Lightweight composite safety containment for flywheel energy storage
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsJohn R. HULL, John A. MITTLEIDER, Michael STRASIK
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatuses are disclosed and directed to a substantially cylindrical containment layer, and methods for containment, for a flywheel apparatus comprising a plurality of predictably deformable brackets oriented to contain an impact. The brackets each have a plurality of layers and a surface for absorbing an impact, with the surface providing a glancing angle in the direction of an impact of from about 0.1° to about 5°.
Claims26
A containment layer for a flywheel apparatus comprising:
- a substantially cylindrical chamber comprising an inner wall and an outer wall;
- and
- a plurality of deformable brackets attached to at least one of the inner and outer chamber wall, said brackets oriented to predictably deform upon an impact, said brackets each having at least one surface for containing an impact, with said brackets comprising multiple layers, wherein at least one layer comprises ablative particles.
A flywheel assembly for storing and releasing energy comprising:
- at least one substantially cylindrical rotor assembly within a vacuum chamber, said assembly comprising a rotor having an inner and outer surface;
- a stator assembly positioned in close proximity to the rotor assembly;
- at least one rotor magnet affixed to the inner surface of the rotor;
- at least one stator magnet affixed to the stator;
- and
- a containment layer substantially surrounding the rotor assembly, said containment layer comprising a plurality of deformable brackets oriented to contain an impact, said brackets each having a surface for containing debris from a flywheel assembly failure, and
- wherein said brackets comprise multiple layers and at least one layer comprises ablative particles.
A method for containing flywheel rotor debris from a damaged flywheel assembly comprising the steps of:
- providing a substantially cylindrical flywheel rotor assembly and flywheel stator assembly within a vacuum chamber,
- providing a plurality of rotor magnets affixed to the inner surface of each rotor;
- providing a plurality of stator magnets affixed to each stator;
- and
- providing a containment layer surrounding the rotor assembly, said containment layer comprising a series of deformable brackets oriented to contain an impact, said brackets each comprising a plurality of layers, with at least one layer comprising ablative particles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.