BTW
How It Works: Porsche 911's GT3R Hybrid Flywheel is worth the read.
The article lists two important advantages of the Williams flywheel battery. (1) It allows for fast charge/discharge cycles, making it similar to an ultracapacitor. However, an ultracapacitor with the same capacity would weigh more. (2) It has good durability, which makes it very well suited for endurance racing.
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Under the extreme power charge/discharge cycles of racing, even a lithium ion battery would face durability issues. Kristen estimates that a battery would have to be replaced three times during a race like the 24 Hours of Nurburgring, where the 911 nearly won in May 2010, after leading for over eight hours. The best current lithium ion batteries will last for a claimed 20,000-plus charge cycles, and hybrid batteries are typically only partially charged and discharged, which maximizes their life-span. Kristen claims the flywheel will last over one million cycles.
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