New Industry Products

Beacon Power Expands Flywheel Product Line With Beacon PQ

May 09, 2001 by Jeff Shepard

Beacon Power Corp. (Wilmington, MA) announced the expansion of its flywheel energy storage system product line with the addition the Beacon PQ, a high-power flywheel aimed at generator set support and other high-power and short-duration applications. A 100kWh unit, suitable for generator support and other distributed power applications, is in commercial production and is currently available. A 200kWh rating is in development and will be available in 2002.

Under an agreement reached between Beacon and Urenco Power Technologies (UK), Urenco will manufacture the product at their Capenhurst, UK facility. Beacon will have exclusive distribution rights for the product in North American communications markets for generator ride-through applications.

Features and benefits of the Beacon PQ flywheel energy storage system include an operating temperature range between -20 and 40 degrees C. The system can perform several million charge-discharge cycles. It has guaranteed energy content and a typical lifespan of 10 years. Beacon claims that the unit is maintenance-free. The 100kWh product will deliver between 50kWh and 100kWh for 3.5 minutes and 1.0 minute respectively.

"We are excited to offer our communications customers a high-power flywheel product more than two years ahead of our business plan," said Beacon Power President and Chief Executive Officer William E. Stanton. "Our strategic partner, Urenco Power Technologies, has more experience than any other company in the world with high-speed, maintenance-free composite rims, with literally thousands of units in operation -- many operating non-stop for more than 10 years. Their product offers unparalleled performance and reliability and is ideally sized to support the higher-power needs of our telecommunications market customers, particularly in critical cellular and central-office power quality applications."