Hybrid compressed air/water energy storage system and method
AssigneeSavannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC
InventorsGerald C. Blount, Maximillian B. Gorensek
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Abstract
A hybrid compressed air/water energy storage system is described. The system includes a series of water containers and a plurality of inflatable bladders held within each container. An air compression facility is used to inflate the bladders upon which water is forced out of the containers to a water storage facility at a higher potential energy. The system includes a water powered turbine and an expansion turbine. Thus, the system can produce power from both the water powered turbine (e.g., as a component of a hydroelectric plant) and from the expansion turbine (e.g., as a component of a CAES plant). The system can be utilized in a subsurface land-based system or a submerged water-based system.
Claims20
A hybrid compressed air/water energy storage system comprising:
- a container;
- a series of inflatable bladders within the container;
- an air compression facility in fluid communication with each of the inflatable bladders;
- a water source;
- a water flow path between the water source and the container and configured such that water from the water source delivered to the interior of the container surrounds at least a portion of each of the inflatable bladders;
- a first turbine in the water flow path;
- and
- an expansion facility incorporating a second turbine in communication with each of the inflatable bladders.
A method for storing energy comprising:
- compressing air;
- and
- filling one or more inflatable bladders with the compressed air, the inflatable bladders being retained within a container, the container holding water that surrounds at least a portion of each of the inflatable bladders, wherein upon the one or more inflatable bladders being filled with the compressed air, a first amount of the water is thereby forced out of the container and to a storage location, the first amount of water moving up an energy gradient as it is forced to the storage location.
The method of 17, further comprising heating the compressed air prior to the expansion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.