Kick starters and flywheel technology

[russ]

If Velkess has found the holy grail of energy storage you would have very big investors running for the chance to be part of a revolutionary technology. Even someone like Bill Gates who has invested in a number of RE technology system hasn't given 1 penny to Velkess.

Right - the VC bunch would be all over it. They would also bring name to the venture - this is a bunch of clowns.

[Alisobob]

Just what I want, sitting in my side yard.

[russ]

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

[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.

[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.

[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...

[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.

[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!

[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.

[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?

[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.

[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]

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.

[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]

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?