A flexible flywheel includes: a shaft fastening portion fixed to an end portion of an engine crankshaft; an annular inertia ring provided around the shaft fastening portion; a plurality of elastic spoke portions that extend in the radial direction between the shaft fastening portion and the inertia ring and connect the shaft fastening portion and the inertia ring to each other, and that absorb vibration acting on the crankshaft by undergoing deflection; and weight portions provided between adjacent elastic spoke portions, side edge-side boundary ends, to which boundaries with the weight portions are connected, are provided on both sides edges of the elastic spoke portion, respectively, when the elastic spoke portions are vibrated, stress concentrates on the side edge-side boundary ends.

A flexible flywheel includes: a shaft fastening portion fixed to an end portion of an engine crankshaft; an annular inertia ring provided around the shaft fastening portion; a plurality of elastic spoke portions that extend in the radial direction between the shaft fastening portion and the inertia ring and connect the shaft fastening portion and the inertia ring to each other, and that absorb vibration acting on the crankshaft by undergoing deflection; and weight portions provided between adjacent elastic spoke portions, side edge-side boundary ends, to which boundaries with the weight portions are connected, are provided on both sides edges of the elastic spoke portion, respectively, when the elastic spoke portions are vibrated, stress concentrates on the side edge-side boundary ends.

Flywheel system properties are enhanced with rim designs that control stress at operational rotational velocities. The tensile strength of fiber-resin composites can be aligned with radial forces to improve radial stress loading. Loops with composite casings can be arranged around the flywheel circumference with a majority of the fibers being aligned in the radial direction. The loops can enclose masses that contribute to energy storage in the flywheel system. Masses can be arranged around the hub circumference with a hoop wound composite casing enclosing the masses and hub. The masses subjected to radial forces are radially displaced with increasing rotational velocity and can provide compressive force to the fiber-resin composite to contribute to maintaining composite integrity. With the alignment of fibers in hoop or radial directions, higher loading permits increase rotational velocities, which can significantly add to the amount of energy stored or produced with the flywheel.

A gyroscopic roll stabilizer comprises a gimbal having a support frame and enclosure configured to maintain a below-ambient pressure, a flywheel assembly including a flywheel and flywheel shaft, one or more bearings for rotatably mounting the flywheel inside the enclosure, a motor for rotating the flywheel, and bearing cooling system for cooling the bearings supporting the flywheel. For smaller units, the bearing cooling system is effective to enable a flywheel with a moment of inertia less than 11.7 kg.m.sup.2 (40000 lbm in.sup.2) to be accelerated at a rate of 5 rpm/s or greater. For larger units, the bearing cooling system is effective to enable a flywheel with a moment of inertia greater than 11.7 kg.m.sup.2 (40000 lbm in.sup.2) to be accelerated at a rate of 2.5 rpm/s or greater.

A clutch assembly comprising a sealed clutch and an adapter. The clutch being connected to the adapter and the adapter being connectable to a flywheel. The adapter including openings positioned for registration with the connection pattern of a flywheel for connecting the adapter to the flywheel. The openings of the adapter comprising at least two groups of openings for registration with the connection patterns of at least two different flywheels.

An actuator arrangement for applying a torque to a shaft of a machine, in particular a reciprocating piston engine, includes: a) at least one actuator device for applying the torque; and b) at least one rotatable seismic mass coupled to the shaft. The at least one actuator device is designed to apply the torque to the shaft between the seismic mass and the shaft. A corresponding method is provided for active damping of torsional vibrations of the shaft having the actuator arrangement.

A flywheel assembly for a prime mover includes a flywheel and a ring gear. The flywheel has a first plurality of apertures for receiving a first plurality of fasteners for fixing the flywheel to a prime mover, a first cylindrical ring portion including a first outer diameter, a second cylindrical ring portion at a first distal end of the first cylindrical ring portion and including a second outer diameter, larger than the first outer diameter, and a third cylindrical ring portion at a second distal end of the first cylindrical ring portion, opposite the first distal end, and including a third outer diameter, larger than the second outer diameter. The flywheel also has a first wall connecting the first distal end of the first cylindrical ring and a third distal end of the second cylindrical ring portion. The ring gear is engaged with the first cylindrical ring portion.

A flywheel assembly for a prime mover includes a flywheel and a ring gear. The flywheel has a first plurality of apertures for receiving a first plurality of fasteners for fixing the flywheel to a prime mover, a first cylindrical ring portion including a first outer diameter, a second cylindrical ring portion at a first distal end of the first cylindrical ring portion and including a second outer diameter, larger than the first outer diameter, and a third cylindrical ring portion at a second distal end of the first cylindrical ring portion, opposite the first distal end, and including a third outer diameter, larger than the second outer diameter. The flywheel also has a first wall connecting the first distal end of the first cylindrical ring and a third distal end of the second cylindrical ring portion. The ring gear is engaged with the first cylindrical ring portion.

Disclosed is a flywheel intended for energy storage, including a cylindrical mass body including a main material with compression resistance of at least 25 MPa, such as concrete, the body being surrounded on at least one portion of the outer surface thereof with fibers, the material that makes up the fibers having a tensile strength of at least 100 Mpa. The tension of winding the fibers around the body leads to the compression of the main material, and the tension applied to the fibers is such that the stress exerted on the material of the mass body is at least equal to half of the maximum acceptable stress, the maximum stress being lower than the compression yield strength of the material that makes up the mass body, the material of the latter thus being pre-stressed.

Disclosed is a flywheel intended for energy storage, including a cylindrical mass body including a main material with compression resistance of at least 25 MPa, such as concrete, the body being surrounded on at least one portion of the outer surface thereof with fibers, the material that makes up the fibers having a tensile strength of at least 100 Mpa. The tension of winding the fibers around the body leads to the compression of the main material, and the tension applied to the fibers is such that the stress exerted on the material of the mass body is at least equal to half of the maximum acceptable stress, the maximum stress being lower than the compression yield strength of the material that makes up the mass body, the material of the latter thus being pre-stressed.