Question

Energy is to be stored in a flywheel in the shape of a uniform solid disk with a radius of R = 1.22 m and a mass of 67.0 kg . To prevent structural failure of the flywheel, the maximum allowed radial acceleration of a point on its rim is 3510 m/s2 .What is the maximum kinetic energy that can be stored in the fly-wheel?

Answer 1

Answer: 71.7 KJ

Explanation:

The rotational kinetic energy of a rotating body can be written as follows:

Krot = ½ I ω2

Now, any point on the rim of the flywheel, is acted by a centripetal force, according to Newton’s 2nd Law, as follows:

Fc = m. ac

It can be showed that the centripetal acceleration, is related with the angular velocity and the radius, as follows:

ac =  ω2 r

We know that this acceleration has a limit value, so , we can take this limit to obtain a maximum value for the angular velocity also.

As the flywheel is a solid disk, the rotational inertia I is just ½ m r2.

Replacing in the expression for the Krot, we have:

Krot= ½ (1/2 mr2.ac/r) = ¼ mr ac = ¼ 67.0 Kg. 1.22 m . 3,510 m/s2 = 71. 7 KJ