Flywheel Energy Storage Drive for Wind Turbines

The main problem of the wind power is its stochastic availability. The pulsation of the wind speed causes power pulsation, resulting in deterioration of the power quality. To compensate it, energy storage is necessary. Considering the wind spectrum, different storage systems can be used for the different frequencies of the wind speed variation. The short time turbulent power pulsation can be balanced by flywheel energy storage drive. This paper deals with this method. After the theoretical considerations of the system the possible power circuits and control methods are discussed. The operation of the system is investigated by simulations, using acceptable simplifications. The results help to design the overall system and its elements.