A system may include a stacking device having a base portion and one or more walls, the base portion having a first axle receiver that holds a first axle at a first defined position, the one or more walls extending from the base portion, the stacking device receiving one or more flywheel plates onto the first axle. A system may include a clamping device adapted to couple with the stacking device using one or more alignment mechanisms, the clamping device including a second axle receiver that holds a second axle at a second defined position, the first defined position and the second defined position being in line when the clamping device is coupled with the stacking device.

A flywheel system may include one or more massive plates. A system may include two or more clamping plates including a bottom clamping plate and a top clamping plate, the one or more massive plates being located between the two or more clamping plates. A system may include two or more axles including a top axle and a bottom axle, the bottom axle being physically disconnected from the top axle. A system may include a plurality of fasteners coupling the top clamping plate with the bottom clamping plate, the plurality of fasteners applying a clamping force on the one or more massive plates using at least one of the two or more clamping plates and the two or more axles.

A system may include an enclosure base having a bottom surface and one or more side walls coupled with the bottom surface. A system may include an enclosure lid having a top surface, the enclosure lid coupling with the one or more side walls of the enclosure base to create an enclosed space, the enclosed space containing a massive flywheel, the massive flywheel having one or more axles. A system may include one or more bearings coupling the one or more axles to the enclosure base and the enclosure lid, the one or more bearings holding the one or more axles at an axis of rotation. Aspects of the invention include components coupled with the system, such as a vacuum assembly, adjustment and locking mechanisms, and other components.

A system may include a massive flywheel including a rotatable mass component and one or more axles coupled with the rotatable mass component, the one or more axles extending from a top of the rotatable mass component and from a bottom of the rotatable mass component. A system may include a bottom bearing assembly coupled with the one or more axles at the bottom of the rotatable mass component. A system may include a top bearing assembly coupled with the one or more axles at the top of the rotatable mass component. A system may include a support structure coupled with the top bearing assembly and the bottom bearing assembly. A system may include a motor coupled with the one or more axles at the top bearing assembly.

A system may include a massive flywheel including a rotatable mass component and one or more axles coupled with the rotatable mass component. A system may include a magnetic lift component having one or more magnets positioned around a center perforation, the one or more axles passing through the center perforation in the magnetic lift component, the one or more magnets pulling the massive flywheel toward the magnetic lift component. A system may include a support structure coupled with the magnetic lift component, the support structure holding the magnetic lift component at a stationary location relative to the support structure. A system may include one or more bearings coupled with the support structure and the one or more axles to maintain the one or more axles at an axis of rotation.

A low-friction side load bearing assembly for accommodating severe side loads applied to a spindle is provided. The side load bearing assembly includes a sleeve member having a frustro-conical outer surface that is slidably mounted on the spindle, and a cageless rolling bearing circumscribing the sleeve member. The cageless rolling bearing includes an annular housing that contains an inner ring of ball bearings that engages the sleeve member, and an outer ring of rolling bearings that maintains angular spacing between the ball bearings of the inner ring. A spring-loaded biasing mechanism pushes the sleeve member along the axis of rotation of the spindle such that its frustroconical outer surface wedgingly engages the inner ring of ball bearings thereby obviating the need for a bearing cage and rendering the bearing assembly self-adjusting for wear.

A flywheel apparatus that magnetically unloads a top rotor bearing is described. The apparatus includes a flywheel housing, a rotor with a vertical axis of rotation that includes a magnetic material, a magnet configured to apply a desired upward off-loading force along the vertical axis of rotation, an upper bearing connected to an upper shaft of the rotor, and a bearing housing disposed between the upper bearing and the flywheel housing that substantially prevents downward axial motion of the upper bearing. The magnet includes an electromagnet. A force sensor is used to measure a force on the upper bearing which is provided as input to a controller that updates the current to the electromagnet. The rotor is maintained in a fixed axial position and a spring disposed below a lower bearing absorbs axial dimension growth of the rotor.

The invention relates to a scalable device for storing and releasing energy, consisting of a housing that can be evacuated, a vacuum (12), at least one flywheel mass (2) on a shaft (17), at least one passive superconducting radial bearing and an electrical machine (24) that constitutes both a motor and a generator, wherein a cold surface is arranged in the vacuum container (11) for stabilizing the vacuum (12). The invention has the advantage that an energy store is provided that operates efficiently and cost-effectively with minimized energy losses, is scalable and also has sufficient safety elements to enable it to be used in industrial environments.

An apparatus and method for unloading a rotor bearing is described. The apparatus includes an electromagnet for levitating the rotor. In one embodiment, a sensor of the magnetic field near the electromagnet is used to control the current to levitate the rotor. In another embodiment, a method is provided that includes rotating the rotor, increasing the current to levitate the rotor and decrease the gap between electromagnet and rotor, and then reducing the current to levitate the rotor with a minimal amount of electric power to the electromagnet.

The present invention relates to a flywheel apparatus for energy storage and recovery including a housing within which there is a chamber in which a flywheel on a shaft rotates. The chamber is evacuated to at or near vacuum pressure, so that air resistance-related energy losses of the flywheel as it rotates are reduced. Maintaining near-vacuum pressure within the chamber requires an effective seal between the housing and the shaft. The effective seal must be maintained despite any relative movement (in particular translational movement) of the flywheel and the housing. To this end, the shaft is mounted via a bearing arrangement on a carrier on which is also mounted a sealing arrangement. The carrier is mounted on the housing such that the carrier, the bearing arrangement and the sealing arrangement move substantially together relative to the housing.