Flywheel Link Member Isolating Drive System Vibration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flywheel systems face challenges with translational movement relative to the flywheel drive system, leading to fluid mixing, vibration, and torque spikes, which compromise sealing performance, cause noise, and potentially damage components.
Innovation Solution
A flywheel system incorporating a link member, such as a quill shaft, that allows relative radial and axial movement between the flywheel shaft and the drive member, along with damping and sealing arrangements to prevent fluid mixing and absorb torsional vibrations, while providing a mechanical fuse to protect against torque overload.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the flywheel shaft is rigidly coupled to the drive member, then torque transmission is efficient, but translational movement causes fluid mixing and sealing failure
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid coupling is segmented into a flexible coupling that allows relative translational movement between the flywheel shaft and drive member. This segmentation enables the system to accommodate shaft movement while maintaining torque transmission, preventing fluid mixing between the vacuum chamber and drive system.
Solution Approach 2:
A flexible membrane seal is employed to create a barrier that can accommodate relative movement between the flywheel shaft and drive member. The flexible membrane maintains sealing performance while allowing the shaft to move independently, preventing fluid mixing and maintaining vacuum integrity.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If dampers are used to isolate the flywheel from the housing, then vibrations are reduced, but translational movement between shaft and drive system increases
Solution Approach 1:
A flexible coupling acts as an intermediary element between the flywheel shaft and drive member. This intermediary component accommodates translational movement caused by dampers while maintaining the torque transmission path, preventing direct transmission of vibrations to the drive system and maintaining sealing integrity.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If the flywheel shaft is allowed to move relative to the housing, then vibration isolation is achieved, but maintaining a seal between different fluids becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
A flexible membrane seal is used to create a simple yet effective barrier that accommodates shaft movement. This flexible membrane maintains the seal between vacuum-grade oil in the flywheel system and other fluids in the drive system without requiring complex sealing mechanisms.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively isolates the flywheel system from the drive system, preventing fluid mixing, reducing vibrations and torque spikes, and protecting against damage from excessive torques, thereby enhancing the operational stability and efficiency of the flywheel system.
Implementation Method 1
A flywheel system incorporating a link member, such as a quill shaft, that allows relative radial and axial movement between the flywheel shaft and the drive member
Implementation Method 2
along with damping and sealing arrangements to prevent fluid mixing and absorb torsional vibrations
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
A flywheel apparatus for energy storage and recovery typically includes a flywheel system which is coupled to a flywheel drive system (18). The flywheel system comprises a housing (1) within which there is a chamber (1a) in which a flywheel (3) on a shaft (4) rotates. Vibration of the housing (1) or the shaft (4) can result in unsettling noise or damage to the flywheel system. The shaft (4) is therefore mounted on the housing (1) via at least one damper (6, 7) which may allow but constrain and/or damp movement of the flywheel (3) and shaft (4) relative to the housing (1). The flywheel system is provided with a flywheel lubrication system. The flywheel drive system may be supplied with a different type of fluid from the flywheel system. The two fluids may be kept separate by a sealing arrangement (11, 20). Movement of the flywheel shaft (4) relative to the housing (1) is accommodated by a link member (14) which is arranged to allow the flywheel shaft (4) to move relative to the housing (1) without causing damage to the flywheel drive system. The link member (14) also prevents the sealing arrangement (11, 20) from becoming damaged or becoming ineffective, thus preventing the flywheel system fluid and the flywheel drive system fluid from contaminating one another. The link member (14) may also act as a mechanical fuse.