Energy Storage System
Founded in 1985, SatCon Technology Corporation, Cambridge,
Massachusetts develops and markets intelligent electromechanical
products for aerospace, industrial, transportation and utility
applications. SatCon has worked on more than 30 projects with
seven NASA centers under the Small Business Innovation Research
(SBIR) program. Several of those research assignments, in particular
two related to energy storage research sponsored by Lewis Research
Center and Marshall Space Flight Center, yielded innovative technology
that was later incorporated in SatCon's commercial Flywheel Energy
Storage (FES) system.
Flywheel Energy Storage technology developed for NASA by SatCon
Technology Corporation plays a role in the drive train of experimental
hybrid-electric automobiles.
A flywheel is a chemical-free mechanical battery that harnesses
the energy of a rapidly spinning wheel and stores it as electricity
with 50 times the storage capacity of a lead-acid battery. Much
of SatCon's work for NASA is directed at developing FES systems
for spacecraft attitude control and momentum recovery; one development
combines energy storage and spacecraft control functions in a
single FES system.
In commercial use, FES systems have great potential for adding
long life and extended range to electric and hybrid-electric
vehicles by providing extra power for acceleration or hill climbing,
and by recovering energy normally lost in braking.
In industry and utility applications, FES systems provide
continuous electrical power to critical machines and operations
during lightning strikes and utility line faults. FES systems
also solve quality problems caused by modern, high frequency
switching power supplies. Additionally, in utility service, FES
systems provide off-peak storage options for reducing power generation
requirements to meet peak power demand.
The SatCon Flywheel Energy Storage system provides 50 times
the energy storage capacity of a conventional lead-acid battery.
In August 1995, SatCon signed an agreement with Westinghouse
Electric Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for further development
and commercialization of SatCon's flywheel technologies. The
companies will work together to provide low voltage solutions,
including energy storage, for a variety of industrial and commercial
users.
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