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Energy storage apparatus for storing electrical energy generated by an energy source

  • US 9,787,156 B1
  • Filed: 08/18/2016
  • Issued: 10/10/2017
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2016
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An energy storage apparatus comprising:

  • an energy storage ring for storing kinetic energy of rotation, the energy storage ring comprising a non-magnetic, high permeability, high resistivity levitation rail protruding from an inner peripheral surface of the energy storage ring, a non-magnetic, high permeability, high resistivity centering rail at the inner peripheral surface of the energy storage ring, and a motor/generator reaction rail at the inner peripheral surface of the energy storage ring;

    an assembly comprising a plurality of independent supports, each independent support releasably attachable to a levitation electromagnet such that pole faces of the levitation electromagnet oppose a top protruding surface of the levitation rail of the energy storage ring and releasably attachable to a centering electromagnet such that pole faces of the centering electromagnet oppose a surface of the centering rail of the energy storage ring;

    at least two motor/generators; and

    a control system coupled to the assembly and each of the at least two motor/generator, the control system configured to supply current to each levitation electromagnet of the assembly to generate vertical forces to levitate and vertically stabilize the energy storage ring, to supply current to each centering electromagnet of the assembly to generate radial forces to center and horizontally stabilize the energy storage ring, and to control each of the at least two motor/generators to electromagnetically engage the reaction rail of the energy storage ring and impose a reversible torque on the energy storage ring to enable bi-directional transfer of electrical energy from an energy source external to the energy storage ring into kinetic energy of rotation of the energy storage ring and subsequent recovery of electrical energy from the kinetic energy of rotation of the energy storage ring.

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