Kinetic Traction Systems
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Energy storage, Electric rail transport |
| Founded | November 2010 |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Flywheel energy storage systems for electric railway and grid storage |
Kinetic Traction Systems was established in November 2010 and focuses on developing flywheel energy storage solutions tailored for electric railway systems and grid storage purposes.
Technology
The primary offering from Kinetic Traction Systems incorporates flywheel energy storage technology initially created by Pentadyne Power Corp, with several key team members moving from Pentadyne to Kinetic. Their 36,000 RPM flywheels are inspired by uranium centrifuge advancements originally introduced by Urenco.
The company's rail-side apparatus features a brushless DC motor/generator that accelerates the flywheel, converting electrical energy—such as that recovered through regenerative braking on trains—into kinetic energy. This stored energy can then be transformed back into electricity when required.
Uses
KTS’s technology improves energy utilization within urban rail transit systems and has been implemented by organizations such as NYC Transit and the London Underground. Their grid storage product also plays a role in stabilizing microgrids, notably on the island of Eigg.
Capacity
The system offers a usable energy storage capacity of approximately , with the capability to provide high-power bursts of .