Ridgeline cable drive electric energy storage system

A self-positioning system for mass pickup and deposit in an energy storage system comprising:

• a first track and a second track running from a bottom storage yard to a top storage yard;
• a winch set having a motor generator which simultaneously drives a first consist on the first track and a second consist in opposite directions on the second track on grade, said winch set incorporating
• two drums which rotate to draw their respective cables in opposite directions to oppositely raise or lower shuttles/consists on the track pairs in the module;
• the motor/generator having
• a fixed gear head and a rotatable gear head engaged to the motor with a rotating gear head mount, both gear heads rotating in the same direction;
• and,
• a differential motor engaged to the rotatable gear head to adjust a cable length on the drums;
• said first and second consist each comprising at least one shuttle having a lifting mechanism to engage a mass stored in one of said bottom storage yard and said top storage yard,
• the winch set operable under control of the power controller in a charging mode with the winch set receiving in the motor/generator electrical power from a utility grid to drive a first cycle with the first consist loading a mass in the bottom storage yard and ascending to the upper storage yard and unloading the mass and said second consist descending from the upper storage yard to the lower storage yard empty followed by a reversal of the winch set to drive a second cycle with the first consist descending form the upper storage yard to the lower storage yard empty and the second consist loading a mass in the bottom storage yard and ascending to the upper storage yard and unloading the mass thereby storing excess electrical energy available on the utility grid, the differential motor engaged to play out cable at each consist transit during charging and,
• the winch set operable under control of the power controller in a generating mode with the winch set motor/generator reversed to generate electrical power to the utility grid in a third cycle with the first consist loading a mass in the upper storage yard and descending to the lower storage yard and unloading the mass and said second consist ascending from the lower storage yard to the upper storage yard empty followed by a reversal of the winch set to generate in a fourth cycle with the first consist ascending from the lower storage yard to the upper storage yard empty and the second consist loading a mass in the upper storage yard and descending to the lower storage yard and unloading the mass thereby providing electrical energy to the utility grid, the differential motor engaged take in cable at each consist transit during generation.

A method for storing electrical energy comprising:

• controlling a module with a power controller in a charging mode;
• receiving in a motor of a winch set electrical power from a utility grid, said winch set simultaneously driving a first consist and a second consist in opposite directions on tracks on grade;
• driving the winch set in a first cycle including
• loading the first consist with a first of a plurality of masses in a bottom storage yard,
• causing the first consist to ascend to an upper storage yard,
• unloading the first of the plurality of masses, and
• simultaneously causing the second consist to descend from the upper storage yard to the lower storage yard;
• reversing the winch set to drive a second cycle including
• causing the first consist to descend from the upper storage yard to the lower storage yard empty and
• simultaneously loading the second consist with second one of the plurality of masses in the bottom storage yard and
• causing the second consist to ascend to the upper storage yard and,
• unloading said second one of the plurality of masses thereby storing excess electrical energy available on the utility grid;
• controlling the power controller in a generating mode with the winch set motor reversed to generate electrical power;
• transferring generated electrical power from the winch set motor to the utility grid in a third cycle including
• loading the first consist with the second of the plurality of masses in the upper storage yard;
• causing the first consist to descend to the lower storage yard,
• unloading the second of the plurality of masses and
• simultaneously causing said second consist to ascend from the lower storage yard to the upper storage yard empty;
• reversing the winch set to generate in a fourth cycle including
• causing the first consist to ascend from the lower storage yard to the upper storage yard empty and
• loading the second consist with the first of the plurality of masses in the upper storage yard and descending to the lower storage yard and
• unloading the first of the plurality of masses thereby providing electrical energy to the utility grid.