US 12,037,989 B2
Energy storage and delivery system and method
Andrea Pedretti, Thousand Oaks, CA (US); and Mauro Pedretti-Rodi, Canobbio (CH)
Assigned to Energy Vault, Inc., Westlake Village, CA (US)
Filed by Energy Vault, Inc., Westlake Village, CA (US)
Filed on Aug. 8, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/446,288.
Application 18/446,288 is a continuation of application No. 17/305,008, filed on Jun. 29, 2021, granted, now 11,761,431.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/046,187, filed on Jun. 30, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0035451 A1, Feb. 1, 2024
Int. Cl. F03G 3/00 (2006.01); B66C 17/06 (2006.01); H02K 7/18 (2006.01)
CPC F03G 3/094 (2021.08) [B66C 17/06 (2013.01); F03G 3/00 (2013.01); H02K 7/1853 (2013.01)] 25 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for storing and generating electricity, comprising:
operating a plurality of elevator cages on ends of a plurality of rows of a frame to move one or more blocks between a first set of rows in an upper section of the frame and a second set of rows in a lower section of the frame disposed below an intermediate section of the frame,
wherein operating the plurality of elevator cages includes:
moving with the plurality of elevator cages the one or more blocks from the second set of rows to the first set of rows to store an amount of electrical energy corresponding to a potential energy amount of said blocks; and
moving with the plurality of elevator cages the one or more blocks from the first set of rows to the second set of rows an equal vertical distance under a force of gravity to generate an amount of electricity via one or more electric motor-generators electrically coupled to the plurality of elevator cages, the plurality of elevator cages moving synchronously from the first set of rows to the second set of rows.