Energy storage and delivery system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12044218-B2
Application number	US-202318363502-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2023
Priority date	Dec 13, 2021
Publication date	Jul 23, 2024
Grant date	Jul 23, 2024

Abstract

An energy storage and delivery system includes an elevator cage, where the 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 the higher elevation to the 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 blocks are moved between the lower elevation and the higher elevation by an equal vertical distance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An energy storage and delivery system, comprising:
one or more modules, each of the one or more modules comprising:
a frame having a vertical height above a foundation defined by a plurality of rows that extend horizontally, the frame comprising:
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;
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;
an elevator shaft disposed on an end of the plurality of rows; and
an elevator cage assembly movably disposed in the elevator shaft, the elevator cage assembly sized to receive one or more of the plurality of blocks, the elevator cage assembly configured to move relative to a row of the first set of rows or the second set of rows to pick-up or drop-off said one or more of the plurality of blocks; and

a lift drive system for moving the elevator cage assembly, the lift drive system comprising:
an electric motor-generator configured to rotate a shaft; and
one or more cables extending from the elevator cage assembly and around the shaft;

wherein the lift drive system is operable to rotate the shaft in a first direction to lower the elevator cage assembly, and wherein the lift drive system is configured to rotate the shaft in a second direction opposite the first direction to raise the elevator cage assembly.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more cables extend around a pulley disposed vertically above the elevator cage assembly to maintain the one or more cables in a vertical orientation as the elevator cage assembly moves up and down the elevator shaft.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the pulley is actuatable to move laterally with the elevator cage of the elevator cage assembly to maintain the one or more cables oriented substantially vertically as the elevator cage picks-up or drops-off said one or more of the plurality of blocks.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the lift drive system includes a counterweight attached to an end of the one or more cables extending around a second pulley, and wherein the counterweight is configured to facilitate a movement of the elevator cage assembly.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the one or more cables are aligned with a center of gravity of the counterweight to facilitate the movement of the counterweight.

6. The system of claim 2 , wherein the pulley inhibits the one or more cables from applying a tilting force or moment on the elevator cage assembly during movement of the elevator cage assembly up and down the elevator shaft.

7. The system of claim 2 , wherein the pulley is disposed vertically above the elevator cage assembly in a fixed location.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the one or more cables moves from a vertical orientation to an angled orientation when the elevator cage of the elevator cage assembly moves laterally relative to a base of the elevator cage assembly to pick up or deliver a block from at least one of the plurality of rows.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more cables extend around a pulley disposed vertically above the elevator cage assembly in a variable position to maintain the one or more cables in a vertical orientation when the elevator cage of the elevator cage assembly moves laterally relative to the base of the elevator cage assembly.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the pulley is movably coupled to a sliding mechanism to move the pulley horizontally to maintain the one or more cables in a vertical orientation.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the pulley is movably coupled to an actuator to move the pulley laterally with a movement of the elevator cage of the elevator cage assembly to maintain the one or more cables oriented substantially vertically as the elevator cage moves in and out relative to a row to inhibit applying a moment on the elevator cage.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the lift drive system further comprises a second electric motor-generator configured to rotate a second shaft offset laterally from the electric motor-generator and the shaft.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein a second one or more cables extend at least partially around a second elevator cage assembly and around the second shaft, and wherein a pulley is disposed vertically above the second elevator cage assembly to maintain the second one or more cables in a vertical orientation as the second elevator cage assembly moves up and the elevator shaft.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the elevator cage assembly in the elevator shaft is operable to pick-up and 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 and amount of electrical energy corresponding to a potential energy amount of said blocks, and wherein the elevator cage assembly in the elevator shaft is operable to pick-up and 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 assembly 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.

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 comprising:
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;
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;
an intermediate section between the upper section and the lower section;
an elevator shaft disposed on an end of the plurality of rows; and
an elevator cage assembly movably disposed in the elevator shaft and operatively coupled to an electric motor-generator, the elevator cage assembly sized to hold and support one or more of the plurality of blocks therein while moving along the elevator shaft, the elevator cage assembly comprising an elevator cage movably coupled to a base, a linear actuator selectively actuatable to laterally displace the elevator cage relative to the base of the elevator cage assembly; and

a lift drive system for moving the elevator cage assembly, the lift drive system comprising:
the electric motor-generator configured to rotate a shaft; and
one or more cables extending from the elevator cage assembly and around the shaft;

wherein the lift drive system is operable to rotate the shaft in a first direction to lower the elevator cage assembly, and wherein the lift drive system is configured to rotate the shaft in a second direction opposite the first direction to raise the elevator cage assembly.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the one or more cables extend around a pulley disposed vertically above the elevator cage assembly to maintain the one or more cables in a vertical orientation as the elevator cage assembly moves up and the elevator shaft.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the pulley is actuatable to move laterally with the elevator cage of the elevator cage assembly to maintain the one or more cables oriented substantially vertically as the elevator cage picks-up or drops-off said one or more of the plurality of blocks.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the one or more cables extend around a pulley disposed vertica

Assignees

• Energy Vault Inc

Inventors

• Pedretti Andrea

Classifications

• H02J3/28

  Arrangements for balancing of the load in networks by storage of energy · CPC title

• F03G3/00

  Other motors, e.g. gravity or inertia motors · CPC title

• H02K7/1807

  Rotary generators (H02K7/006 takes precedence) · 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

• H02J15/00

  Systems for storing electric energy specially adapted for power networks · CPC title