Introduction:
A flywheel is an inertial energy-storage device. It absorbs mechanical energy and serves as a reservoir, storing energy during the period when the supply of energy is more than the requirement and releases it during the period when the requirement of energy is more than the supply.
Flywheels-Function need and Operation:
Flywheel absorbs mechanical energy by increasing its angular velocity and delivers the stored energy by decreasing its velocity
Fig: Variation of crank angle with respect to torque and angular speed
Speed fluctuation
Fl = ωmax- ωmin
Co-efficient of speed fluctuation
Cf = (ωmax- ωmin)/ ω
Where ω is nominal angular velocity, and ωavg the average or mean shaft speed desired. This coefficient is a design parameter to be chosen by the designer.
Geometry of Flywheel