A Comprehensive Review on Flywheel Energy Storage Systems: Survey on Electrical Machines, Power Electronics Converters, and Control Systems

Abstract

Finding efficient and satisfactory energy storage systems (ESSs) is one of the main concerns in the industry. Flywheel energy storage system (FESS) is one of the most satisfactory energy storage which has lots of advantages such as high efficiency, long lifetime, scalability, high power density, fast dynamic, deep charging, and discharging capability. The above features are necessary for electric vehicles (EVs), railways, renewable energy systems, and microgrids. Also, electrical machines, power electronics converters, and control systems are the cores of energy transfer in FESS. Therefore, they have a critical role in determining efficiency, power rating, power factor, cost, angular velocity, and volume of FESS. So, in this study, the FESS configuration, including the flywheel (rotor), electrical machine, power electronics converter, control system, and bearing are reviewed, individually and comprehensively. Additionally, the mentioned components have been categorized to be a guide for future research. The investigated electrical machines are compared by Finite Element Analysis (FEA). Subsequently, our laboratory's measurement results are reviewed experimentally showing the progress in the field of FESS, such as designing robust control algorithms and an Interior Permanent Magnet-Synchronous Reluctance Machine (IPM-SynRM) to use in FESS.