 |
| Diagram of the VYCON flywheel system. Photo: VYCON |
[Avionics Today 08-20-2014] VYCON, designer and manufacturer of environmentally friendly energy storage flywheel systems, announced the purchase of three of VYCON’s kinetic energy storage flywheel systems by the Benito Juárez International Airport (AICM) in Mexico City. AICM is the second largest airport in Latin America, serving more than 31 million passengers per year, at which flywheel backup systems will increase power protection to the airport’s runway lighting and other critical navigation systems.
VYCON’s VDC-XE clean energy flywheel units take over power protection when other equipment fails to bridge power to the airport’s onsite generators during an emergency, such as a natural disaster. During a power disturbance, VYCON’s flywheels provide instant back-up power and will transfer to the airport’s generators if the power outage is prolonged. VYCON’s VDC-XE flywheel stores energy kinetically by spinning a mass around an axis; electrical input spins the flywheel rotor up to speed, and a standby charge keeps it spinning until called upon to release the stored energy.
“Being in a tropical location with a high elevation, Mexico City is subject to not only unpredictable weather, but also to high-heat conditions. The VYCON flywheels perform flawlessly and will provide the added level of power continuity that the airport requires,” said Victor Zavala from IGSA, VYCON’s distributor.