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US 2011/0030362 A1Published application
Hydraulic Geofracture Energy Storage System
AssigneeHoward K. Schmidt
InventorHoward K. Schmidt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Energy is stored by injecting fluid into a hydraulic fracture in the earth and producing the fluid hack while recovering power. The method is particularly adapted to storage of large amounts of energy such as in grid-scale electric energy systems. The hydraulic fracture may be formed and treated with resin so as to limit fluid loss and to increase propagation pressure.
Claims14
A method for storing energy, comprising:
- pumping a fluid down a well and into a hydraulic fracture in a rock formation around the well;
- and
- before leakoff of the fluid from the hydraulic fracture, reducing pressure in the well so as to produce a portion of the fluid up the well and produce power from the pressure of the produced fluid.
A method for forming a hydraulic fracture in a rock formation for storage of fluid under pressure, comprising:
- pumping a fracturing fluid into a well penetrating a rock formation at a pressure above the fracturing pressure of the rock formation, wherein at least a portion of the injection fluid contains a resin;
- displacing at least a portion of the fracturing fluid from the fracture by injecting a displacement fluid into the fracture;
- and
- allowing the resin to cure.
1 more element
A method for operating an electric grid system, comprising:
- generating electrical power during optimum production periods using a primary source of power for the electric grid system;
- using a portion of the electrical power generated during optimum production periods to pump a storage fluid into a hydraulic fracture in the earth;
- during a non-optimum production period, producing the storage fluid from the hydraulic fracture and generating electrical power for the electric grid system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.