Levitated Flywheel Energy Storage with Controlled Electromagnetic Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing levitated ring energy storage devices, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,873,235, face difficulties in maintenance and repair due to uncontrollable magnetic levitation forces, making it challenging to separate the energy storage ring from the stationary support structure, which complicates servicing and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
The energy storage system employs non-magnetic, high permeability, and high electrical resistivity levitation and centering rails, along with electromagnets and motor/generators, allowing for controlled vertical and radial stabilization and bi-directional energy transfer, enabling the energy storage ring to be levitated and rotated for kinetic energy storage and retrieval, with a control system managing the electromagnets and motor/generators to facilitate easy assembly and disassembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If permanent magnets are used to provide magnetic levitation shear force, then the levitation force is continuously provided, but the magnetic levitation force becomes uncontrollable and cannot be turned off, making separation and maintenance difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces permanent magnets with electromagnets to provide magnetic levitation force. This substitution allows the levitation force to be controlled and turned off when needed, enabling easy separation of the energy storage ring from the support structure for maintenance while maintaining continuous levitation during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses electromagnets with controllable current to dynamically adjust the magnetic levitation force. By controlling the current to the electromagnets, the system can provide continuous levitation during operation and easily turn off the force when separation is needed for maintenance, making the system adaptive to different operational states.
2Ease of repair
If very large externally applied forces are used to separate the energy storage ring from the support structure, then separation is achieved, but the forces necessary make repairing and maintaining very difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces permanent magnets with electromagnets, allowing the magnetic levitation force to be controlled and turned off. This eliminates the need for very large externally applied forces to separate the ring, as the magnetic force can be simply deactivated for easy maintenance and repair operations.
3Ease of operation
If non-magnetic high permeability high electrical resistivity materials are used for levitation and centering rails, then controlled levitation and stabilization are achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies particular material properties (non-magnetic, high permeability, high electrical resistivity) for the levitation and centering rails to achieve controlled magnetic interactions. These parameter changes enable precise control of levitation and stabilization while managing the complexity through targeted material selection rather than complex mechanical structures.
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
This solution allows for easier maintenance and operation by providing controlled levitation and stabilization, enabling efficient energy storage and retrieval while simplifying the assembly and disassembly process, thus overcoming the limitations of the existing technologies.
Implementation Method 1
supply current to each levitation electromagnet of the assembly to generate vertical forces to levitate and vertically stabilize the energy storage ring
Implementation Method 2
supply current to each centering electromagnet of the assembly to generate radial forces to center and horizontally stabilize the energy storage ring
Implementation Method 3
control each of the at least two of 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
Data Source
AI summary
A system for storing electrical energy generated by an external energy source that includes a ring for storing kinetic energy of rotation, an assembly a control system, and at least two motors/generators. The assembly includes a plurality of independent supports, each releasably attachable to a levitation electromagnet such that pole faces of the levitation electromagnet oppose a top protruding surface of a levitation rail of the ring and each releasably attachable to a centering electromagnet such that pole faces of the centering electromagnet oppose a surface of the centering rail of the ring. The control system supplies current to each levitation electromagnet to generate vertical forces to levitate and vertically stabilize the ring and to each centering electromagnet to generate radial forces to center and horizontally stabilize the ring. At least two of motor/generators electromagnetically engage a reaction rail of the ring and impose a reversible torque on the ring to enable bi-directional transfer of electrical energy from the energy source to the ring in the form of kinetic energy of rotation of the ring, and subsequent recovery of electrical energy from the kinetic energy of rotation of the ring.