Polar weave flywheel assembly

#Co-pending application, "Method and Device for Orthogonally Woven Reinforced Structure," Application Ser. No. 430,758, F. E. Schultz (Jan. 1974), describes a polar weave material of the type employed in the flywheel of the present invention.

#1. Field of the Invention

#This invention pertains to a flywheel assembly particularly adapted for energy storage applications, and more particularly pertains to construction of a three-dimensional, reinforced, composite, material, flywheel, outer portion and a hub with an interface for mechanically locking the hub and outer portion to one another.

#FIG. 1 illustrates schematically a polar weave flywheel assembly in accordance with the principles of this invention.

#FIG. 2 is a detailed side view of a hub for the polar weave flywheel assembly of FIG. 1 illustrating the circumferential and axial slots.

#FIG. 3 is a detailed side view in section of the hub of FIG. 2 taken along line A--A illustrating the circumferential slots.

#Viewing FIGS. 1 through 7, the flywheel assembly generally shown at 1 comprises an inner hub, core, or shaft 2, for fabricating an outer cylindrical polar weave portion 3 thereon. Hub 2 is of a generally cylindrical, or tubular shape and is preferably manufactured from metal materials. Hub 1 includes a plurality of projections and recessions uniquely positioned to receive various ones of axial, circumferential and radial elements 7, 9 and 11 of woven outer portion 3 therein, as seen most clearly in FIG. 4 and in FIG. 2 on hub's 2 exterior surface 5.

#The multiplicity of recessions and projections function to create a redundant, adhesive, mechanical, interlocking, interface generally designated as 13 in FIGS. 4 and 6. Interface 13 is located between hub 2 and outer portion 3, and in general, functions to mechanically embed and lock windings of axial, circumferential and radial elements 7, 9 and 11 in engagement thereto. The recesses are of two types. Namely, circular slots 15 as shown most clearly in FIG. 3 and axial slots 17 as shown most clearly in FIG. 5.

#Circular and axial slots 15 and 17 may be formed into hub 2 by conventional procedures such as: casting, rolling, milling, etc. In detail, circular slots 15 are axially spaced along hub 2, while axial slots 17 are uniquely positioned to lie parallel to an axis of hub 2 and intersect circular slots 15. Hence, axial slots 17 are formed directly into the surface areas or lands 19 that are associated with circular slots 15. The exact manner in which the axial and circular slots 17 and 15, lands 19, and axial, circumferential and radial elements 7, 9 and 11 will be spaced and arranged with respect to one another on any particular hub 2 is a function of a specific design. Or, said differently, the spacing and arrangement of the named elements is a design variable and depends on such factors as anticipated application and stress calculations with respect to yet other features; for instance, size, density and the physical properties of the materials employed. This will become clearer after reading latter sections of the specification.