Simplified implementation and control of a flywheel energy system for microgrid applications

In this paper we present a simplified flywheel energy storage model using MATLAB Simulink environment for application in a microgrid. The proposed model utilizes a simplified charging and discharging model of a flywheel while preserving the kinetic characteristics using a mathematical model. Two test-cases of an islanded microgrid are presented as an application, where the flywheel system is employed to maintain the transient frequency stability and to regulate the frequency in the presence of intermittent sources as a part of the energy supply mix. The competitiveness of the emerging flywheels against batteries is also investigated based on the transient frequency stability criteria, in highlighting the viability of flywheels as a more efficient grid energy storage technology.