Can mechanical spring systems be used for energy storage in elastic deformations?

Energy storage in elastic deformations in the mechanical domain offers an alternative to the electrical, electrochemical, chemical, and thermal energy storage approaches studied in the recent years. The present paper aims at giving an overview of mechanical spring systems’ potential for energy storage applications.

Can mechanical springs be used for energy storage?

As far as mechanical energy storage is concerned, in addition to pumped hydroelectric power plants, compressed air energy storage and flywheels which are suitable for large-size and medium-size applications, the latest research has demonstrated that also mechanical springs have potential for energy storage application .

What are the functions of elastic storage device using spiral spring?

The principal functions of elastic storage device using spiral spring are energy storage and transfer in space and time. Elastic energy storage using spiral spring can realize the balance between energy supply and demand in many applications.

Can mechanical spring systems store macroscopic energy?

Mechanical spring systems’ benefits and limits for storing macroscopic amounts of energy will be assessed and their integration with mechanical and electrical power devices will be discussed. 1876-6102 © 2015 The Authors.

What is spiral spring energy storage?

Spiral spring energy storage harvests and stores random mechanical energy. Harvesting and storing energy is a key problem in some applications. Elastic energy storage technology has the advantages of wide-sources, simple structural principle, renewability, high effectiveness and environmental-friendliness.

Can a spiral spring be used for lifting machinery?

Lifting machinery. An elastic energy storage device using a spiral spring has been designed for lifting machinery. The gravitational potential energy of the load weight can be converted into elastic potential energy within the spiral spring during the descending process.