High-voltage flywheel energy storage system

• US 9,083,207 B1
• Filed: 01/10/2014
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bc New Energy (Tianjin) Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Temporal Power, Ltd.
• Inventors: Veltri, Jeffrey A., MacNeil, Cody J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hanh
• Application Number:
  US14/152,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20150200578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 310/74, 310/43
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 3/40 for high voltage, e.g. affording protection against corona discharges
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 3/44 Protection against moisture or chemical attack; Windings specially adapted for operation in liquid or gas
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/08 Insulating casings
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/12 specially adapted for operating in liquid or gas combined with cooling arrangements H02K9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/22 Auxiliary parts of casings not covered by groups H02K5/06-H02K5/20, e.g. shaped to form connection boxes or terminal boxes
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/025 for power storage
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/09 with magnetic bearings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/16 Mechanical energy storage, e.g. flywheels or pressurised fluids

Abstract

A high-voltage flywheel energy storage system to prevent ionization, plasma formation, and electrical are discharge and corresponding method are provided. The high-voltage flywheel energy storage system prevents ionization, plasma formation, and electrical are discharge by isolating the motor windings and motor end windings from the partial vacuum environment existing in the flywheel housing.

Claims

1. A high-voltage flywheel energy storage system comprising:

a flywheel located in a flywheel housing, wherein an interior pressure of the flywheel housing is reduced below atmospheric pressure;

a motor/generator retained in a motor/generator housing adjacent and exterior to the flywheel housing, the motor/generator comprising;

a rotor connected to the flywheel, and

a stator including a motor winding; and

an ionization avoidance barrier that prevents plasma formation in the motor winding by isolating the motor winding from the reduced interior pressure of the flywheel housing.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein an interior pressure of a portion of the motor/generator housing is equal to the interior pressure of the flywheel housing.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the rotor resides in the portion of the motor/generator housing.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein a fluid passageway extends between the flywheel housing and the portion of the motor/generator housing.

5. A high-voltage flywheel energy storage system comprising:

a flywheel located in a flywheel housing, wherein an interior pressure of the flywheel housing is reduced below atmospheric pressure;

a motor/generator retained in a motor/generator housing adjacent the flywheel housing, the motor/generator comprising;

a rotor connected to the flywheel, and

a stator including a motor winding; and

an ionization avoidance barrier that prevents plasma formation in the motor winding by isolating the motor winding from the reduced interior pressure of the flywheel housing,

wherein an interior pressure of a portion of the motor/generator housing is ambient air pressure.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein an interior pressure of a second portion of the motor/generator housing is equal to the interior pressure of the flywheel housing.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the rotor resides in the second portion of the motor/generator housing.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein a fluid passageway extends between the flywheel housing and the second portion of the motor/generator housing.