Patent ID: 7240583

Claim:
An energy storage flywheel system, comprising: a housing assembly; a shaft disposed within the housing assembly; a flywheel assembly mounted on the shaft; one or more primary bearing assemblies disposed within the housing assembly, each primary bearing assembly configured to selectively rotationally support the shaft; one or more auxiliary bearing assemblies disposed within the housing assembly, each auxiliary bearing assembly configured to selectively rotationally support the shaft and including: a bearing having at least an inner race and an outer race, a bearing mount coupled to the bearing inner race, the bearing mount disposed adjacent to the shaft, and configured to selectively engage and disengage the shaft, a sleeve having at least an inner surface, an outer surface, a first end, and a second end, at least a portion of the sleeve inner surface coupled to the bearing assembly outer race and at least a portion of the sleeve outer surface coupled to the housing assembly, one or more resilient seals coupled between the sleeve outer surface and the housing assembly, and one or more preload springs coupled between the housing assembly and one of the first and second sleeve ends; and an actuator assembly disposed within the housing assembly and configured, in response to commands supplied thereto, to selectively move the one or more auxiliary bearing assemblies into and out of contact with the shaft.