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US 12,617,171 B2Granted
System and method for making a block for gravity energy storage
AssigneeEnergy Vault, Inc.
InventorAndrea Pedretti
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for making blocks for gravity energy storage includes an extrusion press machine with a receiving chamber for receiving raw material, a compaction chamber and a pressing wall driven by a piston to push the raw material into the compaction chamber to compact the material to form a block. One or more of a top wall, opposite side walls and the pressing wall are moved away from the a center of the compaction chamber to allow the block to elastically expand prior to exiting the compaction chamber.
Claims20
A method of making a block for gravity energy storage, comprising:
- at least partially filling a receiving chamber of an extrusion press machine with material comprising dirt and one or more additives or binding agents;
- moving the material from the receiving chamber with a pressing wall into a compaction chamber of the extrusion press machine, the compaction chamber including a gate, a pair of opposite sidewalls, a top wall, and the pressing wall;
- actuating one or more pistons to move a pair of movable walls slidably engaging the pair of opposite sidewalls in a first direction, the pair of movable walls operable to move the pair of opposite sidewalls in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and towards a center of the compaction chamber to compact the material within the compaction chamber to form the block;
- moving the pair of opposite sidewalls, the top wall and the pressing wall away from the center of the compaction chamber to allow the formed block to elastically expand in size in three dimensions, wherein moving the pair of opposite sidewalls away from the center of the compaction chamber includes actuating the one or more pistons to move the pair of movable walls in a third direction opposite to the first direction, the pair of movable walls operable to move the pair of opposite sidewalls in a fourth direction orthogonal the third direction and away from the center of the compaction chamber;
- and
- moving the gate to open a distal end of the compaction chamber to allow the expanded block to exit the extrusion press machine.
3 more elements
A method of making a block for gravity energy storage, comprising:
- at least partially filling a receiving chamber of an extrusion press machine with material comprising dirt and one or more additives or binding agents;
- moving the material from the receiving chamber with a pressing wall into a compaction chamber of the extrusion press machine, the compaction chamber including a gate, a pair of opposite sidewalls, a top wall, and the pressing wall;
- actuating one or more pistons to move a pair of movable walls slidably engaging the pair of opposite sidewalls in a first direction, the pair of movable walls operable to move the pair of opposite sidewalls in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and towards a center of the compaction chamber to compact the material within the compaction chamber to form the block;
- moving the pair of opposite sidewalls, the top wall and the pressing wall away from the center of the compaction chamber to allow the formed block to elastically expand in size in three dimensions;
- and
- moving the gate to open a distal end of the compaction chamber to allow the expanded block to exit the extrusion press machine.
3 more elements
A method of making a block for gravity energy storage, comprising:
- at least partially filling a receiving chamber of an extrusion press machine with material comprising dirt and one or more additives or binding agents;
- moving the material with a pressing wall into a compaction chamber of the extrusion press machine;
- compacting the material within the compaction chamber between a gate, a pair of opposite sidewalls, a top wall and the pressing wall to form the block;
- moving the pair of opposite sidewalls, the top wall and the pressing wall away from a center of the compaction chamber to allow the formed block to elastically expand in size in three dimensions;
- and
- moving the gate to open a distal end of the compaction chamber to allow the expanded block to exit the extrusion press machine.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.