Patent ID: 11920569
Assignee: ENERGY VAULT, INC.
Field: Handling (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  F | IPC F

Claim 18:
19. A method for storing and generating electricity comprising:
operating a motor-generator coupled to a drive shaft, the drive shaft being operably coupled to a winch assembly, the winch assembly operatively coupled to an elevator and comprising one or more sets of planetary gears, one or more brakes, one or more brake discs, a cable, and a spool,, wherein operating a motor generator to deliver power to a winch assembly includes:
operating a first brake to disengage one or more brake discs of the winch assembly, operating a second brake to engage a first ring gear of a first set of planetary gears and operating a third brake to disengage a second ring gear of a second set of planetary gears to rotate the spool in a first direction to reel-in the cable to raise the elevator,, wherein operating the motor-generator to generate power includes:
operating a first brake to engage one or more brake discs of the winch assembly, operating a second brake to disengage a first ring gear of a first set of planetary gears and operating a third brake to disengage a second ring gear of a second set of planetary gears to allow rotation of the spool in a second direction opposite the first direction to reel-out the cable to lower the elevator, the motor-generator generating power from said rotation of the spool in the second direction caused by the lowering of the elevator.