About the Project
A spectacular flywheel for S4 Energy. Vicoma spent five years contributing to its development.
A flywheel enables temporary energy storage with high power and efficiency. What makes this project unique is that our engineers were responsible for developing the specialised tooling required to manufacture the flywheel with high precision and to maintain it in the field. The flywheel presents new opportunities for energy companies and grid operators. In collaboration with S4 Energy’s design team, Vicoma embraced this complex and ambitious task.
Vicoma’s Role
One aspect of the project involved constructing a bespoke furnace for manufacturing the steel flywheels, which measure 2.80 metres in diameter and weigh 5,000 kg. To safely operate this mass at full rotational speed, a unique production method was needed. The tools and equipment that made this possible were designed by Vicoma’s engineers.
Production demands extreme precision; each flywheel assembly takes around 100 hours to complete. Vicoma also designed a specialised foundation for balancing each flywheel, allowing even the smallest imbalance to be detected. Additionally, we developed tools for on-site servicing, such as replacing bearings. These tools can be powered by battery-operated drills, ensuring they are usable under all working conditions.
Result
The flywheels have now been assembled in small series at various locations across the Netherlands, with our bespoke tooling playing a crucial role in their successful deployment.
d'Jeff and his team can tell you all about Architecture & Building Engineering.
d'Jeff van der Ven
Commercial Manager, Sint-Oedenrode
Main question
The design of a flywheel for S4 Energy.
Result
The flywheels have since been installed in small series at various locations across the Netherlands, and the tooling we developed is being used successfully.
Accompanied by
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