Beacon Power Corporation

General Electric Company

Norman C Brackett

Richard L Hockney

Matthew L Lazarewicz

James Arseneaux

Eric A Lewis

James G Crowley

Jason David Shapiro

Samuel Ross Rulli

David Allen Flodman

Martin Wayne Frash

David Ansbigian

Daniel DeSantis

Samir Dimitri Sayegh

Omar M Kabir

James F Arseneaux

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

A cooling arrangement for a gas turbine engine includes: (a) a turbine nozzle having: (i) spaced-apart arcuate inner and outer bands; and (ii) a hollow, airfoil-shaped turbine vane extending between the inner and outer bands, the vane disposed in a primary flowpath of the engine; (b) a supporting structure coupled to the outer band such that an outer band cavity is defined between the outer band and the stationary structure; (c) a first conduit passing through the outer band cavity and communicating with the interior of the vane, the first conduit coupled to a first source of cooling air within the engine; and (d) a second conduit communicating with the outer band cavity, the second conduit coupled to a second source of cooling air within the engine.

Multi-source gas turbine cooling

Featured is a method for passively-repulsively lifting a rotor assembly () of a flywheel energy storage system (), comprising the steps of mechanically coupling a first permanent magnet () to the rotor assembly () and fixedly positioning a second permanent magnet () proximal to the first permanent magnet () so that a repulsive force is generated therebetween causing the first permanent magnet () to move with respect to the second permanent magnet (), thereby causing the rotor assembly () to be lifted to an operating level. The method further includes applying a radial force sufficient in magnitude and direction to oppose a radial force being generated by the permanent magnet repulsive force. Also featured is a passive-repulsive rotor assembly lift system () for a flywheel energy storage system () and a flywheel energy storage system () including such a repulsive rotor lift system ().

Repulsive lift systems, flywheel energy storage systems utilizing such systems and methods related thereto

A crash management system for implementation in a flywheel energy storage system (FESS) is provided. Implementation of such a system entails designing an FESS rim that is highly failure resistant, and designing the FESS such that if one, some, or even all of its components fail, they are physically prevented from accumulating and releasing enough energy to cause rim burst, thus leaving the rim intact and capable of safely remaining spinning even after one or more FESS component failures have occurred.

Crash management system for implementation in flywheel systems

A bearing damping system for damping vibrations and conducting heat from vibration-producing, heat-generating devices, an evacuated energy storage system including such a bearing damping system for damping vibrations produced by the rotating shaft and conducting heat from bearings and/or bearing assemblies; and a method for damping vibrations and conducting heat from vibration-producing, heat-generating devices. The bearing damping system includes one or more flexible bearing dampers in combination with one or more heat transferring rosettes. The heat transferring rosettes comprise a flexible thermally conductive member that transfers heat by conduction from the bearings, bearing assemblies and/or heat generating devices to a remote heat sink.

Flexible bearing damping system, energy storage system using such a system, and a method related thereto

Several embodiments of a stiff, metallic hub for an energy storage devices are disclosed in the present invention. The stiff hub produces a critical velocity that is significantly greater than the design operating speed of the flywheel assembly so that resonant frequency is never reached during normal operation of the energy storage device's flywheel assembly. The stiff hub comprises a central core section that maintains a tight interference fit with the rotating shaft; an outer rim section that maintains a tight interference with the high-strength, low-density composite fiber rim, in which energy primarily is stored; and a web section that is situated therebetween, extending radially from the rotary shaft. At high operating speeds, the outer rim of the hub expands radially commensurate with expansion of the composite fiber rim so that enough of the outer rim remains in tight interference fit with the composite fiber rim to substantially minimize vibrations.

Stiff metal hub for an energy storage rotor

In one aspect of the present invention discloses a dual-stiffness damping system for an evacuated energy storage system, the damping system comprising one or more flexible dampers and a plurality of more rigid bumpers, and a method of damping an evacuated energy storage system using dual-stiffness damping. Indeed, under normal operating conditions, a flexible damper, having a stiffness of about 500 lb/in to about 4000 lb/in, minimizes the rigid body critical speed of the rotor assembly of the energy storage system, allowing relative displacement between the stator assembly and rotor assembly but preventing the assemblies from physically contacting each other. Under more extreme external loading conditions, e.g., during an earthquake, the plurality of more rigid bumpers, having a stiffness of about 50,000 to 250,000 lb/in, engages the outer race of the bearing assembly to arrest further relative displacement substantially. In another aspect of the present invention, the dual stiffness damping system is combined with a bearing assembly and a mounting unit to produce a self-contained damping system that can be quickly and easily installed and replaced.

Dual stiffness bearing damping system

A turbine nozzle assembly includes an outer casing having first and second spaced apart support flanges for supporting a nozzle segment including a plurality of nozzle vanes extending between inner and outer bands. The outer band includes first and second spaced apart retention hooks, with the first hook being configured to axially engage the first support flange. And, the second support flange is sized for axially receiving the second hook without tilting of the nozzle segment. An annular retainer radially engages the second support flange and axially abuts the second hook for axially retaining the second hook. And, a clip axially engages the second hook and support flange around the retainer for radially supporting the nozzle segment to the outer casing.

Growing community of inventors

No. Reading, MA, United States of America

Norman C Brackett