Patent ID: 7546782

Claim:
Cooling apparatus for transferring heat from and cooling one or more heat generating components that support or drive a flywheel or other spinning member; the apparatus comprising: an enclosure enclosing the spinning member, the enclosure containing a gas at below-ambient pressure or below-ambient density; a first plurality of vanes attached to the spinning member such that the first plurality of vanes spin with the spinning member relative to the enclosure; a second plurality of vanes fixed relative to the enclosure and the spinning member such that the first vanes move with respect to the second vanes, the second vanes defining gaps into which the first vanes extend so that the first and second vanes are interleaved; and wherein: the first and second vanes are located adjacent a bearing that supports the spinning member, the bearing has an inner race and an outer race, the first vanes and inner race are attached to the spinning member so heat flows by conduction from the inner race to the first vanes and from the spinning member to the first vanes, the outer race is attached to the enclosure, and the inner race, spinning member, first vanes and second vanes are sized and positioned so that heat from the inner race of the bearing flows by solid conduction from the inner race to the spinning member and to the first vanes, by solid conduction from the spinning member to the first vanes, and by gaseous conduction and convection from the first vanes to the second vanes, and by solid conduction from the second vanes to the exterior of the enclosure.