Composite dome connectors for flywheel rim to shaft attachment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9464685-B2
Application number	US-201313762030-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 7, 2013
Priority date	Feb 7, 2013
Publication date	Oct 11, 2016
Grant date	Oct 11, 2016

Abstract

A dome connector for a flywheel rim to shaft attachment is provided. The dome connector includes a helically wound composite band that extends from a first port to a second port. The helically wound composite band has a helical angle in relation to a line perpendicular to a center of axis of the dome connector. The helical angle is selected to at least in part achieve a desired stiffness in the dome connector.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A flywheel assembly comprising:
a metal shaft;
a composite flywheel rim;
a dome connector coupling the composite flywheel rim to the metal shaft, the dome connector including a helically wound composite band extending from a first port to a second port, the helically wound composite band oriented at a helical angle that is offset from a central axis of the dome connector and a line perpendicular to the center axis of the dome connector, wherein, at a first location, an inner surface of the composite flywheel rim and an outer portion of the dome connector are positioned adjacent each other and coupled together, and wherein, at a second location, the inner surface of the composite flywheel rim and the outer portion of the dome connector are spaced apart to define an annular opening between the inner surface of the composite flywheel rim and the outer portion of the dome connector at an axial end of the dome connector; and
at least one connector positioned in the opening defined between the inner surface of the composite flywheel rim and the outer portion of the dome connector at the axial end of the dome connector, the at least one connector having a wedge shape comprising a first axial end positioned adjacent to the first location and a second axial end positioned relatively further away from the first location where the inner surface of the composite flywheel rim and the outer portion of the dome connector are spaced apart to define the annular opening, the second axial end exhibiting a width that is greater than a width of the first axial end.

2. The flywheel assembly of claim 1 , wherein the helical angle is selected to at least in part achieve the generally matching deflection characteristic between the dome connector and the flywheel rim.

3. The flywheel assembly of claim 1 , wherein the helically wound composite band comprises a body having a first end, a second end and a cylindrical middle portion positioned between the first end and the second end, the body further having a central passage, the central passage extending between the first and second ports.

4. The flywheel assembly of claim 3 , wherein the first end and the second end of the body exhibit a generally convex shape, and wherein the first end and the second end of the body is placed within the flywheel rim such that an outer portion of the dome connector exhibits the generally convex shape.

5. The flywheel assembly of claim 4 , wherein a portion of the flywheel rim engages the generally convex shape of the at least one of the first end and the second end of the body.

6. The flywheel assembly of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the first end and the second end of the body is placed within the flywheel rim such that an outer portion of the dome connector exhibits a generally concave shape.

7. The flywheel assembly of claim 3 , wherein the dome connector further comprises hoop bands extending around the dome connector in a direction substantially perpendicular to the central axis of the dome connector.

8. The flywheel assembly of claim 3 , wherein a stiffness of the body substantially matches a stiffness of the flywheel rim.

9. A method of forming a coupling between a composite flywheel rim and a metal shaft, the method comprising:
forming the dome connector of claim 6 comprising:
laying up a continuous band of composite fibers in a helical pattern from a first port to a second port to form a central passage with a first band layer;
laying up subsequent layers with the continuous band of composite fibers over at least a portion of the first band layer to form a body of the dome connector; and
curing the composite fibers to form the dome connector; and

coupling the composite flywheel rim to the metal shaft with the dome connector.

10. The flywheel assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one connector comprises at least one of a rubber, a elastomer, and an adhesive.

11. The flywheel assembly of claim 1 , wherein the helically wound composite band comprises a body having a first end, a second end and a cylindrical middle portion positioned between the first end and the second end, the body further having a central passage, the central passage opening to the first port and the second port, wherein an outer portion of at least one of the first end and the second end of the body exhibits a generally convex shape.

12. The flywheel assembly of claim 11 , wherein the cylindrical middle portion of the body of the helically wound composite band is in contact with the inner surface of the composite flywheel rim, and wherein a portion of a convex surface of the dome connector at one of the first end and the second end of the body is spaced from the composite flywheel rim to define the opening between the inner surface of the composite flywheel rim and the portion of the convex surface of the dome connector.

13. The flywheel assembly of claim 1 , wherein the opening between the inner surface of the composite flywheel rim and the outer portion of the dome connector is positioned in a location where the dome connector begins to curve away from the composite flywheel rim.

14. The flywheel assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one connector comprises at least one of a polymer material or an adhesive.

15. A flywheel assembly comprising:
a shaft;
a composite flywheel rim;
a dome connector coupling the composite flywheel rim to the shaft, the dome connector including a helically wound composite band oriented at a helical angle that is offset from a central axis of the dome connector; and
at least one wedge-shaped connector positioned in an opening formed between an inner surface of the composite flywheel rim and an outer portion of the dome connector in a location where the dome connector begins to curve away from the composite flywheel rim, the at least one connector being relatively more flexible than the composite flywheel rim and the dome connector, the at least one connector having a first, narrow end positioned within the opening at the location where the dome connector begins to curve away from the composite flywheel rim and a second, wider end positioned in an annular space extending between the dome connector and the composite flywheel rim where the dome connector curves away from the composite flywheel rim.

16. A flywheel assembly comprising:
a shaft;
a composite flywheel rim;
a dome connector coupling the composite flywheel rim to the shaft, the dome connector including a helically wound composite band oriented at a helical angle that is offset from a central axis of the dome connector, wherein the helically wound composite band comprises a body having a first end, a second end, and a cylindrical middle portion positioned between the first end and the second end, the cylindrical middle portion of the body of the helically wound composite band being in contact with an inner surface of the composite flywheel rim, a portion of an outer surface of the dome connector at one of the first end and the second end of the body being spaced from the composite flywheel rim to define an annular opening between the inner surface of the composite flywheel rim and the portion of the outer surface of the dome connector; and
at least one connector positioned in the annular opening, the at least one connector having a first end positioned adjacent to a first location where the cylindrical middle portion of the body of the helically wound composite band is in contact with the inner surface of the composite flywheel rim and a second end positioned in a second location relatively further away from the first location wher

Assignees

• Orbital Atk Inc

Inventors

• Christensen Brian R
• Darais Marcus A

Classifications

• F16F15/305 Primary

  made of plastics, e.g. fibre reinforced plastics [FRP] {, i.e. characterised by their special construction from such materials} · CPC title

• F16F2226/042

  Gluing · CPC title

• Y10T74/2132

  Structural detail, e.g., fiber, held by magnet, etc. · CPC title

• F16F2226/04

  Assembly or fixing methods; methods to form or fashion parts · CPC title

• F16F2230/0005

  Attachment, e.g. to facilitate mounting onto confer adjustability · CPC title