Hydraulic geofracture energy storage system and associated methods
AssigneeQuidnet Energy Inc.
InventorsHoward K. Schmidt, Aaron H. Mandell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Energy may be stored by injecting fluid into a fracture in the earth and producing the fluid back while recovering power and/or desalinating water. The method may be particularly adapted to storage of large amounts of energy such as in grid-scale electric energy systems. The fracture may be formed and treated with resin so as to limit fluid loss and to increase propagation pressure. The fluid may be water containing a dissolved salt or fresh water and a portion or all of the water may be desalinated using pressure in the water when it is produced.
Claims15
A method for storing and producing energy, comprising:
- injecting resins, particulates, or chemicals suspended in a fluid down a well to a fracture in a rock matrix, thereby causing an apparent fracture toughness of the fracture to become artificially increased;
- pumping a working fluid down the well to the fracture to flow to a tip of the fracture;
- storing the working fluid in the fracture as mechanical energy;
- and
- before leakoff of the working fluid from the fracture, reducing pressure in the well so as to produce a portion of the working fluid up the well and allowing pressure of the produced working fluid to produce power.
A method of cycling a working fluid into and out of a fracture to perform useful work, comprising:
- injecting resins, particulates, or chemicals suspended in a fluid down a well to a fracture in a rock matrix, thereby causing an apparent fracture toughness of the fracture to become artificially increased;
- pumping a working fluid down the well to the fracture to flow to a tip of the fracture;
- storing the working fluid in the fracture as mechanical energy;
- and
- before leakoff of the working fluid from the fracture, reducing pressure in the well so as to produce a portion of the working fluid up the well and allowing pressure of the produced working fluid to perform useful work.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.