An innovative composite-material flywheel design suited for the GSFC/UOM, magnetically suspended, energy-storage flywheel rotor will be developed. The rotor is an interference-assembled (i.e. prestressed) collection of composite-material, thin rings that, when assembled together, collectively form a thick ring flywheel rotor. There are no spokes or stress concentration geometries on this rotor, and, with proper design, the specific energy densities of the rotor can approach their theoretical design limit. The rotor can operate reliably with minimum containment. Rotor stresses will be computed, and performance will be optimized. Fabrication methodologies and composite-material properties will be investigated with the end objective of selecting the most suitable materials and fabrication method to prepare and cure the composite rotor.
Potential Commercial Applications: Applications of high-strength, fatigue-resistant composites include flywheels for space energy storage and attitude control and ultra-high-strength, high-reliability pressure vessels and missile casings.STATUS: Project Proceded to Phase II
