Beacon Power Corporation

Ward Spears

Richard L Hockney

David Ansbigian

Matthew Polimeno

Cynthia L Shirey

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

A composite-based rim and methods for manufacturing such a rim are provided. The rim includes multiple fiber-based, co-mingled layers, wherein the strength and/or stiffness of the layers increases from the innermost layer of the rim to the outermost layer of the rim, but where the radial stress and strain generated in the rim decreases from the innermost layer to the outermost layer. Incorporation of this rim into a high stress and strain usage environment, such as a flywheel system, allows the rim to be spun at high speeds in order to generate high levels of kinetic energy while beneficially managing the amount of strain and radial stresses generated within the rim, and, in turn, minimizing or at least controlling the formation and propagation of cracks within the rim.

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Essex, MA, United States of America

Ward Spears