Flywheel energy storage (FES) works by accelerating a rotor (flywheel) to a very high speed and maintaining the energy in the system as rotational energy. When energy is extracted from the system, the flywheel's rotational speed is reduced as a consequence of the principle of conservation of energy; adding. A typical system consists of a flywheel supported by connected to a. The flywheel and sometimes. TransportationAutomotiveIn the 1950s, flywheel-powered buses, known as • • • – Form of power supply• – High-capacity electrochemical capacitor • Beacon Power Applies for DOE Grants to Fund up to 50% of Two 20 MW Energy Storage Plants, Sep. 1, 2009• Sheahen,. GeneralCompared with other ways to store electricity, FES systems have long lifetimes (lasting decades. Flywheels are not as adversely affected by temperature changes, can operate at a much wider temperature range, and are not subject to many of the common failures of chemical. They are also less potentially damaging to the environment, being. • • •.