Kick starters and flywheel technology

[russ]

You are done with this BS

[russ]

But they have a phone number. That's where I start. Obviously. Can we turn the ridicule down a notch plz?

Why - the topic is getting what it deserves. You are the one wanting attention and getting it by posting such tripe. Now you complain?

[Sunking]

I don't know that answer.

You coul dif you knew how much energy it takes to keep the flywheel rotating which is my point of how silly it is to consider a flywheel as energy storage. You have to keep pumping energy into it to keep it running. Just like your car when you hit cruising speed, you do not turn off the engine, only decrease power from acceleration to cruise. You are still burning fuel.

That is OK if you have say a Data center and need a few minutes to bring the generator only line and could careless how much power the Flywheel uses in standby mode. Every second that Flywheel spins in standby is draining efficiency to almost nothing. In a solar system you do not have that extra energy to spare 24 hours a day, then the dang sun sets and your flywheel comes to s stop, and you have to waste all that energy spoiling it up again to repeat daily. That is insane use of the technology.

[kwilcox]

There is a working prototype. It went online in the 4th quarter of 2014 iirc. Follow Bob's blog for the details. Where in this thread did I ever state that I wanted to become an investor?

[Alisobob]

Can we turn the ridicule down a notch plz?

Pointing out that your so hot to trot to invest in a company ,without a physical address or even working prototype, isnt ridicule...

Hell, I'd take even a non-working prototype.....

[kwilcox]

Do you really believe that? So what is the efficiency one minute after it spools up?
1 hour?
2 hours?
3 hours?
1 day?
1 week?

I don't know that answer.

[kwilcox]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]6443[/ATTACH]

Plant? Visit them?

They dont even have a address.... even a crappy fake one at those PO box places you see at the strip mall.

But they have a phone number. That's where I start. Obviously. Can we turn the ridicule down a notch plz?

[kwilcox]

Would you know what to look for? I wouldn't other than general items. Over the years I had many invites to tour plants in China in particular - I never took them. Unless you are an expert in that field you are pretty much at the mercy of the guide.

The engineering considerations you want to discuss? Come on!

Yes. Engineering considerations that I want to discuss. Exactly Russ.

[Sunking]

The Velkess prototype demonstrated an efficiency that was a little greater than 80%.

Do you really believe that? So what is the efficiency one minute after it spools up?
1 hour?
2 hours?
3 hours?
1 day?
1 week?

[RedDenver]

Your last post and all posts on the flywheel are like a teenager it seems.

The only two things that count wit a flywheel are rpm and weight.

Well, it's rpm and inertia: E = 0.5*I*w^2 (link)

Inertia is based on mass and geometry, so it's possible to get more energy using the same mass and rpm but a different geometry.

[russ]

Its actually designed to slowly come apart over the 10 year lifetime. Individual strands that make up the kevlar rope flywheel will eventually wear out from repeated flexing and fall off. The system tolerates imbalance which is the real breakthrough here.

Look, I'm not saying this is the holy grail of energy storage, just interesting enough for me to actually visit the plant later this year. If its all legit, I should be able to look at running prototypes, tour the manufacturing process, verify the necessary certifications (to your specific point above), and take pictures of the actual product. I should be able to discuss mechanical engineering considerations for home installation, shipping options for very heavy objects, and electrical interface considerations for my enphase based system. It will have to make my inverters believe that they are grid connected and that's no easy thing in and of itself...

If I can do all this to my satisfaction, then they get my reservation fee and I'll post my first-hand data here.

Your point to lack of VC funding is a good one. Maybe its because wolf has been called so many times on this particular tech that potential investors are skeptical? This is a silicon valley endeavor so you'd think finding VC would be pretty straightforward...

Would you know what to look for? I wouldn't other than general items. Over the years I had many invites to tour plants in China in particular - I never took them. Unless you are an expert in that field you are pretty much at the mercy of the guide.

The engineering considerations you want to discuss? Come on!

[Alisobob]

velk2.JPG

Plant? Visit them?

They dont even have a address.... even a crappy fake one at those PO box places you see at the strip mall.

[kwilcox]

If one ever comes apart (and any device rotating at high speed can) it would make a mess of the family and neighborhood.

Its actually designed to slowly come apart over the 10 year lifetime. Individual strands that make up the kevlar rope flywheel will eventually wear out from repeated flexing and fall off. The system tolerates imbalance which is the real breakthrough here.

Look, I'm not saying this is the holy grail of energy storage, just interesting enough for me to actually visit the plant later this year. If its all legit, I should be able to look at running prototypes, tour the manufacturing process, verify the necessary certifications (to your specific point above), and take pictures of the actual product. I should be able to discuss mechanical engineering considerations for home installation, shipping options for very heavy objects, and electrical interface considerations for my enphase based system. It will have to make my inverters believe that they are grid connected and that's no easy thing in and of itself...

If I can do all this to my satisfaction, then they get my reservation fee and I'll post my first-hand data here.

Your point to lack of VC funding is a good one. Maybe its because wolf has been called so many times on this particular tech that potential investors are skeptical? This is a silicon valley endeavor so you'd think finding VC would be pretty straightforward...

[DanKegel]

The speed of sound in a vacuum , where this thing is supposed to operate.... is... zero.

Again, more cliche's , no facts.

Aw, c'mon, it was a factoid - a small fact-like thing mentioned just for fun.

I wasn't arguing one way or the other, just noticing how damn fast the thing turns.

[SunEagle]

Just what I want, sitting in my side yard.

Yeah. Fast rotating equipment can be a real eye opener if they fail at high speed.

I use to work for a roof shingle manufacturer and most of the large shingle line machines were run using "field weakening" DC motors. I went to plant the day after a 100 hp DC motor suddenly lost it's "field" voltage. Without that voltage to keep the speed in check the rotor part of the motor kept spinning faster until components let loose. Amazing how much energy a bundle of copper wire can produce at high speeds. A couple went right through the motor casing. Luckily no one was hurt.