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Flywheel

Made of

Stone Iron Lead Wood

Brief description

A flywheel is a mechanical device specifically designed to efficiently store rotational energy. Flywheels resist changes in rotational speed by their moment of inertia. The amount of energy stored in a flywheel is proportional to the square of its rotational speed and its mass.

Use / Function

  • Energy Storage: Stores kinetic energy to be used when the energy source is intermittent.
  • Smoothing Rotation: Reduces fluctuations in rotational speed in systems like engines or potter’s wheels.
  • Power Delivery: Delivers high power pulses (e.g., in punch presses or Rolling Mills) that momentarily exceed the power of the driving motor.

Operating principle

A flywheel works on the principle of moment of inertia. By having a significant mass distributed far from the axis of rotation, it resists changes in angular velocity. When energy is added to the system, the flywheel speeds up, storing that energy. When energy is needed, the flywheel slows down, releasing the stored energy.

How to create it

  1. Material Selection: Choose a heavy material. Stone, Iron, or Lead are ideal.
  2. Balancing: The most critical step. The mass must be perfectly distributed around the center. An unbalanced flywheel will vibrate destructively at high speeds.
  3. Mounting: Securely attach the flywheel to an axle.
  4. Reduction of Friction: Use good bearings, such as Slide Bearings or Ball and Roller Bearings, to minimize energy loss.

Materials needed

Variants and improvements

  • Solid Disk: Simple to make but less efficient per unit of weight than a rimmed wheel.
  • Rimmed Flywheel: Most of the mass is concentrated at the rim (spoked wheel), maximizing the moment of inertia for a given weight.

Limits and risks

  • Bursting: At very high speeds, the centrifugal force can exceed the tensile strength of the material, causing the flywheel to explode.
  • Weight: Heavy flywheels require strong supports and axles.
  • Gyroscopic Effect: A spinning flywheel resists changing its orientation, which can be useful (gyroscopes) or problematic (vehicle handling).