Plant for generating and accumulating electric energy with the aid of wind power or solar energy

Claim 1

A plant, connected to at least one electric machine coupled to an energy converter, for storing energy that can be extracted transitorily comprising: a plurality of reversible brushless DC motors capable of operation in a DC generator mode; a plurality of flywheels respectively mechanically coupled to said DC motors to collectively form a flywheel battery in which temporary excess electric energy may be accumulated and stored in mechanical form; means, including at least one DC-to-AC converter, switchably connected to said flywheel battery, for converting said mechanically stored excess electric energy to an AC electric form and adapted for connection to an AC power network; an accumulator battery having a plurality of battery units switchably connected to said at least one DC-to-AC converter; said at least one DC-to-AC converter including at least one variable input voltage inverted rectifier; first switch means for alternatively electrically connecting the inputs of said accumulator battery and said flywheel battery to said electric machine; second switch means for alternatively electrically connecting the outputs of said accumulator battery and said flywheel battery to said at least one DC-to-AC converter; third switch means for alternatively connecting the inputs of said DC motors to said electric machine when said flywheel battery is connected to said electric machine in order to distribute the energy to be stored over said flywheel battery flywheels; fourth switch means for alternatively connecting the inputs of said accumulator battery units to said electric machine when said accumulator battery is connected to said electric machine, in order to distribute the energy to be stored over said accumulator battery units; fifth switch means for connecting the outputs of said DC motors to said at least one DC-to-AC converter when said flywheel battery is connected to said DC-to-AC converter, in order to alternatively extract said stored energy from said flywheels; sixth switch means for connecting the outputs of said accumulator battery units to said at least one DC-to-AC converter when said accumulator battery is connected to said DC-to-AC converter, in order to alternatively extract said stored energy from said accumulator battery units; and an automatic regulator means, including a measuring line and responsive to the mains voltage in said AC power network, for controlling said first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth switch means so as to maintain said mains voltage at a substantially constant level.