# US 2019/0376490 A1 · Method and apparatus for storage of compressed air energy and the release and conversion of compressed air energy

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- Number: US 2019/0376490 A1
- Document ID: US20190376490A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/437,499
- Filed: 2019-06-11
- Published: 2019-12-12
- Earliest claimed: 2018-06-11
- Assignees: Solar Wind Energy Tower, Inc.
- Applicants: Solar Wind Energy Tower Inc.
- Inventors: Ronald W. Pickett
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190376490A1

## CPC

- F03D 9/17: storing energy in pressurised fluids
- F03D 9/28: the apparatus being a pump or a compressor
- F15B 1/024: {used as a supplementary power source, e.g. to store energy in idle periods to balance pump load}
- F15B 1/027: having accumulator charging devices
- Y02E 10/72: Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
- Y02E 60/16: Mechanical energy storage, e.g. flywheels or pressurised fluids
- Y02E 70/30: Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin
- F03D: WIND MOTORS
- F15B: SYSTEMS ACTING BY MEANS OF FLUIDS IN GENERAL; FLUID-PRESSURE ACTUATORS, e.g. SERVOMOTORS; DETAILS OF FLUID-PRESSURE SYSTEMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

An apparatus for storing and releasing compressed air energy includes at least one hydraulic-to-compressed air converter and at least one hydraulic-to-electric converter, both connected with an accumulator, which has at least one compressed-air storage tank. When hydraulic pressure is passed to the hydraulic-to-compressed air converter, it is converted to high-pressure compressed air, stored in the accumulator and released to generate a hydraulic force to the hydraulic-to-electric converter or the hydraulic-to-compressed air converter to convert hydraulic energy to electric or compressed air energy, respectively. A method for storing and releasing compressed air energy includes receiving hydraulic energy from a wind turbine and converting it to compressed air energy, storing the compressed air energy within an accumulator that has at least one storage tank, and then releasing the compressed air energy to generate a hydraulic force and convert hydraulic energy to electric or compressed air energy.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus for storing and releasing compressed air energy, comprising:
a. at least one hydraulic-to-compressed air converter;
b. at least one hydraulic-to-electric converter; and
c. an accumulator having at least one compressed-air storage tank connected with said at least one hydraulic-to compressed air converter and said at least one hydraulic-to-electric converter, whereby when hydraulic pressure is passed to said at least one hydraulic-to-compressed air converter, it is converted to high-pressure compressed air, stored in said accumulator and released to drive a hydraulic force to one of said at least one hydraulic-to-electric converter and at least one hydraulic-to-compressed air converter to convert hydraulic energy to one of electric and compressed air energy, respectively.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

An apparatus as defined in claim 1, and further comprising a controller connected with said at least one hydraulic-to-electric converter and at least one hydraulic-to-compressed air converter.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said accumulator further includes a hydraulic pump connected with said at least one hydraulic-to-electric converter and at least one hydraulic-to-compressed air converter.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said at least one hydraulic-to-compressed air converter is connected with said accumulator via a high-pressure compressed air line.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said at least one hydraulic-to-compressed air converter is connected with a hydraulic force via a low-pressure hydraulic line.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

An apparatus as defined in claim 1, and further comprising at least one wind turbine connected with said at least one hydraulic-to-compressed air converter.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

An apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said at least one wind turbine is one of a wind farm wind turbine and an energy tower wind turbine.

### Claim 8

A method for storing and releasing compressed air energy, comprising:
a. receiving hydraulic energy from a wind turbine;
b. converting hydraulic energy to compressed air energy;
c. storing compressed air energy within an accumulator having at least one storage tank;
d. releasing compressed air energy to drive a hydraulic force and create hydraulic energy; and
e. converting hydraulic energy to one of electric and compressed-air energy.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

A method as defined in claim 8, wherein said converting hydraulic energy step includes passing low-pressure hydraulic energy to a hydraulic-to-compressed air converter to create high-pressure compressed air.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

A method as defined in claim 8, and further comprising the step of converting hydraulic energy to electric energy prior to said converting hydraulic energy to compressed air energy step.