Mechanical Battery

A mechanical energy storage device made for a university project. Team Project

Project Overview

In a university course my team was tasked with developing a mechanical energy storage system aimed at supplementing intermittent energy sources like solar and wind.

Concept Exploration and Selection

A variety of mechanical energy storage systems were brainstormed and a selection matrix was used to find the system that best fit the problem.

  • Potential Concepts:
    - Pumped Hydro
    - Flywheel
    - Compression Spring System
    - Rubber Band Pulley

We scored all potential systems in these 5 categories, higher is better.

  • Evaluation Criteria:
    - Cost
    - Energy Stored
    - Efficiency
    - Complexity
    - Safety

The rubber band and pulley system was chosen at a score of 3.2, due its simplicity, ease of construction, and cost.

Prototype Development and Testing

  • Key Components:
    - Elastic bands
    - DC motor and gearbox
    - Pulley wheel
    - Base
  1. Prototype Design:
    - Detailed design of the rubber band pulley system
    - Selection of materials and components
  2. Testing and Evaluation:
    - Conducted tests to assess the prototype's performance
    - Analyzed data and findings to identify strengths and weaknesses

Budget Management and Resource Allocation

  1. Budget Constraints:
    - Defined project budget and contingency funds
  2. Expense Tracking:
    - Monitored project expenses and adjusted spending to stay within budget

Project Management and Collaboration

  1. Task Assignment:
    - Assigned roles and responsibilities to team members based on expertise
  2. Communication:
    - Utilized various communication channels for effective collaboration

Future Improvements and Scaling Opportunities

  1. Efficiency Enhancement:
    - Explore methods to improve efficiency of the rubber band pulley system
  2. Scaling:
    - Investigate possibilities for scaling up the system for larger energy storage applications

Conclusion and Key Takeaways

While the rubber band pulley system demonstrated the feasibility of mechanical energy storage, its low efficiency and limited energy output deem it impractical for widespread use. Nonetheless, the project provided valuable insights into alternative energy storage methods and served as a platform for applying engineering knowledge to real-world problems.