Superflywheel energy storage device
AssigneeThe Johns Hopkins University
InventorThomas R. Small
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An inertial energy storage rotor device or superflywheel having a hub means affixed to a rim means by a plurality of spokes formed from a single filament which is wrapped partially around the rim means and alternately engages the upper and lower surfaces of the hub means to join the spokes. In one embodiment, the hub is secured by a single filament wound into a plurality of spokes to a ring means about which a rim means is wound. The ring means is secured to the rim means of this embodiment at a plurality of discrete locations about the circumference thereof.
Claims31
An inertial energy storage rotor device for rotation about an axis defined by a shaft comprising:
- hub means for attachment to said shaft, said hub means having upper and lower edge portions;
- rim means having upper and lower edge portions, said hub means being disposed within an area defined by said rim means;
- spoke means for mounting said rim means to said hub means, said spoke means comprising a single length of filament, said filament being wrapped partially around at least a portion of said rim means at a first plurality of locations around said rim, said filament passing from each of said locations to another said location and over a portion of said hub means in between said locations in a repetitive fashion forming a plurality of spoke portions, each of said spoke portions contacting said upper edge of said rim means at one of said locations also contacting said upper edge of said rim means at another one of said locations and said lower edge of said hub means therebetween, each of said spoke portions contacting said lower edge of said rim means at one of said locations also contacting said lower edge of said rim means at another of said locations and said upper edge of said hub means therebetween, said locations being spaced apart and sufficient in number so that said filament produces forces acting on said hub means for trapping of said hub means between said spokes;
- and
- means for fixedly securing the portions of said spokes contacting said hub means thereto.
An inertial energy storage rotor device for rotation about an axis defined by a shaft comprising:
- substantially rigid ring means comprising a helically wound filament embedded in a matrix material;
- hub means for attachment to said shaft;
- spoke means for mounting said ring means to said hub means;
- rim means concentrically disposed about said ring means;
- and
- means for securing said rim means to said ring means only at discrete preselected locations about the circumference thereof, said securing means being independent of said spoke means.
An inertial energy storage rotor device for rotation about an axis defined by a shaft comprising:
- substantially rigid ring means;
- hub means for attachment to said shaft;
- spoke means for mounting said ring means to said hub means;
- rim means comprising a filamentary winding about the circumference of said ring means and which is concentrically disposed about said ring means;
- and
- means for securing said rim means to said ring means only at discrete preselected locations about the circumference thereof, said securing means being independent of said spoke means.
An inertial energy storage rotor device for rotation about an axis defined by a shaft comprising;
- substantially rigid ring means;
- hub means for attachment to said shaft;
- spoke means comprising a single length filament wrapped partially around said ring means and over said hub means at a plurality of locations on said hub means and said ring means, said spoke means mounting said hub means at the substantial center of said ring means;
- rim means concentrically disposed about said ring means;
- and
- means for securing said rim means to said ring means only at discrete preselected locations about the circumference thereof, said securing means being independent of said spoke means.
An inertial energy storage rotor device for rotation about an axis defined by a shaft comprising:
- substantially rigid ring means;
- hub means for attachment to said shaft;
- spoke means for mounting said ring means to said hub means;
- rim means concentrically disposed about said ring means;
- and
- securing means comprising a plurality of radially disposed discrete helical stacked filamentary windings, said discrete helical stacked filamentary windings each being wound around said rim means and said ring means at preselected locations about the circumference thereof, said securing means being independent of said spoke means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.