Gas storage apparatus and method
OwnerAdrian Alfordinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a gas storage apparatus and method, and more specifically to liquid air energy storage and its use to facilitate both Demand Side Reduction (DSR) and the use of reduced-cost electricity by industrial compressed-air users. A related electricity generating apparatus and method is also disclosed. The apparatus and method use a first sensible heat coolth store and second latent heat coolth store to first reduce the gas in temperature and then to change it into a liquid phase. Coolth top up devices are also disclosed.
Claims23
An energy storage apparatus including at least one gas storage apparatus comprising a fluid inlet, a first coolth store, a second coolth store, a pressure reduction valve, and at least one storage chamber, wherein the fluid inlet is connected to the first coolth store, and fluid conduits connect the first coolth store to the second coolth store, and the second coolth store to the at least one storage chamber, the second coolth store augments the coolth storage of the first coolth store, the first coolth store is adapted for sensible heat, the second coolth store is adapted for latent heat, and wherein the gas is air and wherein there is provided one or more coolth top-up devices, wherein the apparatus has a charging pressure, a discharging pressure and a storage pressure, and wherein the charging pressure is above the discharging pressure and the storage pressure is between the charging and discharging pressures, and wherein the second coolth store is of a phase changing material type;
- and
- wherein, the pressure reduction valve is located on a fluid supply line between a second heat exchanger and a fluid storage chamber.
A method of storing energy using an apparatus comprising the steps of:
- raising pressure of a gas to a first pressure and being at a first temperature;
- passing the gas through a first coolth store, wherein passing the gas through the first coolth store includes redirecting a portion of the gas prior to entry into the first coolth store into a first side of a first heat exchanger;
- passing the gas from the first coolth store through a second coolth store;
- passing the gas from the second coolth store into a storage chamber;
- and
- wherein the output gas from the first side of the first heat exchanger is expanded into a two-phase fluid which is then passed through a second side of a second heat exchanger.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.