NL2021471B1

NL2021471B1 - Kinetic energy storage system

Info

Publication number: NL2021471B1
Application number: NL2021471A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Johannis Boerman Barend
Original assignee: Johannis Boerman Barend
Priority date: 2018-08-15
Filing date: 2018-08-15
Publication date: 2020-02-24
Also published as: WO2020036484A1

Abstract

The invention is in the field of a kinetic energy storage system. The system can be used to store huge amounts of ener— gy, e.g. GWh’s of energy. Such a system can be used to balance fluctuations in supply of energy at the one hand, such as due to more or less sun or wind energy being available, and fluc— tuations in consumption of energy at the other hand, such as between day and night.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention is in the field of a kinetic energy storage system. The system can be used to store huge amounts of energy, e.g. GWh’’s of energy. Such a system can be used to balance fluctuations in supply of energy at the one hand, such as due to more or less sun or wind energy being available, and fluctuations in consumption of energy at the other hand, such as between day and night.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Regardless of the use of energy source for a method of energy production, the sizes of supply and the demand will always differ from each other. Coal and gas-fired power stations are able to adjust their power supply to the demand reasonably well. In other forms of power plants, such as: solar-, windand tidal energy, the supply of power and energy depends on the forces of nature. Even a nuclear power plants will only run most profitable at maximum power all the time. In short, when such gas-, oil- and coal-fired plants eventually will be stopped to be relied on, measures are to be taken maintain a match between energy supply and demand continuously. This can theoretically be achieved more or less in more than one way:

- By using a strictly balanced installed variety alternative energy production methods combined;

- Using on average only a small part of an installed overcapacity out of any (single) energy production method;

- Linking energy networks from several time zones, balancing out all its supplies and demands all together.

- Or a better, cheaper and more realistic option: large-scale electrical energy storage.

Relevant parameters for industrial relevance of energy supply systems relate to Reserved Surface Area, Effective Material Use, Safety/Hazard and Failure rating, Typical Self Discharge Time, Full Roundtrip Efficiency, Operational Energy Storage per Price and Energy Storage Share Expectation. It is difficult to find optimized systems inherently.

For example a high amount of electrical energy storage at the time is obtained by 'pumped hydroelectric (energy) stor age' (PHES). This technology does have a round trip efficiency of about 70-80%, and requires both geographical height and water availability and a relatively large land area per amount of storage capacity. However its energy density is quite low. These systems are in most cases undesirable to install in nature terrain, or even unfit or not suitable at all for most locations on earth to facilitate it in the first place. On the other hand this technology performs very well at selfdischarge, additional required amount of material use, and life time expectation.

A different large scale capability solution is 'compressed air energy storage' (CAES). This technology does have two different versions. An adiabatic version, where heat and compressed air are stored both separately, or a diabatic system where heat from the process get lost, but can be compensated by fire burners using fuel. Both have expected round trip efficiencies even lower than PHES. A practical large scale storage is basically only possible in large underground caverns, such as old unused mines or gas and oil fields. It also has a theoretical energy density of only 138.9 kWh per km3 per Pascal of overpressure.

Probably the largest capacity related storage for electrical energy will most likely be by fuel conversion, such as hydrogen (Hz) and 'synthetic natural gas' (SNG). The energy density and the practicality of having energy stored, especially for long periods of time are superior compared to other technologies. But with a single round trip efficiency of only 35% at best, it will have the price per amount of recovered electrical energy to be undesirably expensive, this seems to have the largest impact in its operational energy storage price.

Slightly more conventional may be chemical battery types suitable for larger scale energy storage, such as the flow or redox batteries. The efficiency as well as energy density are both reasonably high. It also can be placed almost limitless everywhere in the world. But due to the chemical materials, the required system temperature, the limited lifespan and therefore the additional logistics and maintenance too, it increases the total amount of operational costs. So far this type of technology also have not proven jet to be suitable for storing energy at a truly industrial scale, lowering expectations of becoming an industrial size green energy storage solution to rely on.

Home batteries like Li-ion based technologies are good in placeability and mobility, able to provide personal household energy backup at grid blackouts, and are independent of governmental surface location planning. It has a superior realistic true life use full roundtrip efficiency, which includes system powering and related self-discharge. Unfortunately this technology has a very limited capacity per storage unit by industrial standards and a limited lifetime in combination of requiring relatively much expensive material (Lithium and Cobalt) per amount of energy, which makes the total operational costs per capacity very high.

Still largely in a laboratory state is the 'superconductor magnetic energy storage' (SMES). Theoretically placeable everywhere in the world as well. Similar to super capacitors it has a superior power rating, very much capable to provide peak energy demand surges from even a small installation. Unfortunately by measures of energy capacity it so far does not show signs of becoming able to scale up the energy capacity anywhere near truly large scale. It also requires relatively large amount of rare materials per capacity. By itself it has a superior roundtrip efficiency, but sustaining extremely low system temperature at all times for a relatively small capacity, it will cause to have the overall roundtrip efficiency by true usage to end up very low.

A remaining slowly improving technology is the 'flywheel energy storage' (FES). It benefits in having basically no derating in its capacity over time, like other medium size energy storage solutions like batteries have, this makes its operational reliability predictable. It has a high full roundtrip efficiency by itself, unfortunately it may have more energy loss in self-discharge at average use, than by its power conversion loss. It also requires little or no rare materials, but measured capacity related, it requires some substantial amount of additional system material quantity. Also the capacity per unit does not reach industrial size unless multiple units would be combined. Considering some amount of mainte nance per small unit, the energy loss, mostly by selfdischarge, and material quantity per capacity, it doesn't seem to have a very optimal over all operational energy storage price .

The present invention therefore relates to an improved energy storage system, which overcome one or more of the above disadvantages, without jeopardizing functionality and advantages .

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates in a first aspect to a kinetic energy storage system (KES). Different to FES, 'kinetic energy storage' (KES) relies from a kinetic aspect more on high velocity than high mass, accomplished by using a type of mass guidance mechanism. Unlike other storage types KES accomplishes a combination of almost superior energy density (after fuel storage) with a very high round trip efficiency, between 92% and 96%, which is similar to that of large scale battery systems. Due to its scale, actively maintained vacuum, and the absence of mechanical transmission parts, it is capable of having a much lower self-discharge, similar to lead-acid batteries. And instead it mainly comprises relatively cheap harmless materials like iron and metal, and requires almost no, or even no rare metals at all. As it has an extremely high kinetic mass velocity, it requires even less amount of already low grade material to rely on. It largely benefits as well along the existing industrial size storage technologies (PHES, CAES, Fuel) by its large scale unit size, where the systems cross section size relates to its energy density, but as well largely without the drawbacks of being landscape depended, such as mountain terrain (PHES) or underground caverns (CAES), only relied on placeability in a horizontally flat land- or under water surface, which makes this type of storage accessible for most countries. Its real life roundtrip efficiency, even including related self-discharge, it performs better than so far all existing industrial size storage technologies, having only batteries to perform better. Considering the fact that most countries should largely be able to benefit from this type technology, enabling ownership of industrial size storage capacity, by means of relatively few material per storage capac ity, high true life roundtrip efficiency, relatively cheap in maintenance per storage capacity, an overall relatively little landscape or underwater obstruction by being placed underneath a soil, and therein also reducing some amount of failure hazard as well, concluding so far that this may be the number one in industrial size energy storage when it comes to: durability-, ecological- and recourses friendly-, and real life operational costs combined aspects.

The present system performs better in terms of velocity of the kinetic mass, in relation to the choice of material and in structure, overall structural weight and material use per equal amount of energy capacity, price per amount energy storage capacity, and amount of self-discharge compared to e.g. a flywheel system.

The below are considerations as a guide for optimizing performance, but these are in no way limiting.

A challenge in any energy storage is to store as much energy as possible with the use of the least amount of mass and volume made at the lowest costs. For kinetic energy storage the amount of mass relative to the amount of energy storage (capacity) will be pursued most likely. Increasing e.g. flywheels energy density can be achieved only by using a mass material with a higher tensile strength. For example: using a mass with a higher mass-density will invoke more to its own tensile strength, causing the maximum rotating velocity to reduce, thereby reducing the storable energy, while still increasing its weight. A lightweight material also allows a higher rotation speed.

If, like in figure 1, two kinetic storage setups that both make use of a type of guidance system placed inside a housing 713, 'setup A' and the 'setup B', each having both the same properties, except setup B to have a cross section twice the size of setup A. The kinetic energy density, may become doubled in setup B where the orbits radius has doubled compared to setup A. The amount of energy density as a single factor relates directly to a radius of a system. The energy storage capacity of setup B is four times the capacity of setup A. In figure 1 each span 723 is numbered separately for each setup. Each of the ten spans shown are representing an equal span strength and equal span length. Because in both setups their guidance systems can both equally transfer an equal amount of centripetal force per same amount of circumferential length, therefore both setups requires to have an equal length interval between spans (as shown by the grey arrows, one for each setup). Because setup B has twice the circumferential length as setup A, the number of span attachment points doubles from four points to eight points. But because the diameter of setup B is twice that of setup A, each span in setup B can only reach from the guidance system to the centre point in the middle, where in setup A it reaches across the full diameter by only a single span each. When a system is made solid anchored into the ground, instead of intended to be mobile by means of span constructions across its full diameter, it may only need very short, or no span constructions at all. If a soil is able to withstand a certain amount of lateral force by means of placement depth or type of anchoring, it is able to catch the transferred guidance force per system length equally no matter the total circumferential length of the system.

An amount of storable energy does not relate to the amount of weight of the kinetic mass, but directly to the amount of applicable centripetal force. The consequence of making a kinetic mass lighter without reducing the kinetic energy is directly linked to a necessary increased mass velocity while maintaining the same amount of centripetal force to be transferred. Because weight can only by means of velocity contribute to the amount of storable amount of energy, than all of the remaining kinetic mass material can exclusively be aimed on being useful for: guidance, suspension and drive traction. Not only is there no necessity for any additional mass to carry with it, it becomes even more lucrative when the weight of an even already bare remaining rotor mass, or solid ringshaped mass, to be called: ring for short, having no additional weight itself, may possibly be reduced even more. But thus will it become more difficult to apply the same amount force when less material is used. It sort of becomes harder to grab on to. Kinetic energy in such system could be stored in some type of magnetizable mass, largely consisting of most likely: iron, where the guidance system could be made using 'electri cally manipulatable magnet structures' , that may consist partially of permanent magnets, but probably for the most part, or even completely out of one or more electromagnets in different ways, at least in a stacked like fashion as shown by 441, 442 and 443 in figure 6. Because the amount of mass by itself is not directly proportional to the amount of energy storage, and the weight of the rings iron used as the remaining kinetic mass, already stripped from any other possible added weight, could be reduced even further, therefore the description: 'ring' or 'rotor system' seems more applicable than: 'kinetic mass' . Several more specific effects are shown in figure 2, where each example represents an equal scale, showing different effects of magnetic paths shown by black lines and their magnetic directions by arrows. Shown in example A is how a system implies to be the most electrical efficient by having the largest height per single magnetic path which also surrounds the thickest least electrical resistive coil wiring. To reduce the material use by means of reduction in the guidance system 41, like in shown at B, its winding can be made smaller, in this case narrowing the guidance system, reducing the quantity of its core material, as well as its wiring material, but causing an increase in power consumption because of the increase in electrical resistance. Still both A and B use the same initial amount of material and weight at their rings. Like mentioned, its not the weight to be proportional to the kinetic energy storage capacity, but the combination of mass times velocity squared. Knowing that: stored energy, as well as amount of centripetal force are both proportional to mass times velocity squared, stored energy equals to centripetal force times radius, divided by two. To reduce the kinetic weight without reducing kinetic energy, the amount of centripetal force has to remain the same, by increasing its velocity. Thereby it becomes harder to grab on to the remaining mass while remaining the same amount of compensating guidance force. The force per amount of mass increases where not the force itself increases, but the mass does decrease. To sustain in amount of force, it is not the frontal magnetic surface area that has to increase. An certain electromagnet will always be able to apply a certain amount of magnetic force of about one hundred kilo Newton per square meter at a theoretically ideal two millimeter gap at the point of reaching saturation, as long as there are no obstructions along the magnetic path to over saturate, having the magnetic path to be compromised by narrowing its magnetic cross section at any point along it. The same amount of magnetic flux will also has to be transferred all the way at both ring and guidance system when their magnetic cross sections are equal along its mutual magnetic path. Each part of cross section along its path will only be able to reach a certain amount of flux before it will saturate. To transfer an equal amount of magnetic force between the frontal surface areas that the ring and the guidance system faces each other, but still be able to reduce the amount of core material, it is possible to repeat a number of magnetic paths over the vertical height, in stead of transferring all magnetic flux through one single (bulky, very heavy) wide path. So its possibly cheaper to increase the number of magnetic paths into several smaller and narrower vertical stacked magnetic paths in stead, by alternating the magnetic direction in each stack, as shown in figure 2.C. Therefore in C the total amount of core weight compared to A and B is about half, just by having a double magnetic path in C instead of a single path at A and B. Note that the core material in both ring 11 as well as the guidance system 41 have both been reduced, only the amount of conductor material for each magnetic path remains the same between B and C. But when the number of conductive wiring doubles, and the conductor thickness does not change, than the power consumption will double because of it. Note also that the magnetic flux limit count equal for both ring and guidance system. Where one can be narrowed, or has to be widened, equally so can, or will have the other. If they do not match, like shown at D, the narrowest will saturate over the other. In D its the ring that saturates by being narrower than its own guidance system. In such case the rings iron core would always have a higher magnetic flux than its guidance system at equal electromagnetic power conditions until a point of saturation at some point in the magnetic path is reached, causing the transferable magnetic force between them to be limited by the magnetic path to be partial over loaded, and therefore obstructing the whole magnetic path as a chain around an electric conductive wiring. This is shown at D by the magnetic fields to even partial leave the rings iron core at the location where it is no longer capable to contain it. Not only saturation will cause a possible reduction in transferable force between guidance system and its ring, also the gap between the two will. As shown in E in comparison to the other samples, is that at the same magnetic flux, such as at the point of saturation, the amount of magnetic force will be opposite to gap clearance squared (besides that, also magnetic resistance plays a role). This will also risk that when the gap between the ring and its guidance system starts to increase even a little when its magnetic path already saturates, that it becomes almost impossible to stabilizing the horizontal position of the ring by maintaining a safe amount of gap clearance by means of increasing electrical power into the guidance system to avoid the systems most catastrophic scenario possible. A safe margin is highly recommended to avoid of having a magnetic path to become fully saturated at an already initially intended gap clearance, especially in case of imperfections in: ring orbit, magnetic feedback, or by means of external lateral forces to occur, such as at an earthquake. Some more structural error to avoid is what is shown in F, having two neighboring electrical wiring to have an equal current direction along through the guidance system. When a single coil causes two opposite magnetic pathways, like in C, D and E, the current direction seen in cross section fashion, it will automatically have the current direction to approach (the viewer) at one point, and continue to enter (away from the viewer) at the other point, making an electrical loop. When a chain of neighboring loops are placed in a stack of magnetic paths, all loops have to have the same equal non-opposing polarity, thereby will each magnetic path alternate each other neighboring path. But where a polarity of one loop opposes a neighboring loop, it will cause the electrical current direction to be the same as the neighboring magnetic paths, like shown in F, where the magnetic flux is added up from both loops to effectively create only one single magnetic path where two are intended, making it to become only half effective. See that the middle part in F does not show a magnetic crossing between the ring and its guidance system, and therefore does not transfer any substantial magnetic force at that point between them. The limit in magnetic flux remains the same, and therefore the force per equal amount of core cross section. When only half of the cross section is used effectively, than only half the intended force can be applied. Therefore this effect should be avoided, which luckily is very easy to be realized.

Also other aspects may be considered in design and engineering to translate this technology into a successfully functional product. The use of proven technologies keeps costs low and predictable. Such as the proven use and construction of long distance pipeline connections like they are already used for transport of oil, and how they can be constructed, coupled, welded, anchored into the ground, elevated from the surface, or even placed under water. Despite maintaining a specific gap clearance between the ring and its suspension system itself is a very unstable process, this already has electronically proven to be very well manageable. The same type of electromagnetic force feedback is used in electromagnetic suspended globes. Secondly a similar solution counts for the guidance system, but with the difference of maintaining an horizontal force for means of compensating the rings centripetal force. What as well should add to the chance for success in engineering is the fact that all these individual aspects have proven themselves in real life situations in one way or another already, and should also be fairly well calculated and simulated into a single combined setup. Exceptions herein may be aspects of: the behavior of the extreme high velocity of the ring, human maintenance performed to systems inside a long narrow pipe like structure, remaining just over one meter wide, the aspect for the safe use of high voltage enclosed electrical systems to be installed perhaps even in under water housing structures as well, the whole construction can only be an almost perfect donut-shape, demanding placement predetermination along its full perimeter completely on forehand to avoid any possible obstacle on its path, and therein also reduce- and solve unequal sinking into the soil, and avoid and counter unegual deformation of the internal ring systems from alternating vertical as well as lateral forces each along their full perimeters.

Thereby the present invention provides a solution to one or more of the above-mentioned problems.

Advantages of the present invention are detailed throughout the description.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates in a first aspect to a kinetic energy storage system according to claim 1.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present system the solid ring-shaped mass may comprise at least two connectable ring sections. As such the system can be constructed by sub-elements, which makes construction and handling much easier and lowers costs. Typically many ring sections are provided.

In an exemplary embodiment the present system may comprise at least two ring system modules, where each module comprises an internal system. As such the system can be constructed by sub-elements, which makes construction much easier and lowers costs. Typically many ring system modules are provided.

In an exemplary embodiment the present system may comprise a squirrel cage rotor construction adapted to accelerate and to decelerate the solid ring-shaped mass by means of interaction between a stator system, and the rotor comprising short circuit windings, preferably as an integral part of the solid ring-shaped mass wherein a combined same piece of iron core is part of both the solid-ring mass as well as of the rotor.

In an exemplary embodiment the present system may comprise a squirrel caqe rotor construction adapted to accelerate and to decelerate the solid ring-shaped mass by means of interaction between a stator system, and the squirrel cage rotor construction comprising internal short circuit windings embedded in ferrite, mounted directly to the solid ring-shaped mass' surface.

In an exemplary embodiment the present system may comprise alternating magnetic polarity arranged permanent magnets mounted to the rings surface, adapted to accelerate and to decelerate the solid ring-shaped mass by means of interaction between the stator system and a permanent magnet rotor construction.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present system at least one ring system may comprise a stator system, comprising along the perimeter sets of lengthwise arranged electromagnets, adapted for creating artificially controllable sequential progressing electromagnetic fields to interact with any of the mentioned rotor systems to enable bi-directional exchange in mechanical force.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present system at least one ring system may comprise a suspension system, arranged in sections, preferably divided according the division of ring systems modules, adapted to provide suspension along an entire circumferential length inside an entire ring system, where each suspension system section comprises electrically manipulatable magnet constructions, comprising electromagnets, which can be in an optional combination with permanent magnets. Each section may comprise an individual active feedback controlled magnetic force for maintaining a specific gap clearance between the ring and the suspension system (at any given point). Note that 'section' here doesn't mean 'module' or being detachable! A module can comprise multiple sections, or a section can be merged by multiple modules, or even equally divided 1:1.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present system at least one ring system may comprise a guidance system, such as at each ring system module, adapted to compensate a ring's centripetal force by means of a divided setup along the entire circumferential length inside each entire ring system, preferably a sectional divided setup, where each guidance system section comprises electrically manipulatable magnet constructions, comprising electromagnets, in an optional combination with permanent magnets. Each section may comprise an individual active feedback controlled magnetic force for maintaining a specific gap clearance between the ring and the guidance system (at any given point) ) .

In an exemplary embodiment of the present system the guidance system may comprise individual controllable electrically manipulatable magnet constructions by being arranged over the vertical height within at least one section of the guidance system adapted to control ring torsion, such as by active feedback control.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present system a main facility housing construction may comprise internal mounting and support structures for the ring system for the subsequent assembly and disassembly of ring systems or modules .

In an exemplary embodiment of the present system a main facility housing construction may be anchored into the soil comprising external additional mounting constructions at some length interval along the perimeter of the main facility housing for capturing the centripetal forces throughout the main facility housing construction outward.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present system a main facility housing construction may be anchored into the soil comprising external additional span constructions, by means of chains or cables at some length interval along the perimeter of the main facility housing for capturing the centripetal forces throughout the main facility housing construction outward towards some kind of firm anchor point (see e.g. figure 10).

In an exemplary embodiment of the present system a main facility housing construction may be anchored into the soil comprising external additional pile constructions by means of piles, such as by means of being pile-driven, at some length interval along the perimeter of the main facility housing for capturing the centripetal forces throughout the main facility housing construction outward (see e.g. figure 11) .

In an exemplary embodiment of the present system a main facility housing construction may be placed elevated above the soil, comprising pillar constructions where the pillars are anchored into the soil at some length interval along the perimeter of the main facility housing to capture and transmit the centripetal forces throughout the main facility housing construction outward (see e.g. figure 12).

In an exemplary embodiment of the present system a main facility housing construction may be placed elevated above the soil, comprising pylon constructions where the pylons are anchored into the soil at some length interval along the perimeter of the main facility housing to capture and transmit the centripetal forces throughout the main facility housing construction outward (see e.g. figure 13).

In an exemplary embodiment the present system stores at least one hundred Mega Watt hour (MWh), preferably more than 1 GWh, more preferably more than 10 GWh, even more preferably more than 100 GWh, and/or peak power provision of more than ten Mega Watt peak (MWp), preferably more than 100 MWp, more preferably more than 1 GWp, even more preferably more than 10 GWp.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present system a solid ring-shaped mass comprises a mechanism, where each ring section comprising at least one screw mechanism coupled to a transfer axle to transfer a ring section gap spacing setting mechanically from one end of each section to the other end, to obtain a balanced gap spacing between every two up following ring sections (see e.g. figure 8).

The invention is further detailed by the accompanying figures and examples, which are exemplary and explanatory of nature and are not limiting the scope of the invention. To the person skilled in the art it may be clear that many variants, being obvious or not, may be conceivable falling within the scope of protection, defined by the present claims .

SUMMARY OF THE FIGURES

Figures 1-14 show exemplary details of the present system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

For the convenience of the reader sub numbering of generic elements is used. In the figures:

I Ring

II Ring, cross section

110 Ring, partial display of midsection or around the ro- tor area, cross section

111 Ring head, cross section

112 Ring foot or balancing weight (counter balancing the heads weight), cross section

113 Embedded rotor, cross section

114 Embedded short circuit windings, cross section

115 Ferrite rotor, cross section

116 Ferrite rotor short circuit windings, cross section

117 Permanent magnet rotor, cross section

Ring side view

120 Ring side view, partial display located at ring se- quence balancing mechanism, outside view

1200 Ring side view, partial display located at ring sequence balancing mechanism, open cross section

121 Ring head, side view

122 Ring balancing weight, side view

123 Embedded rotor, side view

124 Embedded short circuit windings, side view

125 Ferrite rotor, side view

126 Ferrite rotor short circuit windings, side view

127 Permanent magnet rotor, side view

Stator

Stator, cross section

Stator surface area, frontal view

Stator, top view

Stator winding

Stator cooling

Suspension system

Suspension system, cross section

Suspension system surface area, bottom view, surface facing ring head

Suspension system, top view

Suspension system, side view

Suspension system electrical inductor winding

Guidance system

Guidance system, cross section

Guidance system surface area, frontal view

421 Guidance system magnetic (iron) surface area, frontal view

Guidance system, back view

441 Guidance system electrical inductor winding (upper)

442 Guidance system electrical inductor winding (middle)

443 Guidance system electrical inductor winding (lower)

Guidance system cooling

451 Guidance system cooling heat filler/heat conductor

Ring system

Ring system, cross section

Ring system, side view

Ring system, top view

Ring system housing

541 Ring system housing support slot structure

542 Ring system housing horizontal support strut

543 Ring system housing vertical support strut

544 Ring system housing through-piece coupling strut

Ring system filler material

Ring system support wheel

Electronics box

Gaps

Ring to Ring coupling gap (shows before sections are being connected into each other)

611 Ring to Ring thermal expansion gap (in vacuum)

6110 Ring to Ring gap sequence balancing mechanism (figure

8)

6111 Ring to Ring gap sequence balancing mechanism male screw, side view

6112 Ring to Ring gap sequence balancing mechanism male screw, head end view

6113 Ring to Ring gap sequence balancing mechanism receptive screw nut, side view

6114 Ring to Ring gap sequence balancing mechanism receptive screw nut, head end view

6115 Ring to Ring gap sequence balancing mechanism sliding connection wrench, side view

6116 Ring to Ring gap sequence balancing mechanism sliding connection wrench, head end view

6117 Ring to Ring gap sequence balancing mechanism pass through axle, side view

612 Ring rotor to Stator gap (in vacuum)

613 Ring to Suspension system actively maintained gap (in vacuum)

614 Ring to Guidance system actively maintained gap (in vacuum)

622 Stator to Stator thermal expansion gap

633 Suspension system to Suspension system thermal expansion gap

644 Guidance system to Guidance system thermal expansion gap

Main facility

Main facility housing (tube, pipe or tunnel construction)

711 Main facility housing, cross section

712 Main facility housing, side view

713 Main facility housing, top view

721 Main facility span construction, cross section

722 Main facility span construction, side view

723 Main facility span construction, top view

731 Main facility pile construction, cross section

732 Main facility pile construction, side view

733 Main facility pile construction, top view

741 Main facility pillar construction, cross section

742 Main facility pillar construction, side view

743 Main facility pillar construction, top view

751 Main facility pylon construction, cross section

752 Main facility pylon construction, side view

753 Main facility pylon construction, top view

761 Main facility, housing for: heat transfer equipment, transformers, etc. and personal entrance, top view

762 Main facility maintenance and operator room, top view

763 Main facility straight pipe/tunnel for catastrophic ring failure, top view

764 Main facility catastrophic ring failure damper buffer top view

Additional equipment

Pipes and cables

811 Air duct

812 Pipes for cooling

813 Main high Voltage cables

814 Local distribution low Voltage cables

Pumps, compressors and such

821 Emergency water supply for cooling at a catastrophic failure

Wall support structure

Maintenance floor and equipment hatch

Maintenance train

Figure 1 shows the effect of using the amount of full across span material when an energy storage system using a guidance system would be made mobile. When due to using a same type of guidance system in two different sized setups their guidance forces in both setups would be equal between them, the distance between attachment points is equal too when also each span would be equally strong. But due to their different sizes, the amount of span construction material quadruples when the guidance force remains the same between them, but the orbit in setup B is twice as shallow as in setup A, it will allow its rings velocity to increase by having its kinetic energy per equal amount of mass to be doubled. If both setups have the same height, then setup B will be using twice the amount of ring mass due to its double sized orbit length. The energy storage capacity would than be four times the amount of setup A.

Figure 2 shows six different effects of magnetic force interaction between a guidance system 41 and its ring 11. At A the guidance system is most bulky having the widest magnetic cross section, as well as using the most conductive wire material. At B the wire thickness is reduced, what will cause an increase in electrical power demand per equal magnetic force. At C the complete amount of core material is about halved by having two magnetic paths in stead of one at the same vertical height. Because the number of wiring is doubled, so will the power consumption per equal amount of magnetic force. D shows what happens if the rings width would not match with the core cross section of the guidance system. At E the magnetic force per magnetic excitation is reduced by having an increased gap clearance. F shows the effect of having two neighboring electric wires to be in counter polarity causing both wire current directions to line up instead of countering each other creat ing a single magnetic path where two are intended to be, becoming only half as effective.

Figure 3 shows the effect of having imperfect placement of the ring system. Such when the ring can experience free fall when the ring system forms from a certain point curved downward. This critical amount of vertical curvature can be calculated using the variables shown in this figure.

Figure 4 shows a possible cross section impression of the facility housing showing all main attributes inside it. In this case using four ring systems. Ring systems can be placed subsequently by using connectable support struts. A facility can be made in different sizes allowing a different number or a different size of ring system size. This figure does not show by which means the facility is placed or mounted or anchored in-, on top- or above ground or water.

Figure 5 shows more specific how a ring system support strut mechanism could be applied and used. Note that struts 542 holding a ring at the inside bend inside the facility has to withstand a span force, where struts 542 for the outer bend has to withstand a compressing force. All other vertical struts 543 and 544 has to withstand span forces only. All struts are drawn the same, but may be different in real life for enabling different force directions between them, and may have to reach different distances. A support strut will most likely be a mechanical screw based solution, adjustable perhaps by a small electromotor or just by hand or both.

Figure 6 shows different aspects and system of- and inside a ring system. With on top in the middle a ring system cross section 51 of all main elements inside it. To the right it aligns at egual height a part of the back side of a guidance system 43 using tree vertically stacked independent induction wirings, where two ends of a coupled ring system sections meet each other, showing a gap 644 between them that shows here by the gap between two guidance system sections. Aligned below it, a similar part at between two sections but seen from the inside outward 42, showing the magnetic surface that faces the ring. To its left shows an small part aligning with the orbital outer side part of the ring 12 showing inner parts of in this case a ferrite type rotor. Left to the ring does lineup to the frontal view of the stator 22. Directly below it the top down view of the same stator part 23. Directly above the ring 12 shows the suspension system by side view perspective 34. Left to it aligns with its cross section view 31 twice. Above them the top 33 and bottom view 32 of the same part of suspension system, also displayed at the point where two sections meet having a gap 633 between them.

Figure 7 shows three different ring parts using different rotor layouts. To the left: having the rotor and its short circuit windings to be completely embedded inside the ring, making the ring and the rotor to share the same part of core. Hereby the ring can be considered to be rotor itself, because a specific part of the core is used for being both rotor as well as it is used as being a part of the magnetic guidable kinetic mass. At the middle: a ferrite based rotor containing short circuit wiring. At the right: a rotor using permanent magnets for a synchronous type of propulsion. The upper part of the figure shows the each ring setup shown sideways towards rotor surface. In the lower part each rotor on or in each ring is shown by cross section (each ring here is not shown in full height).

Figure 8 shows an example of a ring gap clearance 611 balancing mechanism 6110 to make ring gap clearances to be 95% to 99% the same compared between two consecutively ring gap clearances. This is to avoid having an aggravating ring gap clearance unbalance to be completely being balanced by individual stator section fore alone, saving energy by having the stator hereby to apply only relatively small individual balancing forces instead.

Figure 9 shows a clear top view of a complete energy storage facility including possible maintenance and storage rooms and the straight safety tunnel, showing the tunnel or pipe diameter in one scale perspective, and the circumferential size of the facility in a different scale measure. It also shows how housing for heat transfer equipment, transformers, etc. and personal entrance 761 could be placed on top of the facility tunnel or pipe 713 when this pipe or tunnel is at a certain depth underground to attain enough lateral anchoring force by its surrounding soil, but when the facility is placed more shallow it 761 can also be placed next to it inside the circumferential outline of the facility (not shown in this figure). Its interval in intermediate spacing could differ (like the figure seems to suggest), as long as the facilities internal systems are enabled to be powered from a medium high Voltage out of a power supply from it every few kilometers or so .

Figure 10 shows in three different perspectives the main facility housing attached to a type of span construction (in this case displayed by chains) for anchoring into the soil at a certain points somewhere more towards the virtual centre point of the facility structure. This can be used in case the facility housing may not be placed sturdy enough by placing in soft soil, or to shallow underneath the surface, of to highly elevated above the ground to capture the lateral force through the elevation providing structure alone, what could be the case by using a pylon structure (75x), like it is shown in figure 13.

Figure 11 shows in three different perspectives the main facility housing anchored by a type of (pile-driven) pile setup. In this figure the piles are placed at the outer perimeter of the facility pushing the facility against its lateral force. This technique can also be applied at the inner perimeter such as in combination with the span construction (72x), as shown in figure 10.

Figure 12 shows in three different perspectives the main facility housing placed on top of a pillar construction. In this figure each pillar construction uses two pillars, any other number of pillars could be used as well, such as where obstacles underneath it are to be avoided. When this type of construction is not build to elevate the facility relatively low above ground level, it may do fine by having the pillars being firm enough into the soil to capture enough lateral force without additional span constructions.

Figure 13 shows in three different perspectives the main facility housing placed elevated on top of some type of pylon support structure. This type of elevation support can be used for more higher elevation above ground level, but as well under water crossing deeper water as well, most likely when es pecially only relatively small parts of the facilities perimeter has to be elevated this way. This type of construction may well be capable of having the facility elevated to a certain height, but to compensate the lateral force too, an additional span construction may even be always required in combination hereof .

Figure 14 shows how the head ends of a solid ring-shaped mass 12 are able to fit into each other. In a real build setup, additional measures are required to prevent the head ends not only to slide vertical, but side ways as well. Also detachment should be prevented once the ring sections are connected .

The figures are further detailed in the description and examples below.

EXAMPLES

As long as the price for permanent magnets, even without any energy costs, cannot compete with the cheaper solution of electromagnets, and also due the need for a variable magnetic force, proportional to the centripetal force that also has to feedback a specific maintained gap clearance, or position of the ring towards both guidance system and the suspension system at any given point, electromagnets are required to be used at least in one form or another. Figure 6 shows the basic construction setup of both its suspension systems electromagnetic structure 3x as well as its guidance systems electromagnetic structure 4xx. To allow the suspension system to be segmented into sections, like it is shown by 32 and 33, it will be required to have at least one complete inductor surrounding a centre core, like shown at 31, creating two magnetic paths, based on the principle as shown in figure 2.C. The ring head as displayed at ill seems to be too flat. If the ring can be made between 3 and 10 cm wide, the height of a single magnetic path around a single piece of inductor wiring 35 that itself can be between 1 and 3 cm would end up to be between 7 and 23 cm high. To allow the guidance system to be made into sections as well, like it is shown by 42 and 43, it will also be required to contain completely formed inductors like it is partially shown in figure 6 having this guidance system to have tree fully formed individual inductors: 441, 442 and 443. Each fully formed inductor magnet will consist of two magnetic paths each. So each inductor can be responsible for a height between 14 and 46 cm within the total height of a guidance system. For example, if a single inductor wire through a single magnetic path would form a square of 1 cm, the power consumption (P) per magnetic path (n) per meter of system length (L) could then be 112 Watt/meter/path. If this amount of inductor wiring would be applied in the example as shown in figure 4, it would have three inductor wires per ring system, creating six magnetic paths in each of the four ring systems. Some 12.3% of the saturation current may be required at the suspension system.

Electromagnets can be used to guide and suspend the rotating ring. After guidance and suspension, a third active electromagnetic based system can be used to accelerate and decelerate the ring, to add and remove its kinetic energy, charging and discharging the energy storage system by changing the rings velocity. This can be achieved using an artificially made 'actively controllable sequential electromagnetic field' produced by the 'stator' 2 of the system, made by electromagnets placed side by side 22, facing a 'rotor structure' 115 and 125 which will be attached to the ring 1, facing each other along the entire perimeter length for each ring system. The produced sequential electromagnetic field will be picked up by the rotor structure of the ring, applying torque. This so called 'rotor structure' can be constructed mainly based on two different type of solutions by means of magnetic composition: A rotor structure made by permanent magnets 117 and 127 attached to the ring facing towards the stator, making the ring to always try to catch up exactly with the displacement of the sequential magnetic field without slip when charging the system. Without empowering the electromagnets, the rings permanent magnets will keep on inducing an alternating magnetic field in the stators electromagnets, proportional in Voltage and frequency to the rings velocity. Discharging can easy be achieved by transferring the induced alternating Voltage into a load producing current which first can be rectified even by passive rectifiers (like using diodes only). And a rotor structure made by the use of short circuit windings 114,

4

116, 124 and 126 incased directly into the rings own iron core, sharing the same core material 113 and 123 or by some ferrite based material 115 and 125, to construct a squirrel cage rotor setup like shown in figure 7, which forms a circumferential shallow curved linear like structure. Similar to the operation of a squirrel cage induction motor (see also: wikipedia.org/wiki/Induction_motor). This type of rotor structure will also try to catch up speed toward the displacement of the actively applied sequential magnetic field, but in this case it does have slip in proportion to the amount of torque being exchanged between the stator system and the ring through its rotor structure. Without empowering the electromagnets, this type of rotor structure does not create any magnetic field, so it will not induce any alternating magnetic field in the stators electromagnets. For this type of rotor structure, the stator is required to induce its own sequential electromagnetic field for transfer of torque into, as well as out from the ring by small changes in sequence frequency in relation to the rings velocity. This difference also translates directly to the amount of slip. When the ring accelerates, the impedance of the stator electromagnets behaves almost resistive. When the stator is empowered, but its sequence follows the rings velocity without slip, the impedance of the stators electromagnets behaves inductive. When the ring decelerates, the impedance of the stators electromagnets behaves almost counter resistive, where AC Voltage and AC Current almost opposes each other, shifted in phase almost 180° declaring necessity of a specific calculated active sequential stator excitation also for recuperating electric power out of stored kinetic energy when a type of squirrel cage rotor is used. Both rotor structures are able to exchange torque between the ring and the stator system, changing the rings velocity enabling it to apply acceleration as well as deceleration.

A main reason for the design of a guidance based energy storage system is to use less- as well as cheaper material per amount of storable kinetic energy. With the use of a guidance system the tensile force in the ring can be reduced to zero, by centripetal force to be transferred by magnetic force. Ring systems 5 per energy storage facility 71 will most likely be between one and ten (like four in figure 4). An amount of recoverable electrical energy per commercial facility will roughly be between 2 and 1000 GWh. This makes the calculated max. ring velocity to be in a range between 690 and 4,116 m/s. This would translate to a factor in a kinetic energy density based on the ring mass itself about 35.6 times between these two extremes.

Due to the very large perimeter length of the facility structure 71 which will be founded firmly into the ground, directly, or by some elevated structure, this itself may not expand proportionally by change in temperature as much due to its foundation, compared to the technical parts that are inside this housing structure. The internal structures, mainly the ring systems that follow the whole length of the perimeter as a single structure, may need their own independent thermal expansion measures. The three different electromagnetic systems inside the ring system may each as well has their own small gaps 622, 633 and 644 at some interval, this may be solvable quite easy, like it is shown in figure 6. The static casing 54 may require some interlocking parts at some interval, with tight seals in between to be able to withstand linear expansion without losing its high vacuum. The static casing may have to be able to handle the additional heat from the systems dissipation inside it as well. A rotating ring however is completely surrounded by high vacuum, and may also heat itself up to some degree, caused by electric heat dissipation in the rotor when torque is applied. Transfer of this heat may require some kind of active heat transfer system to be added. Most energy loss origins from the electrical resistance of the short circuit windings 114, 116, 124 and 126, but will transfer its heat first further through the rotor onto the rings iron parts and transmitted by heat radiation. Unlike the stator, the guidance and the suspension systems will virtually cause no effect of heat buildup in the ring at al. When the ring is colored black, it will radiate its heat outward best, when the static surface area that faces the ring is also colored black, it will be able to absorb the rings radiated heat. To prevent tension as a result of linear expansion, the ring may have to be made from separate lengthwise connectable sec tions with a gap 611 between each section similar to the static parts, but to be helpful for practical ways of transportation as well. Allowing gaps between the ring sections may solve the basic thermal expansion problem. One may apply different amounts of torque between stator sections. Each stator section can alter its amount of magnetic energized level, and applies small alterations in frequency to balance consecutive ring gap clearances. A mechanical solution can be installed inside the ring, like shown in figure 8, to balance this out for the most part between every two consecutive gap spacings 611, each to be between two ring sections, can be solved by having each ring section to be provided with a transfer axle 6117 to transfer a ring sections gap spacing, at one end coupled to a screw mechanism 6111 on one end of each ring section, able to turn inside a counterpart of the next ring section 6113, when it also transfers the rotational setting of the axle of one ring section to the next by a sort of cross shaped pickup axle 6115. The pickup axle of one ring section slides, depending on the local gap spacing, inside a fitting countershaft inside the screw of the next ring section, like it shows in figure 8.F. Important is the right groove angle of the screw mechanism. The linear force between the ring sections, and the torque of the transfer axle should be able to interchange forces and position bidirectional. The force to change one gap should be able to influence each next gap to intend to make them equal. If the screw groove is too shallow, the transfer of force will only function to influence a gap spacing out of the axles rotation, if too steep, the axle will barely rotate, and be able to be influenced easy out of change in gap clearance, but not be able to influence a gap spacing back out of the axles torque. When applied correctly, two consecutive gap spacing should be for about between 95% and 99% identical within their gap spacing range. This counts for each transfer individual. A ring can also have more than one of these balancing mechanisms to divide the total force to be transferred, and make ring sections to provide a good vertical lineout. This can be done by having one balancing mechanism in the rings head 111, like in figure 8.G and 8.H, as well is in the ring foot 112 like in figure 8.J and 8.K. Important is that such, or even any mechanism inside the ring should never obstruct the magnetic paths inside the ring that aligns with the guidance system as well as the suspension system. This may be solvable as well by making the transfer axle 6117 to be made out or iron too, but this may cause too much torsion over the length of the axle. Also to reduce the amount of sliding of the pickup axle 6115 inside the screws counterpart, the transfer axle could be made of invar, as long as the rings magnetic paths are not hindered, causing local saturation inside the rings iron parts. There is also no absolute or target average gap length between two ring sections, due to the effect of thermal expansion, each consecutive comparison will be relative to the occurring circumstances.

Because the placement of the storage systems structure and the rotation orbit of the ring within it, are horizontally and flat corresponding to the earth's surface. The ring will proportional to its velocity behave like such a gigantic flywheel, that even the relatively slow rotation of the earth will put a measurable gyroscopic force to the ring. This force is nil when the axis of rotation of the ring is parallel to that of the earth, this can only be achieved at the poles. The gyroscopic effect is at its greatest at the equator. Corresponding to its earths location, the relative amount of gyroscopic force is expected to correlate to the cosine of the earths location latitude. The gyroscopic effect is noticeable but relatively small. In a real setup where a ring would rotate at a velocity of 3000 m/s, the applied suspension force at the farthest point west would have to produce 6.3% more magnetic force than at its farthest point east, and consequently requires 13% more electric power.

Because the earth rotates at a certain direction, and each ring will too, one will influence the other. A ring will not be influenced by the Coriolis effect when it is placed exactly at the equator, and effected most when placed at the north or south pole. Due to the high velocity of the ring this effect may seem small, or even seems to not influence the system itself at all. On earth the sun rises from the east, and sets in the west, when the earth is seen from above the north pole downward, the earth rotates counterclockwise. A ring system with a circumferential length of 300 km (or 47.74 km radius), and a ring to have a velocity up to 3000 m/s, translated into a rotational speed of up to 0.6 rpm, can have a 866 times faster rotational speed than earth. Concluding further that based on the earths rotating direction, a ring inside a ring system build on the northern hemisphere will rotate most effectively clockwise (seen from above), and at the southern hemisphere preferably counterclockwise.

Despite having the energy stored kinetically using a contact free suspended rotating ring, completely surrounded by almost vacuum, even with the ring in total to have no head sides that would result in some parachute like effect. It may experience drag from the large ring surface area that passes facing the large surface area of all the static parts that includes all direct facing surface area surrounding the ring, such as: the drive stator, the suspension system, the guidance system, and even the passive static surface underneath the ring. This drag independently translates to a power loss or self-discharge, proportional to the air pressure of the vacuum, the rings total amount of outer surface area, the rings velocity squared and divided by the gap clearance between the ring and its static surrounding. Estimated is the optimal gap clearance between the ring and the active systems to be in a range of one millimeter. Estimated is the velocity to be between 690 and 4,116 m/s depending to the circumferential ring size. Estimated could be the vacuum pressure to be more or less one Pascal to perform optimal. From a systems selfdischarge perspective any lower pressure is desired, but this requires more pumping power and pumping installation capacity and price as well. On the other hand a higher pressure may also be desired for ring cooling purposes. When energy storage transfer takes place by applying torque by the stator onto or from the rotor, it will accumulate heat buildup when its completely surrounded by vacuum. This heat can partially be released by heat radiation, but at the same time as well by extremely low pressure, high velocity air convection. To reach an optimum performance based on vacuum air pressure, an optimization according the amount of: velocity, energy transfer, pumping power and ring temperature has to be considered to be an integral actively maintained and adjustable part of the energy storage process, mainly depending on its ring temperature .

As long as the ring rotates it always has some centripetal force to stretch itself enough length wise to be compensated by the applied right amount of guidance force at each section over the entire perimeter. But when the ring starts up cold, the linear thermal expansion is much less compared to nominal conditions in where the systems around the ring are heated up, as well that the ring is expected to heat up further due to transfer of mechanical traction when surrounded by vacuum to capturing even more heat. When the ring is cold and at an standstill it may as well 'stick'’ to the guidance system by this lack of linear thermal expansion. For the ring to move, it has to be physically freed from touching all other parts around it. This may be possible by energizing the guidance system in the first place, while it is in direct physically contact with the ring, holding it even tighter by its electromagnetic force, especially when they are in direct contact without any gap between them. While the guidance system is energized, it will heat up over time, and because of the tight contact with the ring, it also will heat up with it. When the guidance system stops being energized, it will release the ring magnetically. If the ring is heated up enough, it than will set itself free from the guidance system enough to be able to start to rotate freely. When the ring is released, it first lays at the bottom of the housing structure, probably unable to be grabbed by the magnetic force of the suspension system to lift it up. This can be solved by having some lever system at one point of the perimeter. When several levers in a row are able to lift only one small ring section mechanically all the way up (by several millimeters) against the suspension system, so they will first touch at one point, so it will be able when once the suspension system is energized completely, all other following ring sections from the lever point out onward towards its farthest circumferential point, will be lifted themselves automatically one by one in both directions. When eventually all ring sections are fully lifted, the ring is than entirely in directly contact with its suspension sys tem. By carefully lowering the electromagnetic suspension force it will eventually become slightly less than the gravitational force, releasing the ring from the suspension system. To prevent the ring to immediately fall down again to the bottom, all sectional suspension wires each will have to immediately start their own vertically controlled feedback to maintain the right amount of gap clearance over its entire perimeter. This procedure has to be automated, tested and refined to make it eventually operate good enough. At the first moment of rotation to start, the guidance force may be provided from all independent sectional wires, each from their own feedback to start with straightening up the ring first as it slowly starts to gain centripetal force.

For a ring to stop it will have similar issues. If a storage facility has more than one ring system, one ring system is able to provide energy for another ring system to be able to set safely motionless. For a ring system to stop entirely, it will require some energy from outside its own system. When the rings velocity is very low, and there is no transfer of storage power, the ring will gradually cool down, and equally so will its linear thermal expansion. Eventually the ring will remaining to rotate even without any amount of main guidance force at all, till after some time the ring will touch the guidance system while it moves and containing some substantial amount of kinetic energy. Even with some ring velocity, it will not be capable to generate enough power to even power the suspension system alone. Not only will the rotating ring eventually risk touching the guidance system by thermal shrinking, but even so the floor underneath the ring by lack of energizing the suspension as well. To avoid both, it will require some, but only a relatively small amount of enerqy in comparison to the storage capacity of the ring system. When the rings combined velocity and temperature drops below some threshold, it will have to take action automatically for a safe stop. First it has to brake using the stator system, by transfer of power into some small alternative additional energy storage. When the recoverable amount of power becomes even too low to brake hard enough, it will have to be stopped further using stored energy from outside the ring system, by actively apply ing torque in the opposite direction of the rings movement, by energizing the stators electromagnets to operate in an opposite sequence until the ring comes at a hold. When the ring doesn't move in any direction any more, then also the suspension system can be turned off after slowly lowering the ring. By energizing the suspension has to be stopped for a very short moment to start the ring to drop, to let immediately after that, the power to ramp up fast proportional to the increasing gap between the ring and the suspension system, until the ring lays down at the bottom. Than the system is in a safe entire stand still position. The extra energy storage can also be used as an emergency power supply, and used to speed up and secure the startup procedure as well, or even used in parallel with the rings storage as a power boost for short peaks in power demand.

At the epicenter of a typically strong earthquake with a magnitude of six would have a peak acceleration of about 8.72m/s². This represents the lateral (horizontal) force only. To store the maximum safe amount of kinetic energy, the rings velocity may have to be limited by the maximum applicable amount of magnetic force per amount ring mass, which also can be considered a horizontal acceleration resulted by this combination of factors by itself. To remain in an all-time safe operation, the maximum expected amount of earthquakes horizontal force, or peak acceleration, will have to be subtracted from the maximum amount of magnetic force. This applies as such when the earthquake force transfers itself all the way through the structure unhindered all the way to the core system. In reality an intermediate structure will most likely use dampers between the outside structure and the ring systems outer housing to reduce at least some of the peak acceleration forces. When no dampers or other measures are used, the energy storage capacity would be reduced at an magnitude six earthquake by various factors. However measures are preferably taken to mitigate the effects of potential earthquakes, if any.

This type of system (KES) intents to store as much kinetic energy as possible, absorbing and releasing it by means of electric power only. In case of a critical system fail resulting into its most catastrophic scenario, it may release its energy all at once in a much shorter than intended time. A commercial build kinetic energy storage facility (KES) can house an amount of kinetic energy, based on its size, roughly between 2 and 1200 GWh. Where a 2 GWh facility could be made as a 5 km radius facility inside a large pipe, having only one ring system of only 46 cm of effective ring height, and 1200 GWh from a facility build with a large 50 km radius, perhaps more likely inside a tunnel, containing for example eight ring systems, each with an effective ring height of 63 cm. To put this amount of energy in perspective, for instance: an electric car can drive about 5 km by each kWh. A single KES could contain the entire combined energy capacity of roughly between 285000 and 14300000 typical sized 7 kWh grid connected home battery storage units. In a worst case, a ring system would first only tear open at a certain point, most likely in only one ring system initially, eventually releasing the ring out of its system very short after that. When this failure is not performed controllable, than it will damage eventually all other ring systems shortly after that as well. Even when all energy is released out of a single point in the perimeter, it would take a ring having a 50 km radius rotating at a velocity of 3 km/s even without slowing down in the process more than 100 seconds to be fully released. A KES would be able to contain the equivalent amount of energy as a hydroelectric dam of 100 meter high at a lake of equal average depth having a surface area between 29 and 16,146 hectares (equivalent to a squire of 12.7 x 12.7 km). With three major differences, first, the water behind a hydroelectric dam is stored above qround level, second, at a breakthrough it will release its water first from a single point in a certain direction outward, and third, basically all energy is released by means of potential and kinetic energy. A KES will first be build most likely below ground level, or even seabed level, secondly, it will even at worst case release energy in all directions, or even controlled into a dedicated secure location deeply underground 765 (as explained in the next chapter), and third, because of friction of the ring along the ring systems surface in the process to slow a ring down, will first start to release energy by heat (where this heat alone can be captured considerably by use of water evaporation from water storages 821 along the perimeter, as explained in the next chapter). To put hydro storage capability in perspective: the combined potential for pumped hydro energy capacity Europe wide is estimated to be about 2,291GWh, what would roughly be the equivalent of two of the here as indicated most largest KES facilities .

In case of handling an urgent catastrophic failure, such as at an higher than anticipated earthquake, multiple technical system failures (in guidance or suspension), sudden extreme facility housing deformity, multiple ring system support struts failure, a safety plan and safety systems are required. In any case the ring is about to physically touch the ring system in terms that the systems used magnetic force feedback is about to become unrecoverable when the ring rotates at high velocity, a catastrophic failure is about to take place, and damage to the ring system may become unavoidable. Several safety measures can be taken at such case, mainly to stop the ring from further movement in a controlled way. To do this, the stator could run at a high magnetic flux in while using a much lower drive frequency according the rings velocity. This will try to recuperate a lot of electric energy in a short time, but will mainly cause high amounts of dissipation. Also the guidance system and the suspension system may be able to attract probably most of the ring fully towards it, making the ring to grind along it at high velocity creating extreme friction. Even when than some sections of the guidance system would have failed, the remaining operable sections may still be able to prevent the ring from grinding along to much of the stator where the ring would eventually break uncontrollably out of its ring system, probably continue to cause even more damage outside its ring system as well. But because the rings kinetic energy could be so extreme, it could still be able to melt the whole ring system all together when it is required to stop from maximum velocity, also the temperature inside the facility could become too high for the to be remaining operational systems like: pumps, lighting, cooling systems, and even cables, and especially for the remaining operable ring systems that are supposed to continue to operate and can also not be stopped easily. To cool the defecting ring system: purified water 821 could be used for cooling, but for fast deceleration as well. Because the ring system housing 54 is maintained vacuum, a release of water into the system at several points along the perimeter, or even at every section, it would practically fill every reachable gap and free space inside it with water. The ring, even rotating at extreme velocity would move freely almost without friction in vacuum, but would experience extreme drag in water. Due to the friction of the movement of the ring in water, in combination with grinding the ring along the surfaces of the suspension system and the guidance system, an extreme heat buildup will take place, causing first to heat up and evaporate the water inside the system into steam. Heating up water would take about 4.186 kJ/kg.K, and evaporation takes about: 2256 kJ/kg. To evaporate water at 100°C, starting from 25°C, evaporation would take 2570 kJ/kg in total. When a ring would be about 60 cm high and 5 cm wide, it would weigh including its ring head 111 and ring foot 112 about 250 kg per meter of ring length. If this ring rotates at 3100 m/s, it would contain a kinetic energy of about 1200 MJ for each meter of ring length. In a real situation, some friction energy will be absorbed by the ring and its systems around it by heating it up, remaining an amount of about 460 liters of water to be evaporated for every meter of ring length, per ring system in this scenario to stop the ring from rotating when it runs at full speed. Because the ring system cannot contain 460 liters of water inside it for every meter of ring system length, let alone when it also turns into steam, the emergency cooling water would have to flow through the ring system using water inlets, as well as using steam outlets, probably by some emergency valve connected to a hose that leads to a safe outlet point outside the facility housing, even when it may only end up underwater, like when the facility itself is placed underwater. But even when the facility could be provided in all its water required to evaporate for stopping the ring, this may still not be the best solution. Even when the water is let in slowly, the deceleration of the ring will transfer a huge force through the ring system housing toward the support struts. A second emergency solution may be needed, such whereby the ring can be released controllably at a specific point or points of the ring system into a straight tunnel section 764, wherein it can dissipate all of its kinetic energy safely. Like shown in figure 9, one straight section is shown, but more than one breakout point is possible. When a controlled breakout as applied on one released ring, it should better not damage any other ring system, this may also require some vertical diversion mechanism for the inside the facilities placed inner ring systems as well. When in real life any ring system breakout takes place, the specific ring system may be ripped open by some mechanism, or may just be performed by just stopping the guidance force at the specific sections shortly before the straight tunnel starts, so the ring will burn its way out by itself. When the ring is released into the straight tunnel, it may starts to try to fold up when the first released ring section keeps on decelerating over a longer distance than each next following one. To store eventually all of the ring, the straight tunnel can be made long enough to contain the ring by length, or wide enough to allow the ring to fold up, by making the tunnel the width of one ring section length. This tunnel part 764 may need some added measures to dissipate the rings energy enough before it reaches the end of the tunnel. This may be solvable by using some type of rubber floor, water barriers, vertical placed mattresses like material, or anything that can be cheap and effective to apply brake force to the ring. Because an extreme amount of energy should be able to be released, using all these measures will not prevent the ring to be anywhere close of being fully stopped when it reaches the end of the tunnel. A very high substantial amount of kinetic energy remains to be absorbed at the end of the tunnel 765 to the point the wall of this tunnel end itself may even break as well. When the facility is placed in the dessert or elevated above the ground, it may form a hazard for anything that is in the extended pathway of the straight tunnel, or in case the facility is placed underwater, it will allow water in where it has become out of reach for maintenance. The best solution may be to have the straight tunnel to gradually curve downward deep into the ground. This way it may even cause some small artifi cial earthquake, but still having the least damage to the overall system and to its surrounding as well by having its danger controllably diverted. Therefore, the straight tunnel needs to be as long to enable gradual curvature downward deep enough, and also be able to bring the ring at a complete stop, but this doesn't mean it has to be able to contain a ring completely, some of the ring may still come to a hold even when it remains inside the ring system, this can save a lot in unnecessary tunnel costs and apparent safety measures. But it may appear more likely that measures of enabling a ring to stop in less than one rotation requires more measures than reserving enough straight tunnel space for containing a complete ring.

To prevent damage at bringing a ring to a complete standstill, and to reduce the required energy to accomplish it, it is possible to add small wheels 56 in the floor of the vacuum housing, so the ring is allowed to be carefully dropped from the suspension system even when it still moves slowly when the system itself does not generate enough recoverable power out of the kinetic movement from its own stator to energize its own suspension system. In such case an additional energy storage can even be smaller. For safety reasons it may be wise to have even both installed, advised to have both measures for each individual ring system as well.

To attain an effective safely functioning artificially gap clearance feedback loop, for each suspension system 613 as well as each guidance system 614, it may require more than one system to observe the exact clearance between each of them and the ring at any given point and at any given time. Initially the guidance system and suspension system are using electromagnets, by applying an alternating Voltage to be superimposed over its main direct current used for applying the magnetic force. The derivative amount of alternating current out of the alternating Voltage combined with a certain phase shift between them, are a result of the relative amount of permeability that corresponds to the relative amount of gap clearance between the specific electromagnet and the rings surface. For the suspension system its only one electromagnet per ring system section, so its clearance is determined by a single varia ble. At the guidance system the force will also change according the rings velocity. But also may the ring need to have cancelled out the effects of torsion when the gap clearance is not equal between the upper side and the lower side of the ring towards the guidance system when the ring is slightly tilted in comparison to the guidance system. This tilting force can be caused by minute amounts of physical tilting, making it even worse, but can also be caused by an uneven distributed amount of material between the ring head 111 and ring foot 112, causing an centripetal based unbalance. Luckily the electro magnets stacked vertically in the guidance system can be used to operate independently to compensate ring tilting as well. All of this magnetic field based feedback should work on itself, but to make such system more reliable, a backup or second measuring system could be coupled, working along it within the feedback loop for additional safety and backup. Such second measuring system could be an optical system, an independent operating (small) induction coil, or a capacitive measuring device, or more than one of these combined. To measure without hindering the main systems, their placements are critical. An optical laser measurement system may well be able to made to look through a small non-invasive opening seeing through the main (guidance and suspension) systems, measuring along the same side as the main systems. This will not be possible for inductive or capacitive measurement. These sensors can only be placed above and below the stator, and in alternation with the wheels in the floor over the length of a ring system section, measuring from the opposite perspective of the main systems.

There are a number of promising locations, on land and in lakes, sea or ocean, typically shallow waters, which may be both geologically and economically promising, areas remote from the sea which can be used for short energy transport distances, and coastal locations. It is noted that building on land may be cheaper. Besides that there are more construction sites located or planned on land area, and costs of land reclamation in water, another reason why underwater construction could be cheaper is heat dissipation. Because most heat comes from the combined electric systems inside the ring system, im plying that heat is produced throughout the entire circumferential length of the facility up to about 3 kW/m. It may be easier to dissipate this heat under water than to apply extra cooling measures where the facility may be half buried for instance in sand.

The following section is aimed at supporting the search, of which the subsequent section is considered to be a translation into Dutch.

1. An energy storage system comprising a main facility housing construction (7), founded into soil firmly by being placed firmly attached to a soil, comprising at least one ring system (5), each ring system (5), comprising an enclosed ring system housing (54) for providing vacuum, at least one electromechanical part, the part comprising an exchanger for exchanging electrical power into mechanical energy and vice versa, comprising, a solid ring-shaped mass (1), a stator system (2), adapted for transferring electromechanical linear propulsion towards and from the solid ring-shaped mass, a suspension system (3), adapted for transferring of electromechanical vertical force towards the solid ring-shaped mass (ring) and for countering its gravitational force, and a guidance system (4), adapted for transferring of electromechanical horizontal force towards the solid ring-shaped mass (ring) and for countering its centripetal force.

2. A system according to embodiment 1, where the solid ringshaped mass comprises at least two connectable ring sections.

3. A system according to embodiment 1 or 2, comprising at least two ring system modules, where each module comprises an internal system.

4. A system according to any of the preceding embodiments, comprising a squirrel cage rotor construction adapted to accelerate and to decelerate the solid ring-shaped mass by means of interaction between a stator system, and the rotor comprising short circuit windings, preferably as an integral part of the solid ring-shaped mass wherein a combined same piece of iron core is part of both the solid-ring mass and the rotor.

5. A system according to any of the embodiments 1-3, comprising a squirrel cage rotor construction adapted to accelerate and to decelerate the solid ring-shaped mass by means of interaction between a stator system, and the squirrel cage rotor construction comprising internal short circuit windings embedded in ferrite, mounted directly to the solid ring-shaped mass' surface.

6. A system according to any of the embodiments 1-3, comprising alternating magnetic polarity arranged permanent magnets mounted to the rings surface, adapted to accelerate and to decelerate the solid ring-shaped mass by means of interaction between the stator system and a permanent magnet rotor construction .

7. A system according to any of the preceding embodiments, where at least one ring system comprises a stator system, comprising along the perimeter sets of lengthwise arranged electromagnets, adapted for creating artificially controllable sequential progressing electromagnetic fields to interact with any of the mentioned rotor systems to enable bi-directional exchange in mechanical force.

8. A system according to any of the preceding embodiments, where at least one ring system comprises a suspension system, arranged in sections, preferably divided according the division of ring systems modules, adapted to provide suspension along an entire circumferential length inside an entire ring system, where each suspension system section comprises electrically manipulatable magnet constructions, comprising electromagnets .

9. A system according to any of the preceding embodiments, where at least one ring system comprises a guidance system adapted to compensate a ring's centripetal force by means of a divided setup along the entire circumferential length inside each entire ring system, preferably a sectional divided setup, where each guidance system section comprises electrically manipulatable magnet constructions, comprising electromagnets.

10. A system according to embodiment 9, in which the guidance system comprises individual controllable electrically manipu latable magnet constructions by being arranged over the vertical height within at least one section of the guidance system adapted to control ring tilting, such as by feedback control.

11. A system according to any of the preceding embodiments, where a main facility housing construction comprises internal mounting and support structures for the ring system for the subsequent assembly and disassembly of ring systems.

12. A system according to any of the preceding embodiments, where a main facility housing construction is anchored into the soil comprising external additional mounting constructions at some length interval along the perimeter of the main facility housing for capturing the centripetal forces throughout the main facility housing construction outward.

13. A system according to any of the preceding embodiments, where a main facility housing construction is anchored into the soil comprising external additional span constructions, by means of chains or cables at some length interval along the perimeter of the main facility housing for capturing the centripetal forces throughout the main facility housing construction outward towards an anchor point.

14. A system according to any of the preceding embodiments, where a main facility housing construction is anchored into the soil comprising external additional pile constructions by means of piles at some length interval along the perimeter of the main facility housing for capturing the centripetal forces throughout the main facility housing construction outward.

15. A system according to any of the preceding embodiments, where a main facility housing construction is placed elevated above the soil, comprising pillar constructions where the pillars are anchored into the soil at some length interval along the perimeter of the main facility housing to capture and transmit the centripetal forces throughout the main facility housing construction outward.

16. A system according to any of the preceding embodiments, where a main facility housing construction is placed elevated above the soil, comprising pylon constructions where the pylons are anchored into the soil at some length interval along the perimeter of the main facility housing to capture and transmit the centripetal forces throughout the main facility housing construction outward.

17. A system according to any of the preceding embodiments, for storing at least one hundred Mega Watt hour (MWh), and/or peak power provision of more than ten Mega Watt peak (MWp).

18. A system according to any of the preceding embodiments, where a solid ring-shaped mass comprises a mechanism, where each ring section comprising at least one screw mechanism coupled to a transfer axle to transfer a ring section gap spacing setting mechanically from one end of each section to the other end, to obtain a balanced gap spacing between every two up following ring sections.

Claims

CONCLUSIONS

An energy storage system comprising a main facility housing structure (7), securely built into the ground by being securely attached to a bottom, comprising at least one ring system (5), each ring system (5), comprising an enclosed ring system housing (54) for providing of vacuum, at least one electromechanical part, the part comprising an exchanger for exchanging electrical energy to mechanical energy and vice versa, consisting of a fixed annular mass (1), a stator system (2) adapted for the transfer of electromechanical linear propulsion to and from the fixed annular mass, a suspension system (3) adapted for transmitting an electromechanical vertical force to the fixed annular mass (ring) and for counteracting its gravity, and a guidance system (4) adapted for transmitting electromechanical horizontal force to the fixed annular mass (ring) and for the t counteracting the centripetal force.

The system of claim 1, wherein the fixed annular mass comprises at least two connectable ring sections.

System according to claim 1 or 2, comprising at least two ring system modules, each module comprising an internal system.

A system according to any preceding claim comprising a squirrel cage rotor structure adapted to accelerate and decelerate the solid annular mass by interaction between a stator system and the rotor comprising short circuit windings, preferably as an integral part of the solid annular mass, where a combined same piece of iron core is part of both the fixed ring mass and the rotor.

A system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising a squirrel cage rotor structure adapted to accelerate and decelerate the solid annular mass by interaction between a stator system and the squirrel cage rotor structure, consisting of internal short-circuit windings embedded in ferrite, mounted directly on the fixed annular mass plane.

The system of any one of claims 1 to 3 comprising permanent magnets of magnetic polarity mounted on the surface of the rings adapted to accelerate and decelerate the fixed annular mass by interaction between the stator system and a permanent magnet rotor structure.

A system according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one ring system comprises a stator system comprising along the circumferential sets of longitudinally arranged electromagnets adapted to create artificially controlled sequential acidified electromagnetic fields to interact with any of said rotor systems to enable bi-directional exchange in mechanical force.

A system according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one ring system comprises a suspension system arranged in sections, preferably divided according to the distribution of ring system modules, adapted to provide suspension along an entire circumferential length within an entire ring system, each suspension system portion includes electrically manipulable magnet structures, including electromagnets.

System according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one ring system comprises a guidance system adapted to compensate for the centripetal force of a ring by means of a distributed arrangement along the entire circumferential length within each entire ring system, preferably one in parts distributed arrangement, each conduction system portion comprising electrically manipulable magnet structures, including electromagnets.

18. System according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a fixed annular mass comprises a mechanism, each ring segment comprising at least one screw mechanism coupled to a transmission shaft to transmit a gap distance of the ring segments mechanically

The system of claim 9, wherein the guidance system comprises individual controllable electrically manipulable magnet structures by being arranged along the vertical height within at least one section of the guidance system adapted to control tilting of the ring, such as by feedback control.

The system of any preceding claim, wherein a main facility housing structure includes internal mounting and ring system support structures for the subsequent mounting and dismounting of ring systems.

The system of any preceding claim, wherein a main facility housing structure is anchored in the ground comprising additional additional mounting structures of some length interval along the circumference of the main facility housing to absorb the centripetal forces in the main facility housing structure.

The system of any preceding claim, wherein the main facility housing structure is anchored in the ground comprising external additional span structures, by chains or cables of some length interval along the circumference of the main facility housing structure for capturing the centripetal forces in the main facility housing structure. pointed to a solid anchor point.

A system according to any preceding claim, wherein a main facility housing structure is anchored in the ground comprising external auxiliary pile structures by some length-interval posts along the circumference of the main facility housing structure to absorb the centripetal forces through the main facility housing structure.

A system according to any preceding claim, wherein a main facility housing structure is located above the ground, comprising pillar structures wherein the pillars of some length are anchored to the ground along the circumference of the main facility housing structure and release the centripetal forces over the main facility housing structure .

A system according to any preceding claim, wherein a main facility housing structure is located above the ground, comprising pylon structures wherein the pylons are anchored in the ground at some length interval along the circumference of the main facility housing structure to absorb the centripetal forces and transmit to be brought out by the main facility housing construction.

System according to any of the preceding claims, for storing at least one hundred Mega Watt hours (MWh) and / or peak power supply of more than ten Mega Watt peak (MWp).

15 is set one end of each section at the other end, to obtain a balanced gap distance between every two subsequent ring sections.