Flywheel-based energy storage methods and apparatus
First Claim
1. An energy storage device, comprising:
- a housing;
a shaft assembly comprising a shaft which defines an axis, contained within the housing and attached thereto;
a first flywheel adapted to rotate around said axis, comprising a plurality of tube assemblies substantially parallel to said axis; and
a second flywheel adapted to rotate around said axis in a direction counter to the direction of the first flywheel, comprising a plurality of tube assemblies substantially parallel to said axis;
wherein the shaft of the shaft assembly comprises a substantially radial portion and two substantially cylindrical axial portions and the shaft assembly further comprises;
at least one magnetic shaft bearing adjacent the radial portion of the shaft; and
at least one magnetic shaft sleeve substantially surrounding the axial portions of the shaft.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Flywheel-based energy storage devices, with methods for their use and fabrication. The devices have the capacity to store electric energy as kinetic energy and to generate electric energy from the stored kinetic energy. Preferred devices comprise a pair of counter-rotating anisotropic flywheels which are designed to rotate rapidly within an evacuated housing. The flywheels comprise a lightweight hub and a circumferentially-wound fiber rim. The hub and rim are fabricated from materials having high tensile strength and are connected with systems of novel tube assemblies positioned around the hub parallel to the axis of rotation. The flywheels are principally supported by magnetic bearings and are further stabilized during rotation by a self-restoring liquid bearing system.
-
Citations
51 Claims
-
1. An energy storage device, comprising:
-
a housing; a shaft assembly comprising a shaft which defines an axis, contained within the housing and attached thereto; a first flywheel adapted to rotate around said axis, comprising a plurality of tube assemblies substantially parallel to said axis; and a second flywheel adapted to rotate around said axis in a direction counter to the direction of the first flywheel, comprising a plurality of tube assemblies substantially parallel to said axis; wherein the shaft of the shaft assembly comprises a substantially radial portion and two substantially cylindrical axial portions and the shaft assembly further comprises; at least one magnetic shaft bearing adjacent the radial portion of the shaft; and at least one magnetic shaft sleeve substantially surrounding the axial portions of the shaft. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 15, 16)
-
-
6. An energy storage device, comprising:
-
a housing; a shaft assembly comprising a shaft which defines an axis, contained within the housing and attached thereto; a first flywheel adapted to rotate around said axis, comprising a plurality of tube assemblies substantially parallel to said axis; and a second flywheel adapted to rotate around said axis in a direction counter to the direction of the first flywheel, comprising a plurality of tube assemblies substantially parallel to said axis; wherein the first flywheel and the second flywheel individually comprise; a hub including; a magnetic bearing sleeve; a core material substantially surrounding the outer periphery of the bearing sleeve, a portion of the core material forming a portion of the first face and the second face of the flywheel; a first magnetic ring contained within the portion of the core material which forms the first face of the flywheel; and a second magnetic ring contained within the portion of the core material which forms the second face of the flywheel; and a collar substantially surrounding the outer periphery of the core material; a plurality of tube assemblies positioned around the outer periphery of the hub; and a first rim positioned around the outer periphery of the tube assemblies. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18)
-
-
19. An energy storage device, comprising:
-
a housing; a shaft assembly comprising a shaft which defines an axis, contained within the housing and attached thereto; a first flywheel adapted to rotate around said axis, comprising a plurality of tube assemblies substantially parallel to said axis; a second flywheel adapted to rotate around said axis in a direction counter to the direction of the first flywheel, comprising a plurality of tube assemblies substantially parallel to said axis; and permanent magnets contained within the tube assemblies. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
-
-
22. An energy storage device, comprising:
-
a housing; a shaft assembly comprising a shaft which defines an axis, contained within the housing and attached thereto; a first flywheel adapted to rotate around said axis, comprising; a hub; a plurality of tube assemblies positioned substantially parallel to said axis around the outer periphery of the hub; and a first rim comprising wound fiber positioned around the outer periphery of the tube assemblies; a second flywheel adapted to rotate around said axis in a direction counter to the direction of the first flywheel, comprising; a hub; a plurality of tube assemblies positioned substantially parallel to said axis around the outer periphery of the hub; and a first rim comprising wound fiber positioned around the outer periphery of the tube assemblies; a plurality of tube assemblies positioned around the outer periphery of the first rim; and a second rim comprising wound fiber positioned around the tube assemblies and the first rim. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
-
-
28. A process for generating electric energy, comprising the steps of:
-
providing an energy storage device which comprises; a housing; a shaft assembly comprising a shaft which defines an axis, contained within the housing and attached thereto; a first flywheel adapted to rotate around said axis, comprising a plurality of tube assemblies substantially parallel to said axis; a second flywheel adapted to rotate around said axis in a direction counter to the direction of the first flywheel, comprising a plurality of tube assemblies substantially parallel to said axis; and transfer means for transferring energy into and out of the energy storage device, comprising; at least one permanent magnet within each of the first flywheel and the second flywheel; and at least one electromagnet in electromagnetic communication with the permanent magnet; and rotating the first flywheel and the second flywheel, thereby generating an electric potential between the permanent magnet and the electromagnet; wherein the permanent magnet is within at least one of the tube assemblies.
-
-
29. A system for connecting a hub with a first rim of wound fiber wherein the hub and first rim are adapted to rotate around a shaft which defines an axis, comprising a plurality of tube assemblies substantially parallel to said axis and in contact with both the outer periphery of the hub and the inner diameter of the first rim, wherein the tube assemblies individually comprise:
-
a tube; and a permanent magnet contained within the tube. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33)
-
-
34. A process for constructing a substantially anisotropic flywheel, comprising the steps of:
-
providing a rim having a predetermined inner diameter; positioning within the rim a hub having a predetermined outer diameter; providing a plurality of tubes which each have a diameter greater than one-half the difference between the rim inner diameter and the hub outer diameter; compressing at least one tube; and placing each tube between the rim and the hub; wherein the hub comprises; a magnetic bearing sleeve; a core material substantially surrounding the outer periphery of the magnetic bearing sleeve, a portion of the core material forming a portion of a first face and a second face of the flywheel; a first magnetic ring contained within the portion of the core material which forms the first face of the flywheel; and a second magnetic ring contained within the portion of the core material which forms the second face of the flywheel; and a collar substantially surrounding the outer periphery of the core material. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
-
-
45. A flywheel adapted to rotate around an axis, which comprises:
-
a hub; a plurality of tube assemblies positioned around the outer periphery of the hub substantially parallel to said axis; and a rim positioned around the outer periphery of the tube assemblies; wherein the hub comprises; a magnetic bearing sleeve; a core material substantially surrounding the outer periphery of the bearing sleeve, a portion of the core material forming a portion of a first face and a second face of the flywheel; and a first magnetic ring contained within the portion of the core material which forms the first face of the flywheel; and a second magnetic ring contained within the portion of the core material which forms the second face of the flywheel; and a collar substantially surrounding the outer periphery of the core material. - View Dependent Claims (46)
-
-
47. A flywheel adapted to rotate around an axis, which comprises:
-
a hub; a plurality of tube assemblies positioned around the outer periphery of the hub substantially parallel to said axis; and a rim positioned around the outer periphery of the tube assemblies; wherein the tube assemblies individually comprise; a tube; and a permanent magnet contained within the tube. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49)
-
-
50. A process for storing energy, comprising the steps of:
-
providing an energy storage device which comprises; a housing; a shaft assembly comprising a shaft which defines an axis, contained within the housing and attached thereto; a first flywheel adapted to rotate around said axis, comprising a plurality of tube assemblies substantially parallel to said axis; a second flywheel adapted to rotate around said axis in a direction counter to the direction of the first flywheel, comprising a plurality of tube assemblies substantially parallel to said axis; and means for transferring energy into and out of the energy storage device, comprising; at least one permanent magnet within at least one of the tube assemblies of each of the first flywheel and the second flywheel, and an electromagnet in electromagnetic communication with the permanent magnet; and providing electromagnetic energy to the transfer means to rotate the first flywheel and the second flywheel.
-
-
51. A flywheel adapted to rotate around an axis, which comprises:
-
a hub; a plurality of tube assemblies positioned around the outer periphery of the hub substantially parallel to said axis; a rim positioned around the outer periphery of the tube assemblies; and at least one permanent magnet positioned between the hub and the rim.
-
Specification