Systems and methods for subterranean energy storage
OwnerJohn Dane Rasmusseninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to systems and methods for subterranean energy storage. The systems and methods involve a higher-pressured subterranean rock formation in fluid communication with a lower-pressured subterranean rock formation via a controllable fluid channel intersecting both formations. Potential energy is converted to electrical energy by allowing fluid to flow from the higher-pressured formation to the lower-pressured formation through a turbine in fluid communication with the fluid channel. The system is recharged by pumping fluid from the lower-pressured subterranean rock formation to the higher-pressured subterranean rock formation using a pump in fluid communication with the fluid channel.
Claims22
A subterranean energy storage system, comprising:
- a bore hole including an interior, the bore hole extending between a higher-pressured subterranean rock formation and a lower-pressured subterranean rock formation;
- a first opening allowing fluid communication between the interior and the higher-pressured subterranean rock formation;
- a second opening allowing fluid communication between the interior and the lower-pressured subterranean rock formation;
- a fluid channel extending substantially parallel to the bore hole within the interior;
- a packer positioned in the interior, the packer radially surrounding the fluid channel and blocking fluid transfer along the bore hole except through the fluid channel, wherein the packer is positioned at a depth between the first opening and the second opening, dividing the interior into a first cavity in fluid communication with the higher-pressured formation and a second cavity in fluid communication with the lower-pressured formation;
- a first controllable access configured to transition between an open configuration in which fluid may pass through the first controllable access between the first cavity and the fluid channel and a closed configuration in which fluid is substantially prevented from passing through the first controllable access;
- a turbine within the fluid channel;
- wherein the higher-pressured subterranean rock formation and the lower-pressured subterranean rock formation are substantially hydraulically isolated from each other except via the fluid channel, and
- wherein the higher-pressured subterranean rock formation has a higher pressure than the lower-pressured subterranean rock formation when corrected to a common depth.
A method for subterranean energy storage comprising:
- enabling fluid to flow substantially under the influence of a pressure differential from a higher-pressured subterranean rock formation, through a fluid channel including a turbine, into a lower-pressured subterranean rock formation;
- converting, in the turbine, kinetic energy of the flowing fluid into electrical energy;
- and
- pumping fluid from the lower-pressured subterranean rock formation, through the fluid channel, into the higher-pressured subterranean rock formation;
- wherein the higher-pressured subterranean rock formation and the lower-pressured subterranean rock formation are substantially hydraulically isolated from each other except via the fluid channel;
- and
- wherein the higher-pressured subterranean rock formation has a higher pressure than the lower-pressured subterranean rock formation when corrected to a common depth.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.