DESCRIPTION

The present invention refers to an electrodynamic and mechanical energy accumulator, also referred to as electrodynamic accumulator, which is capable of managing both the maintenance time and the supplying time of the stored energy .

Energy is necessary to perform any trans formation and for life it self . There are energy sources of the most diverse types , and they are applicable in the most diverse ways . Our body itself draws chemical energy from food and - to a les ser extent - from drinks and transforms it into thermal and mechanical energy .

In industrial practice , energy is what makes all processes pos sible, and it is supplied to the plant s in dif ferent ways (electric energy, steam, fuel and the like ) .

The most valuable form of energy is electric energy, having the highest yields and not producing direct harmful emis sions . However, although production can be largely planned, such planning is rarely perfect and periods wherein production is insuf ficient alternate with periods wherein production is much higher than consumption . This would, in itself , lead to a waste of electric energy, thus involving rather heavy economic damage and, sometimes , even ecological damage, since for producing electric energy fossil or electrochemical sources are often used .

With the aim of avoiding or at least reducing such waste, accumulators have been created . These are electrochemical reactors , wherein either chemical substances are trans formed into electric energy or electric energy is transformed into chemical substances , usually in an almost reversible way . We say "almost reversible" because, in practice , accumulators lose over time their ability to trans form chemical energy into electric energy and vice versa, with the result that , at some point , said accumulators are no longer able to produce or preserve electric energy, so that they need to be eliminated and replaced .

The disposal of accumulators exhibit s non-trivial aspect s . Normally, accumulators include a casing, usually made of a plastic material, which should be disposed of as such . Inside said container there are electrolytic solutions , often including ions of heavy metals or mineral acids which cannot be directly spreaded into the environment without harm . Finally, there are electrodes , also normally made of heavy metal or metal oxide or graphite . For this reason, normal electrochemical accumulators , while allowing energy to be stored for subsequent use, are nonetheles s relevant sources of pollution and should be managed correctly, what leads to non-negligible additional costs , which moreover are often not exactly clear .

W02007 /116 040 , by the same inventor of the present invention, discloses an electric plant which exploits gravitational mas ses for managing a dynamo or an alternator .

Accumulators are widely used also in the case of electric energy from renewable sources . Many production techniques features non-programmable trends : for solar energy production the daily hours depend on the season, wind energy production depends on an unpredictable wind regime , and so on .

Such trend of renewable sources led to investigate new solutions to store the produced energy which cannot be used immediately, to complement the use of standard electrochemical accumulators .

One of the most promising ways has been to use the excess of produced electric energy to perform water electrolysis . In this way, hydrogen is obtained, which can be accumulated and stored . When more energy is needed again, part of the obtained hydrogen is burned, and the yielded energy is used . In this way, hydrogen becomes an important energy vehicle , without need of using all the electrical energy for the electrolysis of the water, but only that which would still be wasted .

Using hydrogen as an energy accumulator, thus managing the exces s of produced energy, is an advantageous technique . However, hydrogen still present s some drawbacks . It is in fact a highly flammable and sometimes even explosive substance , so that it s accumulation and storage are not so simple . Furthermore , water electrolysis involves very high overvoltages - as well known and widely documented - because of which this proces s is not recommended in the presence of non-renewable energy sources .

It is , therefore , desirable to find a way of storing energy, which does not entail the delivery of harmful or anyway polluting substances , and which present no risk of fire or other adverse event s , and which does not require disposal of materials or environmental reclamation . In particular, it is advantageous to exploit gravitational and electromechanical energy to amplify an amount of input energy .

CN 113 078 663 relates to an energy generation system based on the storage of energy by means of a flywheel .

CN 105 356 702 refers to a synchronous generator with a permanent magnet , comprising a casing, a motor stator, a generator stator, and a shaft . The motor stator and the generator stator share a single rotor .

JP 2002 138 945 discloses a clean and noiseless current generator . A dead body is brought to the centre by a spring at the beginning of a rotor rotation .

JP 2014 126 143 relates to a flywheel with a rotating shaft , a weight , a spring mechanism, and an adjustment mechanism .

US 6 172 435 relates to an energy generation device including a flywheel .

None of such systems of the prior art is able to maintain energy stored for a predetermined time which is as long as desired, as well as they are not able to adjust the energy supplying time , since their main task is that of generating energy and not of storing it ; if there should be an energy storage, it would not be pos sible to manage the duration of storage or of supply .

The problem underlying the invention is to propose an energy multiplier and accumulator which overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks and which allows to manage the incoming electric energy without releasing pollutant s into the environment , nor using materials which are dif ficult to dispose of , while keeping said energy stored for extended periods of time - thanks to its particular structure - and managing to supply said energy according to specified timing . This purpose is achieved by means of an energy accumulator, wherein energy is stored in the form of mechanical energy, so that the action of supplying electric energy can take place in a predetermined time, as regards both the start and the supply duration, being able to determine with certainty both the maintenance time and the supplying time of the stored energy, comprising a stator ( 2 ) and a rotor ( 1 ) , wherein a second stator ( 3 ) is combined with the first one , having the rotor of the reversible electrodynamic system in common with the same , wherein the two stators ( 2 ; 3 ) are arranged concentrically, one out side and one inside the rotor ( 1 ) , characterised in that the rotor ( 1 ) includes a further mass ( 5 ) integral therewith, which increases its ability to oppose the antagonist torque applied to the system as a user, keeping the energy stored for longer . Preferred features of the invention are disclosed in the subclaims , in particular, both the ability to keep energy stored for a predetermined time , and the possibility of adjusting the supplying time, all while keeping los ses contained .

Further features and advantages of the energy accumulator according to the present invention will however become more apparent from the following detailed description of a complete operating cycle based on a preferred embodiment of the same , given by mere way of non-limiting example and illustrated in the accompanying drawings , wherein :

Fig . 1 is a simplified front view of the inertial system of the energy accumulator according to the present invention; and

Fig . 2 is a schematic side view of the inertial system of the energy accumulator according to the present invention .

Fig . 1 is a simplified plan view of the mechanical energy accumulator - which can also be defined as electrodynamic - according to the present invention . First of all , the mechanical energy accumulator includes an electrodynamic system, consisting of a rotor 1 , enclosed an internal stator 2 and an external stator 3 , which are concentric . Contrary to CN 105 356 702 , both stators are connected to the same motor/generator instead of two dif ferent ones , one to each device, also because the electrodynamic system is only one instead of two , as in that patent . Each of the two stators 2 ; 3 can either work independently of the other one 3 ; 2 , or in scheduled synergy; as already mentioned, it is in any case a reversible electric machine , therefore the rotor-stator system can spend electric power to generate a mechanical torque, or it can generate electric power by exploiting mechanical energy . For the sake of clarity, the rotor 1 preferably has inductive windings both internally ( facing the internal stator ) and externally ( facing the external stator ) . The rotor 1 rotates about a rotation axis 4 . As can be seen in Fig . 2 , the rotor 1 further includes an additional mass 5 , integral therewith, which determines the inertia thereof which is neces sary to schedule the management of maintenance time and supplying time . Mas s 5 is coupled to rotor 1 at one of the two base surfaces of the same , i . e . , a surface the normal of which is parallel to the longitudinal axis of rotor 1 , so that mas s 5 protrudes from the as sembly made up by the rotor 1 , the internal stator 2 and the external stator 3 , following the direction of the rotation axis 4 . The mas s 5 has a central axis of symmetry, which coincides with the axis of rotation 4 of the inertial electrodynamic system .

Referring again to Fig . 2 , the inertial electrodynamic system is advantageously complemented with mas ses which are constrained to move along radial axes with respect to the circumference of the circular mass integral with the rotor; such mas ses , being able to radially slide in the two directions (towards the centre or towards the out side ) , will either amplify or damp the ef fect of a gravitational field, as a function of the position of the oscillation axis with respect to the action of the field it self (outgoing radial axis pointing downward or upward) . Therefore, thanks to the masses oscillating radially to the rotor, the efficiency of the accumulator according to the present invention increases , both in terms of inertia referred to the circular mass integral with the rotor, and in terms of the gravitational field contribution . The radially oscillating masses 6 consist of a housing 7 , a spring 8 , the oscillating mas s 9 it self and a system capable of locking or unlocking the mas s position at precise distances from the centre of rotation, as a function of the speed of rotation of the rotor . The oscillating mechanisms 6 are coupled with the mass 5 , so that each compres sion axis of each spring 8 has a radial direction with respect to the rotor 1 . The combination of rotating mas ses and radially oscillating mas ses allows to take full advantage of the gravitational action, extending the maintenance time of the rotor 1 rotation, and allowing to manage energy supplying time . A further advantage occurs in the presence of synchronisation systems ( of a per se known type ) , which can be mechanical, electronic, electromechanical , or electrodynamic .

In a preferred embodiment , the system is operated in an optionally vertical plane of rotation, so that the oscillating mechanisms 6 ( i . e . , the masses and their relative constraints ) have a double function, that is to act as axial dynamic inertial devices for energy accumulation, and at the same time make the rotating system - made up by rotor 1 , mas s 5 , and oscillating mechanisms 6 themselves - more invariant with respect to the rotation slowing down due to the braking effect of the opposing resistant torque of the electrodynamic system ( stators-rotor ) , when the system it self supplies energy, or invariant with respect to friction resistance ( los ses ) .

First of all , the inertia increases due to the weight increase brought by the oscillating mechanisms 6 . In fact , the larger the rotating mas s , the more difficult is to stop it and thus , in this case , once the rotor 1 is started and brought up to regime, the amount of kinetic energy to be recovered in the form of electric energy will be greater, and the production of electric energy will last longer . Furthermore, the centrifugal force pushes these masses away from the centre of rotation, which also result s in an increased storage capacity .

On the other hand, the system self-adjusts in speed, thanks to the blocks and constraints on the mas ses , which do not allow them to freely move, and make them arrange in the housing 7 according to the interactions between said constraint forces and the rotation force, all as a function of the best inertia amplification, during the release phase ( from mechanical to electrical ) , and of the system acceleration, during the charging phase ( from electrical to mechanical ) . Namely, mechanical blocks and constraint s are present on the mass 5 integral with the rotor 1 and/or on the oscillating mas s 9, in order to achieve the best yield of rotor 1 , as a function of the amplification between input energy and output energy .

The oscillating mechanisms 6 exploit the gravitational field to facilitate the rotor 1 rotation, causing an elongation of the oscillating masses 9 in the phase when in accordance with the centrifugal force ( stroke towards the bottom dead point ) , and a recall of the same in the phase with the centrifuge force not in accordance ( stroke towards the top dead point ) , as a function of the elastic constraints ( compressed/loaded by gravity and extended/unloaded by gravitational and centrifugal forces , with automatic mechanical lock, for adjustment of the mass oscillations ) .

The energy accumulator is used according to two main phases , namely the one where it is used as an electrical network user, in order to store energy, and the one where it is used as a generator, in order to supply electric energy . The present invention advantages lie in the period between the two phases : 1 ) to extend the stored energy keeping time as desired, and 2 ) to adjust the stored energy supplying time as desired, minimising the system los ses ( friction and dispersions ) .

Before starting, mass 5 is stationary, mas s 9 is stationary at the lowest position, spring 8 is unloaded, rotor 1 and stators 2 ; 3 are unpowered and stationary .

In the first phase, also referred to as the charging phase or the energy storage phase, the internal stator 2 , the external stator 3 and the rotor 1 are powered, so that the rotor 1 is put into rotation; after this , once the full rotation speed is reached, all electrical component s are unpowered . The oscillating mas s 9 is lifted to the maximum height by a suitable motor, not shown in the figures . In the inertial rotation, the system pos sesses the energy of the mas s 5 integral with the rotor 1 and the energy of the oscillating mechanisms 6 . As described above, the gravitational field combined with the weight of the oscillating mass 9 produces a force which either is in accordance with the gravity, thus moving the oscillating mass 8 away from the axis of rotation 1 , or it is not , thus moving the oscillating mas s 9 closer to the axis of rotation 1 , depending on the lap position of the oscillating mechanisms 6 . Such interaction between the two forces gives rise to an action of amplification of the rotor 1 tendency to remain in rotation, extending said time . In this way, by powering the stators 2 and 3 only for short periods , a significant extension of the duration of rotation is achieved, only needing to recover the energy amount dispersed by friction .

In a second phase, referred to also as the discharge phase or the electric energy supply phase, the system is connected to the electrical network as a generator, so that the rotor, dragged by the mass integral thereto, becomes a generator of electric energy, trans forming the mechanical torque of the inertial masses into electricity, so as to obtain electric energy from the mechanical energy posses sed by the rotor 1 . In this phase , the electric energy introduced by the electrical load, is partially compensated by the dif ferential between the mas ses of the system - the mas s 5 integral with the rotor 1 and the oscillating mass 9 of the oscillating mechanisms 6 - and the resisting torque itself , which is due to the rotor 1 having to produce electric energy through an electrodynamic interaction with the stators . Furthermore , the presence of the two stators - the internal stator 2 and the external stator 3 - and their concentric arrangement allow the electrodynamic system ( rotor-stators ) to have a first polar multiplicity between the inductive windings of the internal stator 2 and those in the rotor 1 inner part ( first electrodynamic interaction ) , and a second polar multiplicity between the inductive windings on the external part of the rotor 1 and those on the stator 3 ( second electrodynamic interaction ) ; interactions can occur by determining different electrical combinations between them . Specifically, the rotor internal inductances - located in the hollow area having a radius smaller than R1 - link the field flow to the inductances of the internal stator 2 - located on the outer surface of the internal stator; the rotor external inductances - located on the outer surface having a radius greater than R2 - link the field flow to the inductances of the external stator 3 - located in the hollow surface with a radius smaller than R3 - therefore, the stators can operate independently or synergistically with each other .

The fact that the stators can work independently of each other allows various combinations , including, for example , that of allowing one of the two to contribute to the rotor 1 rotation even in the energy discharge phase, using part of that energy to keep the rotor 1 in rotation during the discharge phase, extending said phase, pos sibly providing then periodic pulses , in order to extend the rotor 1 rotation even during the discharge/release of electric energy .

The present invention allows to take advantage of gravitational and electromagnetic energy to amplify an amount of input energy, and to be able to maintain it stored for a predetermined time of programmable duration; it also allows to supply the stored energy for a programmable time as well . Namely, it allows to keep a certain initial amount of energy stored, limiting losses , and avoiding the use of electrochemical systems , which are often polluting .

Therefore, contrary to what happened with the previous systems , the present invention allows to manage the duration of the stored energy maintenance time , with no need to consider the storing time, further allowing to manage also the supplying time thereof .

Anyway, it is understood that the invention should not be considered as limited to the specific arrangement illustrated above , which is only an exemplary embodiment thereof , but that dif ferent variants are pos sible, all within the reach of a person skilled in the art , without thereby departing from the scope of protection of the invention it self , as defined by the following claims .

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS 1 rotor

2 stator

3 stator

4 axis of rotation ( of 1 ) 5 mass

6 oscillating mechanisms

7 housing

8 spring

9 oscillating mass R1 radius

R2 radius

R3 radius