Anti-gravity levitation flywheel type power storage device
By integrating the flywheel with the rotation axis parallel to gravitational load and rotating it 180 degrees, the device levitates and operates without contact or resistance, addressing complexity and failure issues in conventional superconducting flywheel power storage devices.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- 小山央二
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-21
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-02
AI Technical Summary
Conventional superconducting flywheel power storage devices require complex support mechanisms and are prone to failure if cooling systems malfunction, limiting contactless rotational operation and connection points.
The flywheel is integrated with the rotation axis parallel to gravitational load and rotated 180 degrees to reverse orientation, leveraging the anti-gravity effect of a superconductor to levitate and operate without contact or resistance.
The flywheel achieves stable, contactless rotation by leveraging the anti-gravity effect, ensuring operation even if cooling fails, and simplifies connections by eliminating the need for external support.
Smart Images
Figure 2026090157000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a flywheel-type bearingless rotational energy storage device that utilizes the anti-gravity air suspension effect of a rotating shaft directly connected to a flywheel of a high-temperature superconducting flywheel-type power storage device.
Background Art
[0002] Conventionally, a superconducting bearing of a superconducting flywheel-type power storage device is composed of a cylindrical heat-insulating container that houses a superconductor, a proximity laminated cylindrical ring-shaped permanent magnet that penetrates the inside of the container in a cylindrical shape, and an integrated rotating shaft that penetrates and fixes the magnet. Also, the flywheel is fixed to the rotating shaft, and when charging, the flywheel is rotated by the electrical energy of an electric motor directly connected to the rotating shaft to store energy as kinetic energy, and when discharging, the rotational kinetic energy of the flywheel is converted into electrical energy by a generator, and electricity is taken out and used when necessary.
Disclosure of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0003] Therefore, there were the following problems. (i) Conventional superconducting flywheel power storage devices require cooling from a non-superconducting state to a superconducting state using a refrigerant in a cooling device, starting from a state where the superconductor is at room temperature or below its superconducting critical temperature. In this case, it is necessary to cool the stacked cylindrical ring-shaped permanent magnets, which are installed through a cylindrical insulated container, by fixing their position, a process called field cooling. In other words, the superconductor inside the insulated container needs to be cooled below its critical temperature by the action of the refrigerant in the cooling device while the magnetic field lines of the permanent magnets are still penetrating it. In this case, the magnetic field lines of the permanent magnet remain fixed in place, penetrating the superconductor due to the pinning effect. To levitate the superconducting shaft with the flywheel, it is necessary to support the load of the superconducting shaft with a jack or the like while it is cooling, and after it has cooled to the critical temperature of the superconductor, the jack must be removed from the rotating shaft, and the flywheel must be allowed to levitate and rotate due to the pinning effect of the superconductor. Furthermore, the device for supporting the flywheel rotating shaft with a jack is complex, and it is necessary to connect an electric motor and a generator above and below the rotating shaft, which limits the number of connection points and makes connection difficult. (b) In conventional superconducting flywheel type power storage devices, if the power supply to the cooling system for the superconducting bearings fails, or if the cooling system malfunctions and the cooling temperature of the superconductors in the superconducting bearings rises above the critical temperature, the superconducting flywheel rotating shaft will no longer be able to levitate, and the rotating shaft will descend due to gravity, making it impossible to perform contactless, resistance-free rotational operation of the superconducting bearings. In such a case, there was a problem in that it was difficult to return to the normal superconducting state. [Means for solving the problem]
[0004] (i) With respect to the superconducting flywheel type power storage device, the flywheel, which is integrated with the rotation axis of the superconducting bearing, is installed with its longitudinal direction parallel to the direction of the gravitational load and perpendicular to the ground surface. Then, the superconductor inside the superconducting bearing is cooled from a non-superconducting state to below the critical temperature by the refrigerant of the superconducting bearing cooling device, thereby making the superconductor inside the superconducting bearing superconducting. After that, the superconducting flywheel device is operated in a state where the rotation axis of the superconducting bearing, which is integrated with the flywheel, is rotated 180 degrees so as to reverse the top and bottom, and the flywheel device is operated with the shaft of the superconducting bearing and the flywheel levitating in the air. (b) With respect to a high-temperature superconducting flywheel type power storage device, the flywheel, which is integrated with the rotation axis of the superconducting bearing, is installed with its longitudinal direction parallel to the direction of the gravitational load and perpendicular to the ground surface. Then, the superconductor inside the superconducting bearing is cooled from a non-superconducting state to below the critical temperature by a refrigerant in the cooling device for the superconducting bearing, thereby making the superconductor inside the superconducting bearing superconducting. After that, the superconducting flywheel device is operated in a state where the rotation axis of the superconducting bearing, which is integrated with the flywheel, is rotated 180 degrees so as to reverse the top and bottom, and the flywheel device is operated with the shaft of the superconducting bearing and the flywheel levitating in the air. [Effects of the Invention]
[0005] (i) After the superconducting bearing has cooled, if the rotation axis of the superconducting bearing, which is integrated with the flywheel, is rotated 180 degrees vertically to reverse the orientation of the rotation axis, the shaft of the superconducting bearing will descend by several millimeters due to the bearing load of the flywheel. This action will cause the flywheel shaft to levitate completely, and it will be able to rotate without contact or resistance due to the anti-gravity effect of the flywheel. [Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention]
[0006] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. (i) A flywheel (4) is placed inside a flywheel vacuum chamber (5), and a rotating shaft (2) for rotating the flywheel (4) is fixed vertically to the center of the flywheel (4). The rotational kinetic energy of the flywheel (4) is transferred in and out by electric motors and generators connected above and below the rotating shaft (2). (b) The rotation axis (2) of the flywheel (4) passes through the center of the cylindrical flywheel vacuum vessel (5), with a vacuum shield in place. A ring-shaped stacked permanent magnet (6) is fixed to the rotation axis (2). (h) A superconductor (3) is placed on the outer circumference of the ring-shaped stacked permanent magnet (6), and the magnetic field lines of the ring-shaped stacked permanent magnet (6) penetrate the superconductor (3). When the superconductor (3) is cooled below its critical temperature, the magnetic field lines are fixed by a pinning effect. The present invention has the main configuration described above, and by operating this device, the flywheel (4) is made to float in the air, and rotational motion is made without contact or resistance by an electric motor and a generator connected to the top and bottom of the rotating shaft (2), thereby utilizing the kinetic energy of the flywheel (4) by taking it in and out. The ring-shaped stacked permanent magnet (6) and the flywheel (4), which are fixed to the rotating shaft (2), are pulled downward by gravity at room temperature below the critical temperature of the superconductor (3). The lower part of the flywheel (4) is in contact with the flywheel vacuum chamber (5), and the flywheel (4) is fixed in this state. Since it is not floating in the air, it is not possible to rotate the flywheel (4) using an electric motor and a generator. With the rotation axis (2) of the flywheel (4) lowered by gravity, the superconductor (3) of the superconducting bearing (1) of the superconducting flywheel type power storage device is cooled below the critical temperature of the superconductor by a coolant such as helium gas in an attached cooling device, thereby making the superconductor (3) superconducting. At this time, the rotation axis (2) fixed to the ring-shaped stacked permanent magnet (6) and the flywheel (4) are fixed in place by the pinning effect of the superconductor (3). Next, in this state, the entire superconducting flywheel device is inverted upside down. The flywheel (4), which is fixed to the ring-shaped stacked permanent magnet (6), has its magnetic field lines fixed within the superconductor (3) due to the pinning effect of the superconductor (3), but the assembly of the flywheel (4), which is fixed to the rotation axis (2), and the ring-shaped stacked permanent magnet (6) floats in the air, having descended a few millimeters due to gravity. The pinning effect of the superconductor (3) causes the rotating shaft (2), the ring-shaped laminated permanent magnet (6), and the flywheel (4) to levitate and remain fixed in the air. When the rotating shaft (2), flywheel (4), and ring-shaped laminated permanent magnet (6) rotate together, if the magnetic flux density of the magnetic field lines of the ring-shaped laminated permanent magnet (6), which is fixed through the superconductor (3) of the superconducting bearing (1), does not change, it can be rotated without contact or resistance. In this state, it can be said that this superconducting flywheel-type power storage device can be operated by anti-gravity. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0007] [Figure 1] A side view of the present invention with a portion cut out. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0008] 1 Superconducting bearing 2 rotation axes 3 Superconductors 4 Flywheel 5. Flywheel Vacuum Vessel 6. Ring-shaped stacked permanent magnets
Claims
1. The present invention relates to a superconducting flywheel type power storage device, and is characterized by the following steps: first, the rotation axis of the flywheel, which is integrated with the rotation axis of the superconducting bearing, is installed so that its longitudinal direction is parallel to the direction of the gravitational load and perpendicular to the ground surface; then, the superconductor inside the superconducting bearing is cooled from a non-superconducting state to below the critical temperature by a refrigerant in the superconducting bearing cooling device to make the superconductor inside the superconducting bearing superconducting; and then, the superconducting flywheel device is operated in a state where it is rotated 180 degrees so as to reverse the upper and lower orientation of the rotation axis of the superconducting bearing integrated with the flywheel.
2. The present invention relates to a high-temperature superconducting flywheel type power storage device, and is characterized by the following steps: first, the rotation axis of the flywheel, which is integrated with the rotation axis of the superconducting bearing, is installed with its longitudinal direction parallel to the direction of the gravitational load and perpendicular to the ground surface; then, the superconductor inside the superconducting bearing is cooled from a non-superconducting state to below the critical temperature by a refrigerant in the superconducting bearing cooling device to make the superconductor inside the superconducting bearing superconducting; and then, the superconducting flywheel device is operated in a state where it is rotated 180 degrees so as to reverse the upper and lower orientation of the rotation axis of the superconducting bearing integrated with the flywheel.