Energy storage and delivery system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11585328-B2
Application number	US-202117304980-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2021
Priority date	Jun 30, 2020
Publication date	Feb 21, 2023
Grant date	Feb 21, 2023

Abstract

An energy storage and delivery system includes a crane elevator cage, where the crane or elevator cage is operable to move one or more blocks from a lower elevation to a higher elevation to store energy (e.g., via the potential energy of the block in the higher elevation) and operable to move one or more blocks from a higher elevation to a lower elevation (e.g., by gravity) to generate electricity (e.g., via the kinetic energy of the block when moved to the lower elevation). The energy storage system can, for example, store electricity generated from solar power as potential energy in the stacked blocks during daytime hours when solar power is available, and can convert the potential energy in the stacked blocks into electricity during nighttime hours when solar energy is not available, and deliver the converted electricity to the electrical grid.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An energy storage and delivery system, comprising:
one or more modules, each module comprising
a frame having a vertical height above a foundation defined by a plurality of rows that extend horizontally, the frame including
an upper section having a first set of rows, each of the first set of rows configured to receive and support a plurality of blocks thereon,
a lower section having a second set of rows, each of the second set of rows configured to receive and support the plurality of blocks thereon,
an intermediate section between the upper section and the lower section that is free of blocks,
a pair of elevator shafts disposed on opposite ends of the plurality of rows, and
an elevator cage movably disposed in each of the pair of elevator shafts and operatively coupled to an electric motor-generator, the elevator cage sized to receive and support one or more blocks therein,

wherein the elevator cage in each of the pair of elevator shafts is operable to vertically move one or more blocks from alternating rows of the second set of rows to corresponding alternating rows of the first set of rows to store an amount of electrical energy corresponding to a potential energy amount of said blocks, and wherein the elevator cage in each of the pair of elevator shafts is operable to vertically move one or more blocks from alternating rows of the first set of rows to corresponding alternating rows of the second set of rows under a force of gravity to generate an amount of electricity, the elevator cage moving said blocks between each of the second set of rows and each of the corresponding first set of rows along a same vertical distance.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the elevator cage in each of the pair or elevator shafts is operable to vertically move the blocks between the first set of rows and the second set of rows so that an average distribution of load on the foundation of the module remains substantially constant.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the frame includes a plurality of columns defined by one or more pillars that support beams thereon, each pair of beams defining a row in the first and second set of rows that extends orthogonal to the columns, the beams configured to support the blocks on a top surface thereof, each beam having a longitudinal channel below the top surface.

4. The system of claim 3 , further comprising a plurality of cross-members that extend between the columns and provide diagonal bracing therebetween along a length of the rows.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein each row in the first set of rows and the second set of rows includes a trolley movably coupled between the pair of beams that define the row and configured to travel horizontally along the row, the trolley configured to extend between the channels of the pair of beams that define the row and travel below the blocks disposed on the pair of beams that define the row, the trolley operable to lift a block above the pair of beams and to move said block horizontally along the row.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the trolley comprises wheel assemblies that extend within the channel of the pair of beams, a trolley frame that extends between the pair of beams, and support pistons operable to lift the block above the pair of beams for horizontal movement of the block along the row and operable to lower the block onto the pair of beams to fix a position of the block on the row.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the elevator cage comprises a pair of track portions configured to align with the pair of beams of a row such that the trolley travels from the pair of beams to the pair of track portions to deliver the block to the elevator cage.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein trolley delivers the block onto a top surface of the pair of track portions and exits the elevator cage before the elevator cage moves the block along the elevator shaft.

9. The system of claim 5 , further comprising actuatable track portions movably coupled to ends of the beams proximate the elevator shafts, the track portions actuatable between a retracted position where they extend orthogonal to the beams and an extended position where they extend in-line with the beams and extend into a space of the elevator shafts, wherein in the extended position the track portions can receive the trolley therebetween for positioning of a block on a surface of the track portions for transfer to the elevator cage.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the elevator cage includes a frame defining a rear support, side arms that extend from the rear support, and one or more actuatable supports actuatable between a retracted position substantially aligned with a plane of the rear support and an extended position transverse to the plane of the rear support, the one or more actuatable supports when in the extended position configured to lift the block from the actuatable track portions and to support the block thereon during motion of the elevator cage in the elevator shaft.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more actuatable supports are a pair of actuatable supports that in the extended position extend transverse to the rear support and are configured to support the block thereon during motion of the elevator cage in the elevator shaft.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more modules are four modules in a square arrangement in plan view so that the rows of each module extend orthogonal to the rows in adjacent modules to thereby provide the four modules with automatic bracing against wind and seismic forces.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more modules are two modules arranged in-line so that the rows of each module are substantially aligned.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electric motor-generator is located at a top of each elevator shaft.

15. An energy storage and delivery system, comprising:
a frame having a vertical height above a foundation defined by a plurality of rows that extend horizontally, the frame including
an upper section having a first set of rows, each of the first set of rows configured to receive and support a plurality of blocks thereon,
a lower section having a second set of rows, each of the second set of rows configured to receive and support the plurality of blocks thereon,
an intermediate section between the upper section and the lower section,
a pair of elevator shafts disposed on opposite ends of the plurality of rows;

a trolley movably coupled to each row in the first set of rows and the second set of rows and configured to travel horizontally along the row, the trolley operable to travel beneath the blocks in the row and configured to lift a block for movement of said block horizontally along the row; and
an elevator cage movably disposed in each of the pair of elevator shafts and operatively coupled to an electric motor-generator, the elevator cage sized to receive a block from a row via the trolley and to support the block therein while moving along the elevator shaft,
wherein the elevator cage in each of the pair of elevator shafts is operable to vertically move one or more blocks from alternating rows of the second set of rows to corresponding alternating rows of the first set of rows to store an amount of electrical energy corresponding to a potential energy amount of said blocks, and wherein the elevator cage in each of the pair of elevator shafts is operable to vertically move one or more of the blocks from alternating rows of the first set of rows to corresponding alternating rows of the second set of rows under a force of gravity to generate an amount of electricity, the e

Assignees

• Energy Vault Inc

Inventors

• Pedretti Andrea
• Pedretti-Rodi Mauro

Classifications

• Y02E70/30

  Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin · CPC title

• Y02E60/16

  Mechanical energy storage, e.g. flywheels or pressurised fluids · CPC title

• H02K7/1853

  driven by intermittent forces · CPC title

• F03G3/094 Primary

  specially adapted for potential energy power storage stations; combinations of gravity or weight motors with electric motors or generators · CPC title

• B66C23/28

  constructed to operate at successively higher levels · CPC title