Vycon, the American energy storage system manufacturer, has updated features on its Regen flywheel systems for Rubber Tyred Gantry cranes (RTGs). The systems can be used to reduce fuel consumption by 30%. While flywheels have been used as ‘green’ energy backup for telecommunications and data centres, storing kinetic energy to disperse in case of outages, in 2007 RTG manufacturers began to incorporate Regen flywheels with crane engines to reduce their fuel consumption.
The updated Regen system includes option to include a Genset feature that functions when the crane is idling. Genset controls the speed of the generator, and relay of control instructions has been improved. The system layout and software was also updated, said Vycon spokesperson Jessica Beattie.
The first generation of the system has reduced fuel reduction by 30% for retrofitted RTG cranes at the Yantian International Container Terminal (YICT) located in Shenzhen, China, said Beattie: “At the operational rates found at YICT of approximately 10 moves per hour, the Regen system reduced fuel consumption by 30%. “