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US 2013/0152571 A1Published application
Valve activation in compressed-gas energy storage and recovery systems
OwnerJeffery Modderno, Samar Shah +6inventors
InventorsJeffery Modderno, Samar Shah, Randall Strauss, Joel Berg, Troy O. McBride, Benjamin R. Bollinger, David Perkins, Arne LaVen
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Abstract
In various embodiments, valve efficiency and reliability are enhanced via use of hydraulic or magnetic valve actuation, valves configured for increased actuation speed, and/or valves controlled to reduce collision forces during actuation.
Claims25
An energy storage and recovery system comprising:
- a cylinder assembly (i) for, therewithin, at least one of compression of gas to store energy or expansion of gas to recover energy and (ii) having an interior compartment;
- a valve for at least one of admitting fluid into the interior compartment or exhausting fluid from the interior compartment through a gated port, the valve comprising a valve member for occluding the gated port;
- and
- for actuating the valve, an actuation mechanism comprising (i) an actuation cylinder having a lateral surface and two opposing end surfaces, (ii) a piston disposed within and dividing the actuation cylinder into two chambers, the valve being configured for actuation by a difference in fluid pressure between the two chambers, and (iii) an occludable orifice defined by the lateral surface and configured to be at least partially occluded by the piston during movement of the piston within the actuation cylinder.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.