A mechanical energy storage system and energy conversion method, which uses off-peak or excess electric power to replace potential energy and peak periods of electric usage to release potential energy, whereby the potential energy is converted into electrical energy. The system uses a plurality of weighted balls that can be sequentially replaced and re-looped round for reuse, whereby the potential energy of the weighted balls is increased by being raised through a delivery device during off-peak electric usage. And during peak electric usage, potential energy change in the weighted balls and a lever arm effect is used to activate an energy converter unit, thereby converting the gravitational potential energy into electric energy. The system can be used for purely mechanical energy transfer and storage.

An energy storage module is provided for reversibly storing electrical energy in the form of mechanical rotation energy. The energy storage module comprises a plurality of flywheel storage units, at least one control system and at least one module control unit, wherein the flywheel storage units are connected electrically in parallel by means of a common DC voltage intermediate circuit, and the control system or systems is/are connected to the common DC voltage intermediate circuit by way of the respective output side and to at least one external voltage grid by way of the respective input side, wherein the module control unit is provided for transmitting suitable prespecified torques to the flywheel storage units for emitting or absorbing energy to/from the DC voltage intermediate circuit, and at least one of the control systems is designed to control the DC voltage in the DC voltage intermediate circuit.

A machine (101) including a vertical rotatable shaft (4b) levitated by magnets (5) so as to minimize frictional losses. Magnets (5) are arranged on the machine body (7) and/or the shaft (4b) of the machine (101) to thereby exert a repelling force so that the rotating shaft (4b) is uplifted against gravitational forces. The machine (101) may additionally or alternatively incorporate a magnetic bearing (6), a variable inertia flywheel (24), a magnetic gear (29), and/or a magnetic clutch (19). The magnetic gear (29) may incorporate arrow shaped magnets (28).

A flywheel includes a hub configured to rotate about a longitudinal axis. At least one member having a laminate casing connected to the hub, the laminate casing is formed with an enclosed space for housing at least one mass with a fixed shape. The enclosed space is structured to control radial displacement of the at least one mass. Wherein upon rotation, an operational radial force applies a through thickness laminate radial load to the laminate casing, while simultaneously radially displacing the at least one mass to apply a controllable compressive load on the laminate casing. The applied controllable compressive load increases a predetermined laminate loading capacity by an amount of compressive load counteracting the through thickness laminate radial load, resulting in a corresponding increase in a flywheel angular velocity, that therefore increases an amount of energy stored by the at least one energy storage unit.

An illustrative energy storage system includes an energy storage device, a processor coupled to the energy storage device, and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory is configured to store instructions adapted for execution by the processor to control and monitor operation of the energy storage device. The instructions are arranged into functional modules. Each functional module is associated with a memory cache in the memory. Control processes depending on the functional module read last known values from the associated memory cache. Reading last known values from the associated memory enables changes to the functional modules without shutting down the energy storage device.

A foldable touch screen display device made up of flexible or tiled display segments that can be folded from a compact state to an expanded state which also includes a power generation system. The form factor of the compact state is roughly the size of a typical handheld phone or smaller. The form factor of the expanded state is roughly the size of a larger phone or tablet computer, which may also include the mechanical functionality of a laptop. The device form factor may also be a flip phone configuration. Both folded states may include an integrated speaker and microphone. The power generation system utilizes the force applied to the hinge of the device to ultimately recharge the batteries embedded within the device. The device may further include sensors to indicate the position of each display segment. In one embodiment, a module attached to, situated within, or otherwise associated with at least one segment of the flexible display or rigid display may contain all or substantially all processing and memory, along with a communications system, which may be used in any folded state.

Disclosed is a dual motor unit for a flywheel mass accumulator, with at least two electric machines coupled to a common rotary body; wherein the electric machines have different power characteristics and the dual motor unit is adapted to provide a total operating power in an operating speed range (?) by an interaction of the electric machines. The power characteristic (P.sub.max) is non-linearly dependent on a rotational speed (?) of the common rotary body.

The devices, systems, and methods described herein are directed to buffering the electrical energy output from a PV array before storing the electrical energy in a battery storage system of the PV system. In some examples, a buffering module receives electrical energy from one or more PV cells at a first level that exceeds a threshold charging rate of a battery storage system. The buffering module temporarily stores the electrical energy before outputting the electrical energy to the battery storage system at a second level that is at or below the threshold charging rate of the battery storage system.

There are provided a hub for a flywheel and an energy storage flywheel. The hub for a flywheel is provided between a rotor and a rotational shaft of a flywheel to allow the rotor to have the same rotation speed as that of the rotational shaft. The hub includes a hollow main dome in which a through hole into which the rotational shaft is inserted is formed in one end and an opening is formed in the other end in a longitudinal direction of the rotational shaft, and that is formed by winding a composite material therearound; and a sub dome that is bonded to the rotor and is formed by winding the composite material around an outer surface of the main dome. Any one of the main dome and the sub dome expands in a radial direction of the rotational shaft along with the rotation of the rotational shaft and the rotor to allow the sub dome and the rotor to be maintained at a bonded state therebetween.

A system includes multiple electrical nodes connected in series to a primary power source via transmission lines. Each node includes a power converter that can receive first power from the primary power source or another upstream node. The power converter can change a voltage level and/or a frequency of the first power. Each node also includes a high-speed synchronous rotating machine (HSRM), which includes an inertial storage flywheel, a rotating excitation assembly, stator windings, and a synchronous motor coupled to an induction generator. The HSRM can boost a voltage level between an input and output to compensate for a voltage drop of the first power. At least one of the nodes further includes an inductive power coupler to electrically couple the node to a mobile power source that provides second power to the node and receives a portion of the first power from the node using contactless inductive power transfer. The system includes a combination of AC and DC power transmission techniques and associated bidirectional power converters.