Abstract: The present invention relates to an electromechanical battery comprising a single pole-pair Halbach array of permanent magnets incorporated into an annular flywheel, which together comprise a rotor assembly, a means for levitating the rotor assembly using a “double-lift” attractive magnetic levitator under active control, and a means for actively stabilizing the spinning rotor assembly by interaction with the fringe fields of the Halbach array.

Abstract: An example rotating electrical machine includes a stator assembly, a rotor, and a controller. The stator assembly has two or more stator control coils and is centered on a Z axis that is perpendicular to an XY plane defined by mutually perpendicular X and Y axes. The rotor is configured to rotate about a rotational axis that is nominally collinear with the Z axis and has a magnet array that provides a magnetic field configured to pass through the stator control coils. The controller is configured to control the stator control coils to selectively generate magnetic fields that interact with the magnetic field of the magnet array to: control rotation of the rotor about the second axis; and one or both of: control translation of the rotor in the XY plane; and control rotation of the rotor about the X axis and the Y axis.

Abstract: A system for performing magnetic levitation of an energy storage flywheel, including an upper levitator pole which includes a permanent magnet and an electromagnet, a lower levitator pole fixed to the energy storage flywheel and being formed of a material capable of being attracted to or repelled from the upper levitator pole when a magnetic flux is applied to the magnetic flux path of the permanent magnet of the upper levitator pole, an electromagnetic driver which applies an electric current through the electromagnet of the upper levitator pole, and a controller which controls the electromagnetic driver so as to control the electric current applied through the electromagnet, causing the lower levitator pole to be controllably attracted to or repelled from the upper levitator pole.

Abstract: An improved flywheel including an improved connection between an rotating interior component and an peripheral component. The connection includes a plurality of interfaces which connect the interior component and the peripheral component have radial compliance so as to deform when tensile forces resulting from the rotation of the interior component are transferred to the plurality of interfaces without transferring the tensile forces to the peripheral component.

Abstract: This invention improves the operation of flywheels by allowing rotation about an inertial axis without the generation of imbalance forces that arise from the use of bearings to support the rotating components of the flywheel. The system uses periodic positional corrections to the rotating components of the flywheel so as to ensure that the system rotates within a predetermined boundary without continuously confining the rotating components to rotate about their geometric axis.

Abstract: This invention improves the operation of rotating machinery by allowing rotation about an inertial axis without the generation of imbalance forces that arise from the use of bearings to support rotating components.

Abstract: This invention is improved vacuum chambers and vacuum chamber materials for application to flywheels. The vacuum chamber includes a concrete vessel or enclosure on which a gas impermeable layer is formed.