INERTIAL ENERGY STORAGE APPARATUS AND SYSTEM FOR UTILIZING THE SAME

• US 3,683,216 A
• Filed: 02/24/1971
• Issued: 08/08/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Richard F. Post
• Original Assignee: Richard F. Post
• Inventors: Richard, F. Post
• Primary Examiner(s): D. X. Sliney
• Application Number:
  US05/118,227
• Time in Patent Office: 531 Days
• Field of Search: 310/67,74 308/10 74/572 180/54.65 290/30 104/148
• US Class Current: 310/67.00R
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/025 for power storage
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/16 for operation above the critical speed of vibration of the rotating parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/16 Mechanical energy storage, e.g. flywheels or pressurised fluids
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/212 Containing fiber or filament

Abstract

Inertial energy storage apparatus having two contrarotating rotors the fellies of which include a number of thin rings of glass or embedded fiber composite material supported by elastic support means so that the radial separations between adjacent rings produced by centrifugal force do not cause failure of the rotors by mechanical rupture of the ring support means. The materials of the rings are selected from those glasses or composite materials for which the modulus UO, that is the ratio of the maximum tensile strength of the material to twice its density, exceeds 300 Joules per gram. The rotors have alternatormotors in their hubs, by means of which they are brought to speed, and by means of which the inertial energy stored in them is extracted in the form of variable-frequency alternating output voltage. This output voltage is converted by a solid-state cycloconverter to alternating current of selectively variable frequency by means of which to power, for instance, the threephase, squirrel-cage wheel motors of a non-pollution-producing automotive vehicle.

Claims

1. An energy storage rotor for use in an inertial energy storage system, comprising:

a plurality of energy sTorage rings including an outer ring and at least one inner ring the growth of which in response to centrifugal force is unrestrained by said outer ring, and supporting means supporting said rings in operative juxtaposition and permitting the radial separation between adjacent ones of said rings to become greater than their radial separation at standstill.

2. An energy storage rotor as claimed in claim 1 in which at least some of said rings are continuous rings of tensilely isotropic material, the modulus U0 of said at least some of said rings exceeding 300 Joules per gram, where Uo K/2 Rho , K is the ultimate tensile strength of said at least some of said rings in dynes per square centimeter, and Rho is the mean density of said at least some of said rings in grams per cubic centimeter.

3. An energy storage rotor as claimed in claim 2 in which said tensilely isotropic material is fused quartz.

4. An energy storage rotor as claimed in claim 2 in which each of said rings of tensilely isotropic material is provided with at least one surface protective coating.

5. An energy storage rotor as claimed in claim 1 in which at least some of said rings are composite bodies comprising a plurality of elongated fibers embedded in a matrix of bonding material.

6. An energy storage rotor for use in an inertial energy storage system, comprising:

a plurality of rings, the modulus U0 of each of said rings exceeding 300 Joules per gram, where Uo K/2 Rho , K is the ultimate tensile strength of each of said rings in dynes per square centimeter, and Rho is the mean density of each of said rings in grams per cubic centimeter; and

supporting means supporting said rings in operative juxtaposition and permitting the radial separation between adjacent ones of said rings to become greater than their radial separation at standstill.

7. An energy storage rotor as claimed in claim 6 in which at least some of said rings are continuous rings of tensilely isotropic material.

8. An energy storage rotor as claimed in claim 7 in which each of said rings of tensilely isotropic material is provided with at least one surface protective coating.

9. An energy storage rotor as claimed in claim 7 in which said tensilely isotropic material is fused quartz.

10. An energy storage rotor as claimed in claim 6 in which at least some of said rings are composite bodies comprising a plurality of elongated fibers embedded in a matrix of bonding material.

11. An energy storage rotor as claimed in claim 10 in which at least some of said composite bodies comprise fibers of diverse materials.

12. An energy storage rotor as claimed in claim 11 in which said diverse materials are carbon and tungsten.

13. An energy storage rotor for use in an inertial energy storage system, comprising:

a felly comprising a plurality of rings of high strength material maintained in operative juxtaposition by supporting means, said supporting means permitting the radial separation between adjacent ones of said rings to become greater than their radial separation at standstill;

a hub; and

a plurality of spokes, each of said spokes being tapered outwardly so that its maximum dimension at the outer surface of said hub is greater than its maximum dimension at the inner surface of said felly.

14. An energy storage rotor as claimed in claim 13 in which at least some of said rings are continuous rings of tensilely isotropic material, the modulus U0 of said at least some of said rings exceeding 300 Joules per gram, where Uo K/2 Rho , K is the ultimate tensile strength of said at least some of said rings in dynes per square centimeter, and Rho is the mean density of said at least some of said rings in grams per cubic centimeter.

15. An inertial energy storage system, comprising:

an inertial energy storage rotOr, a spindle, at least one magnetic bearing by means of which said rotor is journalled on said spindle, and a dynamoelectric machine comprising rotor structure and stator structure, the rotor structure of said dynamoelectric machine being mounted in said energy storage rotor, and the stator structure of said dynamoelectric machine being mounted in said spindle, said dynamoelectric machine being capable of both motor action and dynamo action.

16. An inertial energy storage system as claimed in claim 15 in which said energy storage rotor is mounted in an at least partially evacuated chamber and said chamber is disposed in a slurry of crushable particles in a liquid medium.

17. An inertial energy storage system as claimed in claim 16 in which the density of said slurry is such that the buoyancy factor of said chamber with respect thereto is slightly negative.

18. An energy storage rotor for use in an energy storage system, comprising:

a plurality of energy storage rings, and supporting means disposed between said rings and supporting said rings in operative juxtaposition, said supporting means being so constructed and arranged as to expand radially in response to centrifugal force resulting from the rotation of said rotor.

19. An energy storage rotor for use in an energy storage system, comprising:

a plurality of energy storage rings, and supporting means disposed between said rings and supporting said rings in operative juxtaposition, said supporting means being so constructed and arranged as to expand in response to centrifugal force resulting from the rotation of said rotor, said supporting means comprising wall means, said wall means defining sealed cells, the walls of said sealed cells nearest the axis of said rotor including thick displaceable portions and thin displaceable portions; and

fluid filling said sealed cells;

the relative areas and thicknesses of said thick wall portions and said thin wall portions being so selected that the centrifugal force acting on said thick wall portions, transmitted through said fluid, forces said thin wall portions toward the axis of said rotor, thus causing the overall radial thickness of said supporting means to increase at least enough to compensate for the corresponding increase in the separation between said rings brought about by centrifugal force.