Advanced flywheel and method

摘要

A flywheel levitation apparatus and associated method are described for use in a flywheel driven power storage system having a rotor and which provides for an upward vertical movement of the rotor along an axis of rotation. The rotor includes a rotor face defining a cutaway section. A magnetic lifting force is applied to the rotor to at least in part serve in levitating the rotor. The magnetic lifting force exhibits a modified gap sensitivity that is smaller as compared to a conventional gap sensitivity that would be exhibited in an absence of the cutaway section.