Flywheel assembly

Abstract

A flywheel assembly 10 comprising: at least one flywheel mass support 14, the or each said support having a shaft 19 that extends along a rotational axis 18 about which the support 14 can rotate in use, the or each said support 14 comprising a plurality of openings 24 that are each offset from said rotational axis 18, a flywheel mass 12 comprising a plurality of openings 16 that are each arranged to align with a corresponding opening in said support; and means 23 for coupling said flywheel mass 12 to the or each said support 14 so that the mass 12 can rotate with the or each support 14 in use, said coupling means 23 being configured to extend through the aligned openings in the or each support 14 and said flywheel mass 12; wherein said flywheel mass 12 comprises a plurality of generally planar flywheel mass elements sandwiched together to form a stack of elements, each said element including a plurality of openings 16 that align with the openings 24 in the or each said support 14 and with openings in neighbouring elements in said stack, said flywheel elements being coupled together and aligned with one another to form said flywheel mass solely by means of the coupling means 23 that extends through the aligned openings in said elements and the or each said support 14.

1 . A flywheel assembly comprising:
 at least one flywheel mass support, the or each said support having a shaft that extends along a rotational axis about which the support can rotate in use, the or each said support being configured to define a plurality of openings that are each offset from said rotational axis,   a flywheel mass configured to define a plurality of openings that are each arranged to align with a corresponding opening defined in said support; and   a plurality of couplings configured for coupling said flywheel mass to the or each said support so that the mass can rotate with the or each support in use, said couplings being configured to extend through the aligned openings in the or each support and said flywheel mass.   wherein said flywheel mass comprises a plurality of generally planar flywheel mass elements sandwiched together to form a stack of elements, each said element being configured to define a plurality of openings that align with the openings in the or each said support and with openings in neighbouring elements in said stack, said flywheel elements being coupled together and aligned with one another to form said flywheel mass solely by means of the couplings that extend through the aligned openings in said elements and the or each said support.   
     
     
         2 . An assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the openings in at least one of said mass and the or each support are substantially circular. 
     
     
         3 . An assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the openings in at least one of said mass and the or each support are non-circular. 
     
     
         4 . An assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the openings in said mass and the or each support have the same shape. 
     
     
         5 . An assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the openings in said mass and the or each support have different shapes that complement one another so that an opening in said mass can be aligned with an opening in the or each said support. 
     
     
         6 . An assembly according to  claim 5 , wherein the openings in at least one of the or each support and said mass comprise a primary region and an auxiliary region. 
     
     
         7 . An assembly according to  claim 6 , wherein the primary and auxiliary regions have the same or different cross-sectional shape. 
     
     
         8 . An assembly according to  claim 7 , wherein centre points of the primary and auxiliary regions are equidistant from said rotational axis. 
     
     
         9 . An assembly according to  claim 6 , wherein said primary region comprises a part-circle having a first diameter, and said auxiliary region comprises a part circle having a second diameter less than said first diameter. 
     
     
         10 . An assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of couplings comprise a plurality of fixing members, each said fixing member being configured to extend through an aligned set of openings defined by the flywheel elements. 
     
     
         11 . An assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the or each said support comprises a plate in which said openings are provided and from which said shaft extends. 
     
     
         12 . An assembly according to  claim 11 , wherein said plate and said shaft comprise a single element, or two discrete elements that are fixedly coupled one to the other. 
     
     
         13 . An assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the or each support is not fixed to the flywheel mass other than by means of the coupling that extends through the or each support and the mass. 
     
     
         14 . An assembly according to  claim 1 , comprising two supports, each said support comprising a plate from which a shaft extend, said flywheel mass being sandwiched between the plates of the supports so that the shafts of each support are aligned with one another and extend along the same rotational axis. 
     
     
         15 . An assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the or each support comprises a support body, said support body having a recess surrounding each said opening so that the coupling does not project from the body of the or each support when the couplings couple the or each support to the mass. 
     
     
         16 . A flywheel mass for use in the flywheel assembly of  claim 1 , the flywheel mass defining one or more openings that are each offset from a rotational axis about which the flywheel element is configured to rotate in use. 
     
     
         17 . A flywheel assembly comprising:
 first and second flywheel mass supports, each said support comprising a plate and a shaft that extends from the plate along a rotational axis about which the support can rotate in use, each said support being configured to define a plurality of openings that are each offset from said rotational axis,   a flywheel mass configured to define a plurality of openings that are each arranged to align with corresponding openings in each of said supports; and   a plurality of fixing elements, said fixing elements being configured to couple said flywheel mass to each said support so that the mass is sandwiched between respective plates of the supports and the respective shafts of the supports extend in opposite directions along the same rotational axis, said fixing elements being configured to extend through the aligned openings in the first support, through the flywheel mass, and through the openings in the second support;   wherein said flywheel mass comprises a plurality of generally planar flywheel mass elements sandwiched together to form a stack of elements, each said mass element being configured to define a plurality of openings that align with the openings in the supports and with openings in neighbouring mass elements in said stack, said flywheel mass elements being coupled together and aligned with one another to form said flywheel mass solely by means of the plurality of fixing elements that extend through the aligned openings in said flywheel mass elements and the supports.   
     
     
         18 . A flywheel assembly comprising:
 first and second flywheel mass supports, each said support comprising a plate and a shaft that extends from the plate along a rotational axis about which the support can rotate in use, each said support being configured to define a plurality of openings that are each radially offset from said rotational axis;   a flywheel mass configured to define a plurality of openings that are each arranged to align with corresponding openings in each of said supports;   a plurality of fixing elements, said fixing elements being configured to couple said flywheel mass to each said support so that the mass is sandwiched between respective plates of the supports and the respective shafts of the supports extend in opposite directions along the same rotational axis, said fixing elements being configured to extend through the aligned openings in the first support, through the flywheel mass, and through the openings in the second support;   wherein said flywheel mass comprises a plurality of generally planar flywheel mass elements sandwiched together to form a stack of mass elements, each said mass element being configured to define a plurality of openings that align with the openings in the supports and with openings in neighbouring mass elements in said stack, said flywheel mass elements being coupled together and aligned with one another to form said flywheel mass solely by means of the plurality of fixing elements that extend through the aligned openings in said flywheel mass elements and the supports; and   said stack of mass elements cooperating so that at least one of the openings in said flywheel mass comprises a primary region and an auxiliary region that have different cross-sectional shapes and centre points that are equidistant from said rotational axis, said primary region comprising a part-circle having a first diameter, and said auxiliary region comprising a part circle having a second diameter different to said first diameter.