Design of composite flywheel rotor

A design method for a flywheel rotor composed of a composite rim and a metal hub is proposed by studying the connection between the rotor and the driving machine. The influence of some factors such as the rotor material, configuration, connection, and fracture techniques on energy density is analyzed. The results show that the ratio of the inner radius to outer radius of the rim is the key factor, and is determined by the rim material. Optimizing the hub can further efficiently improve energy density. The composite flywheel rotor is produced and its rotation stress has been tested at the speed of 20 krpm. The emulation results are consistent with testing results, which proves that the introduced design method is useful. __________ Translated from Optics and Precision Engineering, 2007, 15(6): 852–857 [译自: 光学精密工程]