Ricardo Launches Latest High-Speed Flywheel System

Ricardo plc is rolling out TorqStor, a new high-speed flywheel energy storage device designed for off-road equipment.

The unit consists of a carbon-fiber flywheel rotating at about 44,000 rpm in a permanently sealed vacuum chamber. Ricardo says the system can store 200 kilojoules of energy and deliver peak power of 101 kilowatts through an end gear ratio of 22:1.

The system weighs less than 100 kg (220 lbs) and occupies a volume of only 221 liters (7.8 cu. ft.).

Ricardo says the technology's fuel-saving benefits are especially apparent in such equipment as excavators compared with wheeled vehicles. It estimates the new TorqStor system is about 10% more fuel efficient than the company's previous-generation flywheel system in such applications.