Safe assembly and installation of a flywheel

US10240660B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• AMBER KINETICS, INC. · US

Inventors

• Eric Sun · Union City, US
• Daniel Bakholdin · Newbury Park, US
• Edward Young Chiao · San Jose, US
• Matthew Brandon Garten · Union City, US
• Mike He · San Jose, US
• Mark J. Holloway · Mountain View, US
• Seth R. Sanders · Berkeley, US
• Matthew K. Senesky · Berkeley, US
• Alan Michael Sledd · San Francisco, US
• Peter Thomas Tennessen · Oakland, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 23, 2016
• Grant date: Mar 26, 2019
• Expiry date: Jun 23, 2036

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02E60/16
• WIPO field: Mechanical elements
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A flywheel device includes structures allowing the flywheel system to be assembled offsite, transported safely, and installed with relatively few steps. The flywheel includes a rotor and a housing enclosing the rotor, where the housing includes a bottom plate, a top plate and side walls. The bottom plate and the top plate each includes a hole aligned with the center axis of the rotor. The flywheel also includes multiple bearing housings substantially covering the holes of the bottom plate and the top plate that are aligned to the center axis of the rotor. The flywheel also includes posts that physically contact the primary rotational mass of the rotor to prevent motion of the rotor during transport of the flywheel system. Some or all of these posts may be repositioned or removed during installation so that the rotor can spin freely.