Gravity Energy Storage System

Henry Bradley Sloat Rothschild 11/15/20

Technical abstract
Energy storage is one of the most challenging problems with power management both on Earth
and on the Moon. The Gravity Energy Storage System or GESS is designed to be a fixed
position energy storage solution which can store energy with very little energy loss for long
periods of time. The GESS is also designed to minimize the mass requirements for transport to
the Moon. The GESS uses gravitational potential energy to store energy, using a large
suspended mass. To limit the transport mass requirements, the majority of the mass will come
from lunar regolith. In addition, to lower the support mass, the channel where the suspended
mass hangs will be partially bored into the lunar surface.

A brief technical description

The system relies on Gravitational potential energy to store energy. To store energy, a large
mass is lifted, then dropped to release energy. A generator/electric motor lifts the mass while
power is being sent to the system, while acting as a generator while the system is being
lowered. A gear box reduces the output of the motor to the winch spool, then a system of
pulleys further reduces the motor output. When the system is releasing energy, this works in
reverse, so that the generator can spin at the optimal rate of rotation. When the system is not
being used to output power and is not being recharged, the system uses a series of brakes to
prevent the mass from dropping.
The benefit of such a system for a stationary energy storage system is that it can be used to
store a significant amount of energy for long periods of time with limited energy loss. This is
because the only way for the system to lose stored energy is through the cable stretching or
other mechanicals failures.
One of the largest issues with such a design however, is that while the system can store a large
quantity of energy, the mass of the system goes up with greater amounts of storage. However,
within structural limits, unlike a battery, the majority of the mass can come from any material, so
the suspended mass that is used to store energy could be sent to the Moon empty, then be
filled up with lunar regolith. This would negate issues with lower force of gravity on the Moon,
since the structural stress comes from the force of gravity and the mass can be increased
without increasing the amount of mass required to be sent from Earth.
The system would also not have some of the benefits of a battery in that the rate of energy
discharge would be difficult to control and so an additional battery system may be necessary as
a part of energy management. However, the system is modular in that the mass of the
suspended mass could be changed to
In consideration of the lunar environment, while temperature should not have too significant of
an effect, issues with particulate matter inside of high tolerance moving parts could become an
issue, especially when the system may be required to bore into the surface. The system should
not have any lasting impact on the lunar environment, and would not contain any hazardous
chemicals or organic material.
Thus, the system could provide substantial improvements over batteries in energy storage,
however, further development would be necessary.
Two hypothetical designs

Terrestrial impact
This system could have enormous potential for terrestrial impact. As the world transitions to
environmentally friendly energy sources, one of the biggest issues is and will be energy storage.
Many renewable energy sources provide intermittent power. For example, solar panels provide
power only when there is enough light, which means that cloud cover or darkness can prevent
them from producing electricity. Thus, energy needs to be stored from when the sources are
producing power. This energy storage needs to be stable, capable of storing large quantities of
energy and does not need to be mobile and the GESS could be a solution to these issues. So
this system could not only help establish a permanent presence on the Moon, but play a role in
limiting the effect of climate change.