Mechanical energy to kinetic energy storage....?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the concept of storing mechanical energy for later use as kinetic energy, specifically without relying on electrical systems. Participants explore various mechanisms, including flywheels, compressed air systems, and potential energy storage methods like springs and elevated water tanks. The conversation highlights that mechanical energy encompasses various forms, including kinetic and potential energy, and emphasizes the importance of clarifying the specific mechanisms involved. Examples such as Grandfather clocks and F1 cars illustrate practical applications of energy storage and conversion. Efficient energy storage remains a significant challenge in engineering and technology.
RICKYtan
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Can there be a system that utilizes mechanical energy to produce kinetic energy, but "storing" the mechanical energy to be used at a different time for kinetic energy? Like a bike where you pedal but don't move; that mechanical energy is waiting to be "released" by some mechanism

*** exclude wind turbines, specifically I'm asking about a system that DOES NOT have to use any electrical energy if that's possible
 
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Kinetic energy IS mechanical energy.
 
I'm confused too, but are you just talking about a flywheel?
 
RICKYtan said:
Can there be a system that utilizes mechanical energy to produce kinetic energy, but "storing" the mechanical energy to be used at a different time for kinetic energy? Like a bike where you pedal but don't move; that mechanical energy is waiting to be "released" by some mechanism

*** exclude wind turbines, specifically I'm asking about a system that DOES NOT have to use any electrical energy if that's possible

If you compress air with a cylinder and a piston, you're doing just that - the energy can be released at any time by letting go of the piston.
 
nasu said:
Kinetic energy IS mechanical energy.

Yes that's true I was thinking ahead
Can
russ_watters said:
I'm confused too, but are you just talking about a flywheel?

That's all true i was thinking ahead. I really meant generating mechanical energy in one system, "transferring" or "storing" it to another system to be used later as mechanical energy...which in turn generates kinetic enrgy
 
RICKYtan said:
That's all true i was thinking ahead. I really meant generating mechanical energy in one system, "transferring" or "storing" it to another system to be used later as mechanical energy...which in turn generates kinetic enrgy
So, again, you appear to think "mechanical energy" is something specific when in reality it is a category that encompasses kinetic energy, potential energy, sound energy, spring energy, pressure energy, etc. So what you are asking is circular and trivially true. It's like asking if you can use a dollar as money.

Please try to reword it to describe the actual mechanism of energy you are trying to generate and store. A bike wheel? A rock held over your head? A compressed spring? Eetc.
 
RICKYtan said:
"storing" it to another system to be used later as mechanical energy...which in turn generates kinetic enrgy
How about a Grandfather Clock?
 
Possibly that you mean potential energy, to be later converted to kinetic energy. Any system with potential energy is doing this "storing": a spring, compressed gas, a water tank at some height above the ground, etc.
 
A battery, for instance, with a generator connected to a mechanical device of some sort. The F1 cars collect energy from the brakes and from the turbo-charger and store it in the battery. This stored energy is then used as a boost for the Internal combustion engine or to keep the turbo spinning at low engine load. There are countless examples of this and efficient energy storage is a problem everyone would like to solve.
 
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Or, you can push a minecart up a hill.
 
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