In paper mills, for instance, there is growing interest in the development of fast-rotating composite drums, which could capitalize on carbon fiber's light weight, stiffness, and resistance to corrosion. Carbon fiber can be used to strengthen and improve many kinds of rollers and shafts. There is also a growing market for industrial apparel made with oxidized fiber to protect workers in high-temperature environments. There is vast potential in industrial tanks and pipes utilizing carbon fiber's high strength, light weight, and corrosion resistance. Carbon fiber flywheels could achieve far greater fuel efficiency by capturing and utilizing heat energy that is lost every time a motorist puts a foot on the brake.
Flywheels act alternately as generators and as motors.
With its combination of strength, stiffness and light weight, carbon fiber is the key to the success of this application. It is almost impossible to imagine these technologies developing without the use of carbon fiber in transportation vehicles and on-board tanks. Already, today, CNG tanks for trucks, buses, vans, and even some cars are being made by a number of filament-winding companies inside and outside the United States. For a variety of reasons, carbon fiber is also emerging as the best material for other alternative energy applications, such as batteries, fuel cells and windmills. This page has been visited times.