COIL STRUCTURES FOR ENERGY STORAGE WHICH ARE FABRICATED BY NOVEL TECHNIQUES FOR ACHIEVING MAXIMUM STRENGTH AND ENERGY DENSITY, AND WHICH LEND THEMSELVES TO THE USE OF NEW HIGH-STRENGTH COMPOSITES.

COIL STRUCTURES FOR ENERGY STORAGE WHICH ARE FABRICATED BY NOVEL TECHNIQUES FOR ACHIEVING MAXIMUM STRENGTH AND ENERGY DENSITY, AND WHICH LEND THEMSELVES TO THE USE OF NEW HIGH-STRENGTH COMPOSITES. ONE TYPE OF STRUCTURE COMPRISES STACKED SPIRAL PANCAKE MODULES WOUND FROM REINFORCED BAR STOCK OR MACHINED FROM SOLID SLABS, WITH INSULATION INSTALLED AFTER THE CONDUCTOR HAS BEEN FORMED, MACHINED AND HEAT-TREATED. ANOTHER TYPE OF STRUCTURE IS A HELIX FABRICATION BY EDGE-WINDING FLAT BAR STOCK (IN THE HARD DIRECTION), BY WELDING SLOTTED DISKS, OR BY MACHINING FROM A MONOLITHIC CYLINDER. IN PHASE I, SCALE SIZE PROTOTYPE STORAGE COILS WILL BE MADE BY TWO MEANS: BY WINDING 6061 ALUMINUM ALLOY REINFORCED WITH SILICON CARBIDE FILAMENTS,AND BY STACKING SPIRAL PANCAKE MODULES MACHINED FROM 6061 ALUMINUM PLATE STOCK REINFORCED WITH SILICON CARBIDE FLAKES. THESE COILS WILL BE TESTED TO DESTRUCTION AT AMBIENT AND LIQUID NITROGEN TEMPERATURES. RESULTS WILL BE EXTRAPOLATED SO AS TO DEFINE SCALING LAWS AND LIMITS OF ENERGY STORAGE DENSITY.