Beacon Power Corporation (Beacon Power) has signed contract of worth around $3 million with the US Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA). The contract is to assess the use of flywheel energy storage technology for the multiple shipboard applications. This assessment will lead to a final conceptual design of a flywheel system for the future naval surface combatants. The final flywheel design is anticipated to be based on and include many aspects of the company's Smart Energy 25 flywheel.

NAVSEA’s aim is to advance and enhance its shipboard integrated power systems (IPS) at both the major component and the system level. The Smart Energy 25 flywheel is being installed for large-scale power grid frequency regulation.

This contract with NAVSEA comes as a result of several years of working closely together to help the Navy understand the value and potential of our flywheel technology for shipboard use, stated Bill Capp, Beacon president and chief executive officer. Because Navy ships are essentially mini-power grids, this program provides the opportunity to leverage our commercial experience with land-based power grids. We can also build on the knowledge gained from working with DARPA and the U.S. Air Force Research Lab in support of spacecraft energy storage.

Capp added: The agreement reflects NAVSEA’s recognition that our technology, if suitably designed and implemented, can play an important role in making the Navy’s onboard power systems more efficient, flexible, and cost-effective.

The U.S. Navy looks forward to working with Beacon Power and leveraging common interests in providing cost-effective power system technologies, such as advanced energy storage, to the fleet, stated Captain (sel) Lynn Petersen, deputy director of the Electric Ship’s Office (PMS 320) within the Navy’s Program Executive Office, Ships.

Integrated power systems are the essential part of Navy’s all-electric ship program. Based on the expected power requirements to support the advanced launch systems, weapons and sensor systems, and other shipboard functions, electrical energy storage is recognized as fundamental element of an all-electric IPS.

Under this multiyear contract, the company will perform an analysis of the future shipboard energy storage needs; identify many flywheel applications that could provide the greatest benefit to the future naval combatants; help the Navy’s power plant upgrade development team by characterizing flywheel applications under consideration and helping in system-level studies; and validate the results of those studies. Based on the results, the company will develop a conceptual flywheel design and simulation models for one or more applications. The value of initial research and development work is anticipated at $900,000, $500,000 of which has already been appropriated. The subsequent phases involve work expected at up to an additional $2.1 million.