Patent Publication Number: US-2011068582-A1

Title: Multi-stack flywheel wind assembly

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to flywheels, particularly multi-stacked flywheels for an energy capture and storage system that receives energy through wind power via a wind turbine. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A wind turbine is a rotary machine, which converts the kinetic energy in wind into mechanical energy. The mechanical energy is then converted into electricity. Cut-in speed is the minimum wind speed at which the wind turbine will generate usable power. The rated speed is the minimum wind speed at which the wind turbine will generate its designated rated power. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is comprised of combinations of flywheels, multi-stacked flywheels, ratchets or positive locking roller stops and speed activated clutches. The combinations of the present invention allow wind turbines to reduce the cut-in speed and reach rated speed sooner, thereby generating electricity sooner and reach rated capacity earlier to further improve the electrical generating output of the wind turbine. The multi-stacked flywheels of the present invention also capture excess energy above rated speed in small increments and store that energy to be released as the wind subsides allowing the wind turbine to maintain optimum speed longer and to continue to generate electricity for a period of time after the wind stops. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a sectional view through the center of the shaft of the first part of the Multi Stacked Flywheel Wind Assembly (MSFWA) for a horizontal axis configuration with the main rotor shaft horizontal showing the initial sequencing of the present invention. 
         FIG. 1A  is a sectional view through the center of the shaft of the first part of the MSFWA for a horizontal rotor shaft connected to a vertical flywheel shaft via a gearbox. 
         FIG. 1B  is a sectional view through the center of the shaft of the first part of the MSFWA for a vertical only rotor shaft configuration. 
         FIG. 2  is a sectional view through the center of the shaft of the second part of the MSFWA showing the continuation of sequencing of the present invention for the horizontal axis configuration in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 2A  is a sectional view through the center of the shaft of the second part of the MSFWA showing the continuation of sequencing of the present invention for the vertical flywheel shaft configurations in  FIG. 1A  and  FIG. 1B . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As shown in the figures, the MSFWA of the present invention is a sequence of various parts in combination to allow rotation of the shaft initiated by the wind turning the rotor  5  in a desired direction (clockwise in this case). 
     The MSFWA in  FIG. 1  is comprised of a shaft  3   a  with threads and a lock pin  2  to attach the nose cone  1  in a desired position as to not interfere with the rotation of the rotor  5  on bearings  4  around shaft  3   a . The spring arm side  7  of a Positive Locking Roller Stop (PLRS) is attached to the rotor  5  with fasteners  6  but not in contact with shaft  3   a . The other side  8  of the PLRS is attached by locking flange  9  to shaft  3   a  to translate rotation from rotor  5 . The PLRS allows rotation from rotor  5  to be transmitted to gearbox  10 , but does not decrease rotational speed as rotor speed decreases. Shaft  3   a  is connected to gearbox  10  to increase the rotational speed of shaft  3   b  into Clutch assembly  11   a / 12   a . The expanding inside part of Clutch  11   a  is attached to shaft  3   b  with locking flange  9 . At a desired rotational speed, the inside expanding part  11   a  of the Clutch engages with part  12   a  which is fastened to Flywheel  13   a  with fasteners  6  but not attached to shaft  3   b . The Flywheel  13   a  rotates freely around shaft  3   b  on bearing  4 . A spacer  14 , not in contact with shaft  3   b  separates flywheel  13   a  from the inside expanding part  11   b  of the next Clutch. Fasteners  6  connect  13   a  to  11   b . At a desired rotational speed, the inside expanding part  11   b  of the next Clutch engages with part  12   b  which is fastened to shaft  3   c  with locking flange  9 . 
     Optionally in  FIG. 1A  the gearbox  10 , in addition to increasing rotational speed, changes the rotating shaft  3   a  from a horizontal shaft into a vertical shaft  3   b . Optionally in  FIG. 1B  both shafts  3   a  and  3   b  would be vertical as in a typical Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT). For both of these options  FIG. 2A  would show the continuation of the sequencing. 
     In  FIG. 2  (optionally  FIG. 2A  for the VAWT) shaft  3   c  passes through the generator  16  allowing the rotational energy to be converted into electricity. At a desired rotational speed, usually once the generator  16  exceeds rated speed, the inside expanding part  11   d  of the PLRS/Clutch assembly engages with the external part  12   d  of the PLRS/Clutch assembly which is fastened to flywheel  13   c  with fasteners  6  but not attached to shaft  3   c . The flywheel  13   c  rotates freely around shaft  3   c  on bearing  4   c . Additional PLRS/Clutch and flywheel assemblies are similarly configured to accommodate the desired number of flywheels for the specific application. 
     This configuration allows shaft  3   c  to spin freely within a series (multi-stack) of a desired number of flywheel assemblies without causing any of the flywheels to rotate. Once the output shaft  3   c  from the generator reaches a desired speed, this design initiates the first flywheel  13   c  behind the generator to begin rotating. Once flywheel  13   c  reaches a desired rotational speed, this design activates the next flywheel  13   d  and so on thereby storing the excess wind energy in a series of flywheels activated sequentially vs. all at the same time. In a preferred embodiment, all of the flywheels would be Variable Inertial Flywheels as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/833,611.