Electric Power Storage Power Plant
U.S. Patent No. 8,614,519 B2
This means of energy storage captures excess electric power from renewable sources, or from the grid, with an electric motor / generator and stores that energy with a mechanically connected energy storage spring. When the stored electric power is required, energy is released from the energy storage spring and transferred back to the same mechanically connected electric motor / generator that connects back to the grid or to another consumer.
Advantages over Batteries
- Springs / coils, fabricated from spring steel, are affordable and completely recyclable.
- Spent batteries must be disposed of properly and new batteries require additional resources.
- Energy storage springs never leak their contents.
Advantages over Pumped Hydro Power
- Energy storage springs are deployable everywhere.
- They don't require water.
- Energy storage springs also scale more easily to meet demand.
Advantages over Rotation
- Energy storage springs don't require energy to levitate / maintain its means of energy storage.
- Reduces, or eliminates entirely, the need for rotational storage at power plants.
- Traditional power plants can store excess power, rather than shutting down.