Compressed gas energy storage system
AssigneeTrent University
InventorsSuresh S. Narine, Michael Tessier
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Compressed gas energy storage systems, which include an integrated thermal energy storage component, are provided. The systems include a compression stage, a heat transfer unit, and a gas storage reservoir, serially linked in fluid communication. The system may include one, two, or three compression stages and heat transfer units. Each heat transfer unit may include two or more thermal energy storage stages. Each thermal energy storage stage may include one or more phase change materials. A method of storing compressed gas energy, which includes compressing a gas through a compression stage to produce a compressed gas; passing the compressed gas through a heat transfer unit to produce a heat removed gas; and transferring the heat removed gas to a gas storage reservoir.
Claims20
A compressed gas energy storage system comprising:
- a first compression stage (C-1);
- a first fluid conduit serially linked in fluid communication with the C-1, the first fluid conduit passing through a first heat transfer unit (HTU-1), the HTU-1 comprising at least two thermal energy storage stages (TESs), each of the TESs having a thermal energy transfer temperature (TETT) which is lower than a TETT of an adjacent upstream TES of the HTU-1;
- a second compression stage (C-2) serially linked in fluid communication with the HTU-1 for compressing gas exiting the HTU-1 via the first fluid conduit;
- a second fluid conduit serially linked in fluid communication with the C-2, the second fluid conduit passing through the HTU-1;
- and
- a gas storage reservoir (GSR) serially linked in fluid communication with the HTU-1 for receiving gas exiting the HTU-1 via the second fluid conduit;
- wherein each of the TESs comprise a phase change material (PCM) in thermal contact with the first and second fluid conduit passing through the HTU-1;
- and the PCM in each TES has a melting point which is lower than a melting point of the PCM in an adjacent upstream TES;
- and upstream refers to the TES closer to the first compression stage in a fluid path connecting the first compression stage with the GSR.
A method of storing compressed gas energy comprising:
- (a) compressing a gas through a first compression stage (C-1) to produce a first compressed gas;
- (b) passing the first compressed gas through a first heat transfer unit (HTU-1) to produce a first heat removed gas;
- (c) compressing the first heat removed gas through a second compression stage (C-2) to produce a second compressed gas;
- (d) passing the second compressed gas through the HTU-1 to produce a second heat removed gas;
- and
- (e) transferring the second heat removed gas to a gas storage reservoir (GSR) to provide a stored compressed gas;
- wherein:
- the HTU-1 comprises at least two thermal energy storage stages (TESs) serially linked in fluid communication between a gas inlet and a gas outlet of the HTU-1;
- passing the first compressed gas through the HTU-1 in step (b) comprises sequentially passing the first compressed gas through the at least two TESs;
- passing the second compressed gas through the HTU-1 in step (d) comprises sequentially passing the second compressed gas through the at least two TESs;
- and
- each of the TESs comprise a phase change material (PCM) in thermal contact with a fluid conduit passing through the TES;
- and the PCM in each TES has a melting point which is lower than a melting point of the PCM in an adjacent upstream TES of the HTU-1.
A compressed air energy storage (CAES) system comprising:
- a first compression stage (C-1) having an outlet in fluid communication with a first gas inlet of a first heat transfer unit (HTU-1);
- a second compression stage (C-2) having an inlet in fluid communication with a first gas outlet of the HTU-1 and an outlet in fluid communication with a second gas inlet of the HTU-1;
- and
- a gas storage reservoir in fluid communication with a second gas outlet of the HTU-1;
- wherein the HTU-1 comprises a first fluid conduit passing therethrough in fluid communication between the first gas inlet and the first gas outlet and a second fluid conduit passing therethrough in fluid communication between the second gas inlet and the second gas outlet;
- and
- the HTU-1 comprises at least two TESs, each TES having the first and second fluid conduits passing therethrough and comprising a PCM in thermal contact with the first and second fluid conduits;
- and the PCM in each TES has a melting point which is lower than a melting point of the PCM in the adjacent upstream TES.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.