Devices for storing energy in the mechanical deformation of nanotube molecules and recovering the energy from mechanically deformed nanotube molecules

A method of forming an energy storage device comprising:

• providing at least one nanotube structure having one nanotube, a multi-molecular assembly of interacting nanotubes, an array of non-interacting nanotubes, or non-interacting assemblies of interacting nanotubes, said at least one nanotube structure being independent of electric charge or current;
• and
• forming an energy storage, maintenance, and recovery mechanism for converting energy that is external to said energy storage device into potential energy by applying strain on said at least one nanotube structure, maintaining said potential energy of strain for an arbitrary period of time, with no losses due to friction, by fixating said at least one nanotube structure in a non-moving state, and converting said potential energy of strain back into external energy by relaxing said strain on said at least one nanotube structure.

A method of converting energy external to an energy storage device comprising:

• providing at least one nanotube structure having one nanotube, a multi-molecular assembly of interacting nanotubes, an array of non-interacting nanotubes, or non-interacting assemblies of interacting nanotubes;
• providing strain on said at least one nanotube structure to produce stored energy, said stored energy is maintained in the form of potential energy, with no losses due to friction, by fixating said nanotube structure in a non-moving state;
• and said stored energy is recovered using the elasticity of said at least one nanotube structure to release the strain.