Patent · US Active

Rotating kinetic and potential energy frequency regulation device for fast response large scale electric power applications

US8803487B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by
13References
27Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 1, 2012
Grant dateAug 12, 2014
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 1, 2032

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02E60/16
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A rotating device for multi-megawatt, fast response frequency regulation for the electric grid. The device generally has a main shaft coupled to a motor-generator, a main spring concentric to the main shaft, and several radially-symmetric arms, each connected to the main spring via a four-bar mechanism. As the rotational speed of the device increases, centrifugal force acting on the arms causes them to rise, the four-bar mechanism compresses the main spring, and energy is stored in the device as a combination of kinetic rotational energy, elastic potential energy, and gravitational potential energy. The device can be configured with additional springs, which can be compression springs, tension springs, or a combination thereof, in order to increase the amount of energy produced. Symmetrically-spaced gliding masses can be arranged on the arms as well.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.