology

This paper provides a design outline and implementation procedure for a secondary energy storage unit (SESU) that can be used to meet the peak energy requirements of an electric vehicle during both acceleration and regenerative braking. The life cycle of the electric vehicle's batteries can be extended considerably by supplying peak energy requirements from a secondary source. A simulation study was conducted to determine the peak power and energy requirements over the SAE recommended electric vehicle test procedure. A scaled prototype SESU was built using flywheel energy storage, and tests were performed to determine the energy transfer capabilities of a flywheel coupled high speed permanent magnet synchronous machine through the proposed system's energy storage tank. Results are presented that indicate the necessity of the energy storage tank. An evaluation of the proposed system is also included which indicates the practicality of the system when compared to conventional regenerative control techniques.