Multiple ring inertial energy storage wheel with improved inter-ring connector

• US 4,058,024 A
• Filed: 06/09/1976
• Issued: 11/15/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Electric Power Research Institute Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Electric Power Research Institute Incorporated
• Inventors: Gordon, Hayden S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feinberg, Samuel
• Application Number:
  US05/694,257
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 74/572, 74/573, 74/574, 310/67, 310/74, 403/202
• US Class Current: 74/572.11
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 15/00 Construction of rotary bodies to resist centrifugal force flywheels, correction weights F16F15/30, F16F15/32
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2361/55 Flywheel systems in general F16F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/30 Flywheels F16F15/16, F16F15/28 take precedence; suppression of vibrations in rotating systems using elastic members or friction-damping members moving with the system, i.e. split flywheels or single masses connected to a hub by elastic members or friction-damping members F16F15/12; rotary-body aspects in general F16C13/00, F16C15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/025 for power storage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/16 Mechanical energy storage, e.g. flywheels or pressurised fluids
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/40 Radially spaced members joined by independent coupling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/2119 Structural detail, e.g., material, configuration, superconductor, discs, laminated, etc.

Abstract

An inertial energy storage rotor defined by a plurality of independent, concentric rotor rings rotatable about a vertical axis. A spacer ring connects each outer rotor ring to its adjacent inner rotor ring and is constructed of a substantially rigid material. The spacer ring has a cylindrical configuration and a plurality of slots which alternatingly extend from opposing axial ends of the ring towards the opposite end of the ring. The slots terminate short of such opposite end. The spacer ring includes first and second connecting tabs which are disposed at the respective axial ends of the ring for engaging and rotationally interlocking the rings, supporting the outer ring on the inner ring, maintaining the rings concentric with respect to each other, and permitting differential dilations in the rings during high rates of rotation of the wheel.

Claims

1. In an apparatus for storing inertial energy having a rotor defined by a plurality of independent, concentrically arranged rotor rings;

inter-ring spacer means connecting an inner rotor ring to an outer ring and permitting relative, concentric radial movements between the inner and the outer rings to accommodate radial expansions of the rings due to centrifugal forces; and

means for rotating the rotor rings about a common, concentric axis;

the improvement to the inter-ring spacer means comprising;

a spacer ring constructed of a substantially rigid material disposed between an inner ring and an outer ring, the spacer ring having a cylindrical configuration, a plurality of slots alternatingly extending from opposing axial ends of the ring towards the opposite end of the ring and terminating short of such opposite end, and first and second connecting means disposed at the respective axial ends of the ring for engaging the adjacent outer and inner rings, the first and second connecting means being circumferentially offset with respect to each other.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the first and second connecting means comprise radially oriented tabs protruding from the respective axial ends of the spacer ring in opposite directions.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the slots terminate in a slot end proximate to such opposite ring end, and wherein the tabs extend from portions of the ring in substantial axial alignment with the slots.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the means for rotating includes means for rotating the rotor rings about a substantially vertical axis so that the spacer ring is substantially vertically oriented, and wherein the first connecting means comprises a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart tabs protruding in a radially outward direction from a lower end of the spacer ring;

whereby the tabs support the outer rotor ring.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the second connecting means comprises a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart second tabs protruding radially inwardly from an upper end of the spacer ring;

whereby the second tabs engage the inner rotor ring and support the spacer ring and thereby the outer rotor ring from the inner rotor ring.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the first and second tabs are alternatingly offset with respect to each other.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the slots are arranged so as to define a series of interconnected, opposing U-shaped elements, and wherein each of the tabs protrudes from a portion of the U-shaped elements interconnecting adjacent legs of that U-shaped element.

8. An inertial energy storage wheel comprising a plurality of concentric, inertial energy storage rotors, means for supporting an innermost rotor so that its axis is vertically oriented, means for rotating the wheel about a vertical axis concentric with the axes of the rotors, and a spacer ring disposed between each set of adjacent rotors for supporting the outer rotor of each set from the inner rotor of such set and for maintaining the rotors concentric while permitting their radial dilation when subjected to high rates of rotation, the spacer ring being constructed of a metallic material and comprising a multiplicity of opposing, side-by-side and interconnected U-shaped members arranged to define a cylindrical spacer ring, each U-shaped member being defined by a pair of parallel legs and a portion interconnecting one end of the legs so as to define a slot between each pair of legs, adjacent slots alternatingly terminating at opposite axial ends of the spacer ring, a plurality of first and second tab means secured to the interconnecting portions of the U-shaped members at upper and lower end faces of the ring, respectively, the first tab means extending radially inward from the upper end face and the second tab means extending radially outward from the lower end face of the spacer ring, first groove means at an upper end of the inner rotor for snugly nesting the first tab means, and second groove means at a lower end of the outer rotor for snugly receiving the second tab means, whereby the first tab means concentrically positions the spacer ring with respect to the inner rotor and the second tab means concentrically positions the outer rotor with respect to the spacer ring, and whereby the spacer ring further supports the outer ring on the inner ring and the U-shaped members define a continuous, cylindrical, radially resilient spring support accommodating a differential radial expansion between the outer and the inner rotors when subjected to high rates of rotation.

9. A wheel according to claim 8 wherein an outer diameter of the spacer ring is dimensioned to snugly engage an inner diameter of the outer rotor.

10. A wheel according to claim 9 wherein the outer diameter of the relaxed spacer ring slightly exceeds the inner diameter of the unstressed outer rotor.

11. A wheel according to claim 8 wherein the spacer ring has a thickness only slightly less than the width of a gap between the inner and the outer rotors so as to prevent an interference between the rotors and the spacer ring and to thereby enable their assembly by axially moving the rotors and the spacer ring into mutual engagement.

12. An inertial energy storage wheel comprising:

a central, generally disc-shaped hub for rotation about a vertical axis, the hub including a plurality of spaced apart, radially extending peripheral tabs disposed in a common plane;

a first, cylindrical inertial energy storage rotor including upper and lower end faces each including a plurality of radially oriented grooves, the grooves in the lower end face corresponding in number, orientation and dimensioning to the radial tabs of the hub for snugly receiving the tabs to thereby support the first rotor on the hub and position it concentric with respect thereto;

a spacer ring having a generally Z-shaped cross-section defining upper and lower end flanges extending radially inward and outward, respectively, from an intermediate, cylindrical portion having an inner and an outer diameter, the spacer ring including a plurality of first and second slots extending from an upper end face of the spacer ring towards the lower end face thereof, and from the lower end face towards the upper end face, respectively, but terminating short thereof so as to segment the radial flanges into a plurality of inwardly and outwardly extending radial tabs, the inwardly extending tabs being snugly received within the radial grooves in the upper end face of the inner rotor to thereby concentrically position the spacer ring with respect to the inner rotor and support it thereon; and

at least one outer rotor including upper and lower axial end faces, the lower end face of the outer rotor including a plurality of radially oriented grooves dimensioned to snugly receive the outwardly extending tabs of the spacer ring to thereby support the outer rotor on the spacer ring and concentrically position it with respect to the spacer ring, the inner rotor and the hub, the outer rotor having an inner diameter slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the spacer ring in its relaxed state;

whereby upon the rotation of the wheel the outer rotor expands by a greater amount than the inner rotor and the spacer ring is permitted to expand by the same amount as the outer rotor so as to maintain firm contact therewith at all times while the inwardly extending tabs continue to be supported and concentrically positioned by the inner rotor.

13. A wheel according to claim 12 wherein the portion of the slots disposed within the cylindrical portion of the spacer ring have a constant width.

14. A wheel according to claim 13 including an enlarged cutout extending radially through the spacer ring adjacent a blind end of each slot and in communication with such slot.

15. A wheel according to claim 12 wherein the slots define a series of interconnected, alternatingly oppositely oriented U-shaped members, each member being defined by a pair of parallel, axially extending legs and a portion interconnecting adjacent ends of the legs, and wherein the tabs protrude in a radial direction from such interconnecting portion.

16. A wheel according to claim 15 wherein the width of the tabs is less than the width of the corresponding U-shaped member.

17. An inertial energy storage wheel comprising a plurality of concentric, inertial energy storage rotors, means for rotating an innermost rotor about an axis of rotation, and a spacer ring disposed between each set of adjacent rotor rings for supporting and rotationally interconnecting such adjacent rotor rings and for maintaining the rotor rings concentric while permitting their radial dilation when subjected to high rates of rotation, the spacer ring having a generally cylindrical configuration and a plurality of axially oriented slots alternatingly extending from axial end faces of the spacer ring towards an opposite end face to thereby define a plurality of interconnected, circumferentially arranged, generally U-shaped members, the spacer ring being dimensioned so as to engage an inner diameter of the adjacent outer rotor ring at all operating speeds while permitting the outer rotor ring to radially dilate an amount greater than the radial dilation of the inner rotor ring during rotation of the wheel, whereby centrifugal forces developed within the spacer ring are transmitted to the adjacent outer rotor ring to form a frictional interlock between the spacer ring and the outer rotor ring and to thereby counteract the generation of inter-ring vibrations during the rotation of the wheel.