Stacked Rotor Endplate Lamination for Fatigue-Resistant Flywheels

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing flywheel rotor endplates, particularly those made of monolithic steel, face challenges in cost optimization, material utilization efficiency, and cyclic fatigue resistance, which are critical for multi-hour discharge applications in utility and commercial settings.

Innovation Solution

The use of stacked laminations to manufacture endplates for flywheel rotors, where each lamination has a central region and radially extending spokes with through-holes, allows for a cost-effective and efficient design that improves material utilization and cyclic fatigue resistance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If monolithic steel endplates are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but material utilization efficiency and cyclic fatigue resistance deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidcyclic fatigue resistance

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The endplate is divided into multiple thin steel laminations (e.g., 0.5mm to 3mm thick) stacked together to form the complete endplate structure. Each lamination is individually manufactured and then assembled into the final stacked configuration, enabling both manufacturing feasibility and improved fatigue resistance through the segmented construction approach.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Strength

If monolithic steel endplates are used, then structural integrity is achieved, but material costs and weight increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidendplate weight

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The endplate is segmented into multiple thin laminations that are stacked together. This segmentation allows for optimized material distribution where material is present only where structurally necessary, reducing overall weight while maintaining the required structural integrity through the collective strength of all laminations working together.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the endplate can utilize laminations with locally optimized properties. The stacked lamination structure allows for varying lamination configurations in different areas to match local stress requirements, achieving structural integrity with minimal material weight.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Ease of manufacture

If monolithic steel endplates are used, then manufacturing processes are simplified, but material utilization efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing process simplicityVSAvoidmaterial utilization efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

By segmenting the endplate into standard-thickness laminations, material can be precisely cut to required shapes with minimal waste. Each lamination can be manufactured from standard stock materials, improving material utilization efficiency while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through standardized processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS12331729B2Stacked lamination endplate

Publication Date: 2025.06.17 AMBER KINETICS INC

AI summary

A stacked lamination endplate for a rotor that includes a number of adjacent laminations, stacked one on top of another, wherein each lamination has an identical shape, the shape having a central region, symmetric about a center axis, and a number of spokes, each spoke emanating radially outward from the central region, where each spoke includes a through-hole at its distal end, and wherein the laminations are stacked one on top of another and aligned, enabling, for each spoke, a bolt to be inserted through a corresponding through-hole of each lamination.