Cooled flywheel apparatus having a stationary cooling member to cool a flywheel annular drive shaft
First Claim
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1. A cooled flywheel apparatus comprising:
- a flywheel having an annular drive shaft connected to a flywheel rotor, the annular drive shaft extending below the flywheel rotor such that an annulus of the annular drive shaft opens downwardly;
a stationary cooling member for directing a coolant into the annulus of the annular drive shaft; and
a first cooling fluid line in fluid communication with the cooling member;
a sump positioned below and enclosing the annulus of the annular drive shaft, the sump being configured to receive the coolant from the annulus;
a coolant pump having an inlet at the sump and an outlet in fluid communication with the first cooling fluid line for pumping the coolant into the cooling member, the pump being positioned below the sump to provide a pressure head at the pump inlet;
a second cooling fluid line fluidly connecting the outlet of the cooling pump to a cooling coil; and
a third cooling fluid line fluidly connecting the cooling coil to an inlet of a heat exchanger,wherein the stationary cooling member is connected to an outlet of the heat exchanger by the first cooling fluid line,wherein the entirety of each of the first cooling fluid line, the second cooling fluid line and the third cooling fluid line is provided outside of the annular drive shaft.
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Abstract
A flywheel is provided with an annular drive shaft and a stationary cooling member for directing a coolant into the drive shaft annulus. Coolant pumped through the cooling member will contact the wall of the annulus to cool the drive shaft and components thermally coupled to the drive shaft. Where the flywheel has an upright axis of rotation with the annulus opening downwardly, coolant falls from the annulus to a sump positioned below the drive shaft.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A cooled flywheel apparatus comprising:
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a flywheel having an annular drive shaft connected to a flywheel rotor, the annular drive shaft extending below the flywheel rotor such that an annulus of the annular drive shaft opens downwardly; a stationary cooling member for directing a coolant into the annulus of the annular drive shaft; and a first cooling fluid line in fluid communication with the cooling member; a sump positioned below and enclosing the annulus of the annular drive shaft, the sump being configured to receive the coolant from the annulus; a coolant pump having an inlet at the sump and an outlet in fluid communication with the first cooling fluid line for pumping the coolant into the cooling member, the pump being positioned below the sump to provide a pressure head at the pump inlet; a second cooling fluid line fluidly connecting the outlet of the cooling pump to a cooling coil; and a third cooling fluid line fluidly connecting the cooling coil to an inlet of a heat exchanger, wherein the stationary cooling member is connected to an outlet of the heat exchanger by the first cooling fluid line, wherein the entirety of each of the first cooling fluid line, the second cooling fluid line and the third cooling fluid line is provided outside of the annular drive shaft. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A cooled flywheel energy storage system comprising:
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a housing having an internal pressure at a partial vacuum; a flywheel contained within the housing, the flywheel having an annular drive shaft; a stationary cooling member for directing a coolant into an annulus of the annular drive shaft; a coolant sump positioned below and enclosing the annulus of the annular drive shaft, the coolant sump being configured to receive the coolant from the annulus; a first cooling fluid line in fluid communication with the cooling member; a pump for pumping the coolant through the first cooling fluid line and the stationary cooling member, the pump being positioned below the coolant sump and the annular drive shaft; a second cooling fluid line fluidly connecting the outlet of the pump to a cooling coil; and a third cooling fluid line fluidly connecting the cooling coil to an inlet of a heat exchanger, wherein the stationary cooling member is connected to an outlet of the heat exchanger by the first cooling fluid line, wherein the entirety of each of the first cooling fluid line, the second cooling fluid line and the third cooling fluid line is provided outside of the annular drive shaft. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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Specification