Self-adaptive damping and bionic self-balancing integrated flywheel rotor

Abstract

According to the self-adaptive damping and bionic self-balancing integrated flywheel rotor provided by the embodiment of the invention, due to the fact that the bionic multi-cavity self-balancing module does not need external regulation and control, dynamic unbalance can be compensated in real time, the dynamic unbalance far exceeds a traditional active regulation and control scheme, and vibration aggravation and bearing abrasion caused by unbalance are effectively avoided. The magnetorheological elastomer damping layer can adjust the shear modulus in a self-adaptive mode according to the vibration state, an additional external damping device is not needed, the self-repairing protection layer can conduct in-situ self-repairing on microcracks, and a brand new technical path is provided for engineering application of a flywheel energy storage system with the high rotating speed, the long service life and the high reliability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of flywheel energy storage technology, and in particular to an integrated flywheel rotor with adaptive damping and biomimetic self-balancing. Background Technology

[0002] In flywheel energy storage systems, the flywheel rotor, as the core component for kinetic energy storage and transfer, needs to operate stably for extended periods at high speeds of 10,000 to 30,000 revolutions per minute. Its performance directly determines the overall reliability, service life, and maintenance costs of the system. Currently, industry optimization of flywheel rotor design largely focuses on mechanical connection structures, improving the performance of individual materials, or modifying local functions. A comprehensive and effective integrated technical solution to address dynamic imbalance, impact vibration, and micro-damage accumulation has not yet been developed, primarily facing the following three technical bottlenecks: I. Dynamic imbalance control suffers from response lag and insufficient reliability. Existing active control schemes rely on a closed-loop system composed of sensors, processors, and actuators. This system faces severe challenges from strong centrifugal forces and electromagnetic interference in high-speed rotation environments, leading to a high failure rate of electronic components. Simultaneously, the inherent delay of 50-100 milliseconds in signal transmission and execution makes it difficult to suppress instantaneous imbalances in real time. Furthermore, static balance calibration before delivery cannot compensate for dynamic imbalances caused by material fatigue and microscopic deformation during long-term rotor operation. When the accumulated imbalance exceeds 0.3 g·mm, it will induce radial vibration displacement exceeding 0.1 mm, significantly accelerating bearing wear.

[0003] II. The integration and adaptability of impact vibration attenuation schemes are inadequate. To suppress resonance generated during rotor start-up, shutdown, or sudden load changes, existing technologies typically require the addition of external vibration damping devices. This not only increases the system volume by approximately 30%, but also easily introduces new unbalanced excitations due to installation coaxiality deviations. Furthermore, vibration damping devices with fixed performance parameters are difficult to adapt to vibration frequency variations over a wide speed range, resulting in vibration attenuation rates generally below 50%. Impact energy is transferred to the connection interface, causing the stress concentration factor to increase to 1.8-2.2.

[0004] Third, there is a lack of active suppression mechanisms for the accumulation of micro-damage. During long-term high-speed operation, flywheel rotors are prone to developing microcracks with a width of ≤0.1mm due to centrifugal force cyclic loads and micro-vibration friction. Current technologies mainly rely on periodic shutdown inspections or the application of surface-strengthening coatings. The former cannot achieve real-time damage suppression; the latter, due to the mismatch in thermal expansion coefficients between the coating and the substrate material, is prone to interface peeling, which accelerates damage evolution and shortens the rotor fatigue life to 5,000-8,000 hours.

[0005] Current technological improvements are mostly focused on single-point optimization, lacking system-level synergy. The industry has yet to develop an integrated rotor design that can achieve no external control, multi-functional synergy, and wide-condition adaptability, which has become a core technological bottleneck restricting the development of flywheel energy storage systems towards higher speeds and longer lifespans. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This invention provides an integrated flywheel rotor with adaptive damping and biomimetic self-balancing to solve existing problems.

[0007] This invention provides an integrated flywheel rotor with adaptive damping and biomimetic self-balancing, comprising: a flywheel rotor body, a biomimetic multi-chamber self-balancing module, a magnetorheological elastomer adaptive damping layer, and a self-healing protective layer; The biomimetic multi-chamber self-balancing module is integrated into the flywheel rotor body and is used to compensate for dynamic imbalance in real time during the rotation of the flywheel rotor body. The magnetorheological elastomer adaptive damping layer is composited on the outer circumferential surface of the flywheel rotor body and the end cap connection, and is used to adjust the shear modulus according to the vibration state of the flywheel rotor body to attenuate impact vibration. The self-healing protective layer is wrapped around the outside of the magnetorheological elastomer adaptive damping layer and is used for in-situ self-healing of microcracks.

[0008] In one possible implementation, the biomimetic multi-chamber self-balancing module includes a sealed chamber arranged in a pre-defined number of layers in a ring array along the radial direction of the flywheel rotor body. Each layer has a pre-defined number of sector-shaped chambers, and the angle between the axis of each sector-shaped chamber and the rotation axis of the flywheel rotor body is a pre-defined angle.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the preset number of layers is 3-4 layers, and the preset quantity is 12-16.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the sealed chamber is filled with a perfluoropolyether inert liquid and a plurality of magnetic mass balls made of neodymium iron boron alloy. The magnetic mass balls roll to the unbalanced reverse position under the combined force of centrifugal force and unbalanced inertial force, thereby achieving weight compensation.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the magnetorheological elastomer adaptive damping layer uses methyl vinyl silicone rubber as the matrix material and uniformly disperses nano-scale carbonyl iron powder of a predetermined mass fraction, and is composited onto the surface of the flywheel rotor body through a hot pressing process.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the preset mass fraction is 30%-40% mass fraction.

[0013] In one possible implementation, a ring-shaped Helmholtz coil is pre-embedded inside the adaptive damping layer of the magnetorheological elastomer. When the ring-shaped Helmholtz coil is energized with a current within a preset range, the shear modulus of the magnetorheological elastomer is adjustable within the preset range.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the annular Helmholtz wire is configured such that: when the rotor is running stably, a first preset value of current is applied to maintain a first preset shear modulus state; when impact vibration is detected, the current is automatically increased to a second preset value through electromagnetic induction, switching to a second preset shear modulus state to enhance damping performance; wherein, the first preset value is less than the second preset value, and the first preset shear modulus state is less than the second preset modulus state.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the self-healing protective layer is a self-healing ceramic matrix composite material layer of a preset thickness. When a microcrack with a width smaller than the preset width is generated, the water vapor in the environment reacts with the self-healing agent contained in the self-healing ceramic matrix composite material layer to generate ettringite crystals, thereby sealing the crack and restoring its mechanical properties.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the surface roughness of the self-healing protective layer is ≤Ra 0.8 μm.

[0017] In this embodiment of the invention, the biomimetic multi-chamber self-balancing module requires no external control and can compensate for dynamic imbalances in real time, far exceeding traditional active control schemes. This effectively avoids aggravated vibration and bearing wear caused by imbalance. The magnetorheological elastomer damping layer can adaptively adjust its shear modulus according to the vibration state, eliminating the need for additional external damping devices. The self-healing protective layer can perform in-situ self-repair of microcracks. This invention provides a novel technical path for the engineering application of high-speed, long-life, and highly reliable flywheel energy storage systems. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention. In the drawings: Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an integrated flywheel rotor with adaptive damping and biomimetic self-balancing provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 A partially enlarged view of a biomimetic multi-chamber self-balancing module provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of a magnetorheological elastomer adaptive damping layer provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure label: 1-Flywheel rotor body; 2-Bionic multi-chamber self-balancing module; 21-Sealed chamber; 22-Inert liquid; 23-Magnetic mass sphere; 3-Magnetorheological elastomer adaptive damping layer; 31-Magnetorheological elastomer matrix; 32-Carbonyl iron powder; 33-Helmholtz coil; 4-Self-healing protective layer; 5-End cap. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described herein can be combined with each other.

[0021] The following detailed description is exemplary and intended to provide further detailed explanation of the invention. Unless otherwise specified, all technical terms used in this invention have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The terminology used in this invention is for describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of exemplary embodiments according to the invention.

[0022] Example 1: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an integrated flywheel rotor with adaptive damping and biomimetic self-balancing, provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of an integrated flywheel rotor. The adaptively damped and biomimetic self-balancing integrated flywheel rotor includes: a flywheel rotor body 1, a biomimetic multi-chamber self-balancing module 2, a magnetorheological elastomer adaptive damping layer 3, and a self-healing protective layer 4. The biomimetic multi-chamber self-balancing module 2 is integrated into the flywheel rotor body 1 and is used to compensate for dynamic imbalance in real time during the rotation of the flywheel rotor body 1. The magnetorheological elastomer adaptive damping layer 3 is composited on the outer circumferential surface of the flywheel rotor body 1 and the end cap connection, and is used to adjust the shear modulus according to the vibration state of the flywheel rotor body 1 to attenuate impact vibration. The self-healing protective layer 4 covers the outside of the magnetorheological elastomer adaptive damping layer 3 and is used for in-situ self-repair of microcracks.

[0023] In this embodiment of the invention, to collaboratively address dynamic imbalance, impact vibration, and micro-damage accumulation, the integrated flywheel rotor, in addition to the flywheel rotor body 1, also includes a biomimetic multi-chamber self-balancing module 2, a magnetorheological elastomer adaptive damping layer 3, and a self-healing protective layer 4. Through structural integration and material synergy, the biomimetic multi-chamber self-balancing module 2, the magnetorheological elastomer adaptive damping layer 3, and the self-healing protective layer 4 achieve integrated passive intelligent operation of dynamic imbalance compensation, impact vibration suppression, and micro-damage self-repair.

[0024] For example, the biomimetic multi-chamber self-balancing module 2 can achieve passive real-time mass compensation. This biomimetic multi-chamber self-balancing module 2 is integrated inside the flywheel rotor body 1 and is used to compensate for dynamic imbalances in real time during the rotation of the flywheel rotor body 1. Figure 2 This is a partially enlarged view of a biomimetic multi-chamber self-balancing module provided in an embodiment of the present invention. (Refer to...) Figure 2 , Figure 2 The structural details of the sealed chamber 21, the inert liquid 22, and the magnetic mass sphere 23 are shown. Figure 2 It is known that the biomimetic multi-chamber self-balancing module has a predetermined number of sealed chambers 21 arranged in a ring array along the radial direction, with a predetermined number of layers (3-4 layers). Each layer contains a predetermined number of sector-shaped chambers (12-16). The axis of each sector-shaped chamber forms a predetermined angle with the rotation axis of the flywheel rotor body 1 (15°). The total volume accounts for 8%–10% of the volume of the flywheel rotor body 1. Each sealed chamber 21 is filled with a perfluoropolyether inert liquid 22 and multiple magnetic mass spheres 23 made of neodymium iron boron alloy.

[0025] During the high-speed rotation of the flywheel rotor body 1, when dynamic imbalance occurs due to the shift of the center of mass caused by material fatigue, micro-deformation, or localized wear, the combined force of centrifugal force and inertial force drives the magnetic mass ball to roll within the sealed chamber and automatically migrate to the opposite side of the imbalance direction, forming a mass compensation effect. This process is entirely spontaneously completed by physical and mechanical mechanisms, requiring no external sensors to detect the imbalance or a controller to issue adjustment commands. The response delay is close to zero, and it can compensate for a maximum imbalance of 0.5 g·mm, effectively avoiding radial vibration displacement (>0.1 mm) and accelerated bearing wear caused by the accumulation of imbalance. This design simulates the autonomous adjustment mechanism of the inner ear vestibular organ in biological systems to postural imbalance, exhibiting high reliability, long lifespan, and strong environmental adaptability, making it particularly suitable for extreme high-speed conditions of 10,000 to 30,000 revolutions per minute.

[0026] Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of a magnetorheological elastic body adaptive damping layer provided in an embodiment of the present invention, with reference to... Figure 3 , Figure 3The distribution of the magnetorheological elastomer matrix 31, carbonyl iron powder 32, and pre-embedded toroidal Helmholtz coil 33 is shown. This magnetorheological elastomer adaptive damping layer 3 can achieve self-adjustment of stiffness under vibration excitation. Exemplarily, the magnetorheological elastomer adaptive damping layer 3 is composited on the outer circumferential surface of the flywheel rotor body 1 and at the connection point of the rotor end cap 5. In one possible embodiment, the magnetorheological elastomer adaptive damping layer 2 can be composited on the outer circumferential surface of the flywheel rotor body 1 and the connection area of ​​the end cap 5 via a hot-pressing process, serving as a core vibration damping functional layer. The magnetorheological elastomer adaptive damping layer 2 can use methyl vinyl silicone rubber as the magnetorheological elastomer matrix 31, and uniformly disperse a predetermined mass fraction of nano-sized carbonyl iron powder 32. For example, the predetermined mass fraction can be 30%-40% mass fraction. The nano-sized carbonyl iron powder 32 can be composited onto the surface of the flywheel rotor body through a hot pressing process. The magnetorheological elastomer adaptive damping layer 3 has a ring-shaped Helmholtz coil 33 embedded inside, forming a smart composite material system with magnetic field response characteristics. When a current within a first predetermined range is applied to the ring-shaped Helmholtz coil 33, the shear modulus of the magnetorheological elastomer can be adjusted within a second predetermined range. The first predetermined range can be 0-2A, and the second predetermined range can be 0.5-2.5GPa. That is, the shear modulus of the magnetorheological elastomer can be continuously adjusted from 0.5-2.5GPa by a coil current of 0-2A. When the flywheel rotor body 1 is operating stably, the toroidal Helmholtz coil 33 can apply a current of a first preset value to maintain a first preset shear modulus state. When impact vibration is detected, the current is automatically increased to a second preset value through electromagnetic induction, switching to a second preset shear modulus state to enhance damping performance. The first preset value is less than the second preset value, and the first preset shear modulus state is less than the second preset modulus state. For example, the first preset value can be 0.3, and the second preset value can be 2. That is, a small current of about 0.3 A can be applied to maintain the magnetorheological elastomer in a low shear modulus state (about 0.5 GPa), maintaining good flexibility and energy loss characteristics, and reducing unnecessary constraint stress. When the flywheel rotor body 1 undergoes a start-up and shutdown process, a sudden load change, or impact vibration at the critical speed, the magnetic flux change caused by the vibration induces an electromotive force in the coil, generating an additional current, causing the total current to automatically increase to 2 A, thereby enhancing the magnetic field strength, promoting the carbonyl iron powder particles to form a chain structure, and significantly increasing the material's shear modulus to above 2.5 GPa.

[0027] This enables adaptive switching of damping performance: flexible buffering during low vibrations and rigid support during high vibrations, increasing the vibration attenuation rate from 40%–50% in traditional fixed damping schemes to over 85%. The entire adjustment process requires no external signal acquisition or control unit intervention, truly achieving a passive intelligent response of "vibration-induced control." It also eliminates the need for traditional external shock absorbers, reducing the overall system size by over 30%, and completely eliminating the risk of secondary imbalance caused by installation coaxiality errors.

[0028] In this embodiment of the invention, the self-healing protective layer 4 is wrapped around the outside of the magnetorheological elastomer adaptive damping layer 3, enabling in-situ closed-loop repair of microcracks. This self-healing protective layer 4 is a self-healing ceramic matrix composite layer of a preset thickness of 3-5 mm. When a microcrack with a width smaller than the preset width occurs, water vapor in the environment reacts with the self-healing agent contained in the self-healing ceramic matrix composite layer 4 to generate ettringite crystals, achieving crack sealing and restoration of mechanical properties. The preset width can be 0.1 mm. The surface roughness of the self-healing protective layer is controlled within Ra ≤ 0.8 μm, ensuring both aerodynamic smoothness and excellent wear resistance and corrosion resistance.

[0029] The self-healing protective layer 4 contains an encapsulated self-healing agent. During the long-term high-speed operation of the flywheel rotor body 1, if microcracks with a width ≤0.1 mm are generated due to cyclic centrifugal load and micro-area friction and extend to the self-healing protective layer, trace amounts of water vapor in the environment will seep in along the crack channels, triggering a hydration reaction of the self-healing agent to generate ettringite crystal precipitates. These crystals have an expansion and filling effect, which can densely fill the crack gaps and rebuild some chemical bonds at the interface, achieving partial recovery of mechanical properties.

[0030] This mechanism can be activated multiple times, effectively slowing down the crack propagation rate, preventing micro-damage from evolving into macro-fracture, extending the fatigue life of traditional flywheel rotors, and significantly reducing the frequency of periodic shutdowns for inspection and maintenance costs.

[0031] This invention integrates the three functions of "self-balancing, self-damping, and self-repairing" into a single flywheel rotor structure for the first time. These three functions do not exist in isolation, but rather form a synergistic response mechanism through physical field coupling. This integrated flywheel rotor does not require complex external sensors or processors. Through the synergistic effect of material properties and structural design, it achieves passive intelligent operation with dynamic imbalance self-compensation and impact vibration self-attenuation.

[0032] The impact vibration suppression capability of this invention is strong and its adaptability is wide: the magnetorheological elastomer damping layer can adaptively adjust the shear modulus according to the vibration state, increasing the vibration attenuation rate from 40%-50% in traditional solutions to over 85%, and it is compatible with a wide speed range of 5000-30000 rpm, eliminating the need for additional external vibration damping devices and reducing the system volume by more than 30%. Furthermore, this invention operates passively and has high reliability: it requires no sensors, processors, or external actuators throughout the entire process, achieving self-sensing, self-adjustment, and self-stabilization through material properties and structural design, avoiding the risk of electronic component failure, and adapting to the long-term continuous operation requirements of flywheel energy storage systems.

[0033] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and not to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can still be made to the specific implementation of the present invention. Any modifications or equivalent substitutions that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention should be covered within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An integrated flywheel rotor with adaptive damping and biomimetic self-balancing, characterized in that, include: Flywheel rotor body, biomimetic multi-chamber self-balancing module, magnetorheological elastomer adaptive damping layer and self-healing protective layer; The biomimetic multi-chamber self-balancing module is integrated into the flywheel rotor body and is used to compensate for dynamic imbalance in real time during the rotation of the flywheel rotor body. The magnetorheological elastomer adaptive damping layer is composited on the outer circumferential surface of the flywheel rotor body and the end cap connection, and is used to adjust the shear modulus according to the vibration state of the flywheel rotor body to attenuate impact vibration. The self-healing protective layer is wrapped around the outside of the magnetorheological elastomer adaptive damping layer and is used for in-situ self-healing of microcracks.

2. The integrated flywheel rotor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The biomimetic multi-chamber self-balancing module includes a sealed chamber arranged in a pre-defined ring array along the radial direction of the flywheel rotor body. Each layer has a pre-defined number of sector-shaped chambers, and the angle between the axis of each sector-shaped chamber and the rotation axis of the flywheel rotor body is a pre-defined angle.

3. The integrated flywheel rotor as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The preset number of layers is 3-4, the preset quantity is 12-16, and the preset angle is 15°.

4. The integrated flywheel rotor according to claim 2, characterized in that, The sealed chamber is filled with a perfluoropolyether inert liquid and multiple magnetic mass balls made of neodymium iron boron alloy. Under the combined action of centrifugal force and unbalanced inertial force, the magnetic mass balls roll to the unbalanced reverse position to achieve weight compensation.

5. The integrated flywheel rotor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The magnetorheological elastomer adaptive damping layer uses methyl vinyl silicone rubber as the matrix material and uniformly disperses nano-scale carbonyl iron powder of a predetermined mass fraction. It is composited onto the surface of the flywheel rotor body through a hot pressing process.

6. The integrated flywheel rotor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The preset mass fraction is 30%-40%.

7. The integrated flywheel rotor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adaptive damping layer of the magnetorheological elastomer has a ring-shaped Helmholtz coil embedded inside. When the ring-shaped Helmholtz coil is energized with a current within a first preset range, the shear modulus of the magnetorheological elastomer is adjustable within a second preset range.

8. The integrated flywheel rotor according to claim 7, characterized in that, The toroidal Helmholtz coil is configured such that: when the rotor is running stably, a first preset value of current is applied to maintain a first preset shear modulus state; when impact vibration is detected, the current is automatically increased to a second preset value through electromagnetic induction effect, switching to a second preset shear modulus state to enhance damping performance; wherein, the first preset value is less than the second preset value, and the first preset shear modulus state is less than the second preset modulus state.

9. The integrated flywheel rotor as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The self-healing protective layer is a self-healing ceramic matrix composite material layer of a preset thickness. When a microcrack with a width smaller than the preset width is generated, the water vapor in the environment reacts with the self-healing agent contained in the self-healing ceramic matrix composite material layer to generate ettringite crystals, thereby sealing the crack and restoring its mechanical properties.

10. The integrated flywheel rotor as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The surface roughness of the self-healing protective layer is ≤Ra 0.8 μm.

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