Beacon Power Corporation

David Ansbigian

Richard L Hockney

Norman C Brackett

James Arseneaux

Ward Spears

Daniel DeSantis

Matthew Polimeno

A flywheel system including a rotor shaft. The rotor shaft includes an inner passage therethrough, and a dam with a central opening disposed on a first end of the inner passage. An outer passage surrounds the inner passage. The inner passage is open at a second end, and the outer passage is closed on an end surrounding the second end of the inner passage. The outer passage is open on an end surrounding the first end of the inner passage. Fluid flows into the inner passage at the first end, via the central opening of the dam. Rotation of the flywheel rotor causes the fluid to accumulate along a wall of the inner passage, and to propagate to the second end, where the fluid exits into the outer passage. The fluid propagates along the outer passage to the open end of the outer passage, where it is released.

Self-pumping flywheel cooling system

An advanced composite flywheel hub and associated method are described for use in a flywheel rotor assembly that includes a shaft and a rim. The hub includes a shaft engaging portion and a rim engaging portion, and is configured for maintaining engagement with the shaft and the rim during operational rotation of the flywheel rotor assembly. The hub exhibits a bending mode, and includes a first layer having axial fibers for stiffening the hub with respect to the bending mode. The hub can further include a stiffening arrangement for increasing the radial stiffness of the shaft engaging portion.

Advanced flywheel hub and method

Growing community of inventors

Stoneham, MA, United States of America

David Ansbigian