New Industry Products

Emerson Network Power Introduces New Liebert FS Flywheel

October 05, 2006 by Jeff Shepard

Emerson Network Power, a business of Emerson, introduced a 190kW version of its Liebert FS Flywheel DC Energy Storage System. The new rating is claimed to provide 50% higher capacity than the prior-generation unit, without increasing the size, weight or cost of the unit. This enables support for larger-size UPS systems and longer ride-through times.

Emerson's Liebert FS Flywheel Energy Storage System provides clean, uninterrupted ride-through power and voltage stabilization during utility power disruptions when used in conjunction with a UPS system. It can function as a replacement or as an availability enhancement for a bank of chemical batteries for computer facilities and industrial applications. The new Liebert FS can provide 67kW of backup power and voltage stabilization for up to 40 seconds when used with an 80kVA Liebert Npower UPS, or 190kW of power for up to 13 seconds with a 225kVA Liebert 610 UPS. The new Liebert FS is claimed to be 10 times more energy efficient than other flywheel systems and has a total cost of ownership that is 50 to 70% less than batteries during a 10-year period.

According to the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), 98% of all outages last less than 10 seconds. When used in conjunction with batteries, the Liebert FS is intended to provide the ride-through power for these brief interruptions, preserving battery capacity for longer outages while improving battery reliability and extending battery life by nearly eliminating battery cycling. It can also be used in a battery-less configuration to provide a reliable, seamless transfer to standby generators for continued power during long-term outages.

"Flywheel technology has emerged as a reliable, environmentally friendly power protection solution," said William Campbell, Liebert FS Product Manager at Emerson Network Power. "In almost any installation, the efficiency, flexibility and low maintenance needs of Emerson's Liebert FS flywheel system provide a significant return on investment. By lowering the cost per kW on the new Liebert FS, we are able to drive that return even higher."

The Liebert FS stores kinetic energy in a quiet, spinning, composite flywheel to provide a reliable and predictable source of power. Because it has such a broad operating temperature range, it does not require a controlled environment as needed by battery systems. Compared to other flywheel-based equipment, the Liebert FS uses a higher-speed, lower weight flywheel, which allows the equipment to be more compact in size, weigh less, and offer easy and modular installation.