Every time a train starts and stops, it draws or dissipates several megawatts of energy, enough to power more than a thousand homes. This happens thousands of time per day, every day, in commuter rail systems across the country. In fact, peak demand from New York's rail system could power Birmingham, Alabama.

A more efficient system would hand off power from braking trains to those leaving the station. Modern trains run their electric motors in reverse to slow down then release the energy as heat or into a grid ill equipped to absorb the surge. Energy storage could eliminate the problem.

Flywheels, an old technology finding ever more modern applications, may be that storage solution. Large spinning discs, held in frictionless magnetic bearings spinning at 20,000 to 50,000 revolutions per minute, are able to store energy, and send it back within seconds

More from here - http://www.fastcompany.com/1780280/flywheels-set-to-break-into-rail-industry-as-energy-storage-solution

Interesting stuff, what do you say? Your thoughts and opinions are welcome on whether flywheels could be an important energy storage device for us in future...

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Beacon Power turns on 20 megawatts of flywheel energy

North America's largest advanced energy storage facility is now 100-percent online, providing 20 megawatts of flywheel-based storage capacity.

Beacon Power Corporation says its first flywheel energy storage plant in Stephentown, New York, has just reached full capacity. The facility uses 200 high-speed flywheels to provide fast-response frequency regulation services to the New York electricity grid.

http://www.greenbang.com/beacon-power-turns-on-20-megawatts-of-flywheel-energy_18673.html

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