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US 11,644,010 B1Granted
Energy storage system
AssigneeStar Sailor Energy, Inc.
InventorPamela A. Menges
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention is an energy storage system comprising a mechanical bellows having an outer flexible material casing with one or more functional elements that operate as actuators for expanding and contracting the outer flexible material casing to store or deliver energy.
Claims20
An energy storage system for use in an apparatus comprising:
- a mechanical bellows having an outer flexible material casing, wherein said outer flexible material casing that expands or contracts to store and release energy;
- wherein at least two specific areas of said outer flexible material casing is formed from different materials having different physical properties that provide a desired geometric response of said mechanical bellows;
- wherein said at least two specific areas of said outer flexible material casing includes one or more functional elements that operate as actuators to expand and contract said outer flexible material casing;
- and
- wherein activation of said one or more functional elements at said at least two specific areas are controlled to regulate energy storage and release by said mechanical bellows.
2 more elements
A wind generator system having an energy storage system comprising:
- a rotor mounted to a drive shaft and one or more blades attached to said rotor that rotate said rotor and said drive shaft;
- a performance monitor that receives and transmits information;
- a mechanical bellows having an outer flexible material casing, wherein said outer flexible material casing that expands and contracts to store and release energy;
- wherein said outer flexible material casing includes one or more functional elements at two or more specific areas that operate as actuators for expanding and contracting said outer flexible material casing;
- wherein at least one said functional element is a thermally reactive element;
- and
- wherein activation of said one or more functional elements at said two or more specific areas are controlled to regulate energy storage and release by said mechanical bellows.
4 more elements
An energy storage system for use in an apparatus comprising:
- a mechanical bellows having an outer flexible material casing, wherein said outer flexible material casing expands and contracts to store and release energy;
- support elements positioned along and coupled to said flexible material casing;
- a magnetic rail system connected to said support elements by magnet bearing blocks that slide over a linear magnetic rail;
- wherein when said outer flexible material casing expands and contracts, said support elements slide said magnet bearing blocks along said linear magnet rail towards and away from each other and uses magnetic repulsion to increase the amount of energy being stored by the energy storage system and the amount of energy being released by the energy storage system, respectively;
- one or more functional elements positioned on said outer flexible material casing that operate as actuators for expanding and contracting said outer flexible material casing;
- wherein at least one said functional element is a thermally reactive element.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.