Device for cooling a bearing; flywheel energy storage system using such a bearing cooling device and methods related thereto
First Claim
1. A heat transferring device for thermally communicating heat energy being produced by a heat producing device of one of an apparatus or system to a heat sink, where the heat energy being generated by the heat producing device is un-useable heat energy with respect to the apparatus or system, said heat transferring device comprising:
- a flexible thermally conductive member, a first end of which is thermally coupled to the heat producing device, and a second end of which is thermally coupled to the heat sink.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Featured is a heat transferring device being configured and arranged so that at least some of the heat energy being generated by a heat producing device, such as the a bearing assembly of a flywheel energy storage system, is communicated directly from the locus of the device directly to a heat sink structure remote from the locus of the device. The heat-transferring device includes one or more flexible thermally conductive members, one end of each being thermally coupled to the heat generating device and the other end of each being thermally coupled to the heat sink. The flexible member also is configured and arranged so as to allow relative motion between the heat generating device and the heat sink in or about one or more directions or axes. The heat-transferring device further includes first and second conductive members that are each configured and arranged to thermally couple each flexible member end to one of the heat producing device and the heat sink.
-
Citations
104 Claims
-
1. A heat transferring device for thermally communicating heat energy being produced by a heat producing device of one of an apparatus or system to a heat sink, where the heat energy being generated by the heat producing device is un-useable heat energy with respect to the apparatus or system, said heat transferring device comprising:
a flexible thermally conductive member, a first end of which is thermally coupled to the heat producing device, and a second end of which is thermally coupled to the heat sink. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
22. A heat transferring device for thermally communicating heat energy being produced by a heat producing device of one of an apparatus or system to a heat sink, where the heat energy being generated by the heat producing device is un-useable heat energy with respect to the apparatus or system, said heat transferring device comprising:
-
a first thermally conductive member that is thermally coupled to the heat producing device;
a second thermally conductive member that is thermally coupled to the heat sink;
a third thermally conductive member, a first end of which is thermally coupled to the first thermally conductive member and a second end of which is thermally coupled to the second thermally coupled conductive member;
wherein the third thermally conductive member is configured and arranged so that a majority of the heat energy being generated is communicated to the heat sink via the first, third and second conductive members respectively;
wherein the third thermally conductive member is configured and arranged so as to allow relative motion between the first and second thermally conductive members. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 34, 35, 36, 37)
-
-
33. A heat transferring device for thermally communicating heat energy being produced by a heat producing device of one of an apparatus or system to a heat sink, where the heat energy being generated by the heat producing device is un-useable heat energy with respect to the apparatus or system, said heat transferring device comprising:
-
a first thermally conductive member that is thermally coupled to the heat producing device;
a second thermally conductive member that is thermally coupled to the heat sink;
a plurality or more of third thermally conductive members, a first end of each of the plurality of third thermally conductive members being thermally coupled to the first thermally conductive member and a second end of each of the plurality of third thermally conductive members being thermally coupled to the second thermally coupled conductive member;
wherein each of the plurality of third thermally conductive members is configured and arranged so that a majority of the heat energy being generated is communicated to the heat sink via the first thermally conductive members, the plurality of third thermally conductive members and the second conductive member respectively; and
wherein each of the plurality of third thermally conductive members is configured and arranged so as to yield a structure that allows relative motion between the first and second thermally conductive members.
-
-
38. An apparatus comprising:
-
a heat producing device that generates un-useable heat energy with respect to the apparatus;
a heat transferring device including a flexible thermally conductive member, a first end of which is thermally coupled to the heat producing device, and a second end of which is thermally coupled to a heat sink. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42)
-
-
43. A flywheel energy storage system comprising:
-
a heat producing device that generates un-useable heat energy with respect to the flywheel energy storage system;
a heat transferring device including a flexible thermally conductive member, a first end of which is thermally coupled to the heat producing device, and a second end of which is thermally coupled to a heat sink. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47)
-
-
48. A flywheel energy storage system comprising:
-
a flywheel;
a shaft to which is secured the flywheel;
at least one bearing assembly that rotatably supports the shaft;
a heat sink;
a heat conduction device for said at least one bearing assembly, the heat conduction device including a flexible thermally conductive member, a first end of which is thermally coupled to the at least one bearing assembly, and a second end of which is thermally coupled to a heat sink. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67)
-
-
68. A flywheel energy storage system comprising:
-
a flywheel;
a shaft to which is secured the flywheel;
at least one bearing assembly that rotatably supports the shaft;
a heat sink;
a heat conduction device for said at least one bearing assembly, the heat conduction device including;
a first thermally conductive member that is thermally coupled to said at least one bearing assembly;
a second thermally conductive member that is thermally coupled to the heat sink;
a third thermally conductive member that is thermally coupled to the first and second thermally conductive members such that at least some of the heat energy being generated by said at least one bearing assembly is thermally conducted to the heat sink via the first, third and second conductive members respectively; and
wherein the third thermally conductive member is configured and arranged so as to allow relative motion between the first and second thermally conductive members. - View Dependent Claims (69, 70, 71, 72, 73)
-
-
74. A flywheel energy storage system comprising:
-
a flywheel;
a shaft to which is secured the flywheel;
at least one bearing assembly that rotatably supports the shaft;
a heat sink;
a heat conduction device for said at least one bearing assembly, the heat conduction device including;
a first thermally conductive member that is thermally, conductively interconnected to said at least one bearing assembly;
a second thermally conductive member that is thermally, conductively interconnected to the heat sink;
a multiplicity of arcuate, flexible, thermally, conductive elements, each conductive element extending between, and being thermally interconnected to, the first and second thermally conductive members such that at least some of the heat energy being generated by the bearing assembly is thermally conducted to the heat sink via the first conductive member, the multiplicity of conductive elements and the second conductive member respectively;
wherein each conductive element is a flexible multi-strand cable, each strand be made from a thermally conductive material; and
wherein the multiplicity of conductive elements are configured and arranged so as to yield a structure that allows relative motion between the first and second thermally conductive members. - View Dependent Claims (75, 76)
-
-
77. A method for dissipating un-useable heat energy being generated by a heat producing device comprising:
-
thermally interconnecting the heat producing device to a heat sink; and
wherein said step of thermally interconnecting includes;
providing a flexible thermally conductive member being configured and arranged so as to allow relative motion between the heat producing device and a portion of the heat sink, first thermally coupling a first end of the flexible thermally conductive member to the heat producing device, and second thermally coupling a second end of the flexible thermally conductive members to the heat sink. - View Dependent Claims (78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86)
-
-
87. A method for dissipating heat energy being generated by a bearing comprising the step of thermally interconnecting the bearing to a heat sink, said step of thermally interconnecting including:
-
first thermally conductively interconnecting a first thermally conductive member to the bearing;
second thermally conductively interconnecting a second thermally conductive member to the heat sink;
third thermally conductively interconnecting a third thermally conductive member to the first and second thermally conductive members such that at least some of the heat energy being generated by the bearing is thermally conducted to the heat sink via the first, third and second conductive members respectively; and
configuring the third thermally conductive member so as to allow relative motion between the first and second thermally conductive members. - View Dependent Claims (88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97)
-
-
98. A method for dissipating heat energy being generated by a bearing comprising the step of thermally interconnecting at least one heat conduction device to the bearing and to a heat sink, such that at least some of the heat energy being generated by the bearing is thermally conducted to the heat sink via said at least one heat conduction device, each of said at least one heat conduction device includes:
-
a first thermally conductive member that is thermally, conductively interconnected to the bearing;
a second thermally conductive member that is thermally, conductively interconnected to the heat sink;
a third flexible, thermally conductive member that is thermally, conductively interconnected to the first and second thermally conductive members such that the at least some of the heat energy being generated by the bearing is thermally conducted to the heat sink via the first, third and second conductive members respectively; and
wherein the third flexible, thermally conductive member is configured and arranged so as to allow relative axial and radial motion between the first and second thermally conductive members. - View Dependent Claims (99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104)
-
Specification