Back to results
US 8,171,728 B2Granted
High-efficiency liquid heat exchange in compressed-gas energy storage systems
AssigneeSustainX, Inc.
InventorsBenjamin Bollinger, Patrick Magari, Troy O. McBride
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In various embodiments, efficiency of energy storage and recovery systems employing compressed air and liquid heat exchange is improved via control of the system operation and/or the properties of the heat-exchange liquid.
Claims20
A method for improving efficiency of a compressed-gas energy storage and recovery system, the method comprising:
- within a cylinder assembly, compressing gas from a first pressure to a second pressure larger than the first pressure, thereby storing energy;
- during the compression, introducing a heat-transfer fluid into the cylinder assembly to exchange heat with the gas, thereby increasing efficiency of the energy storage, a portion of the gas dissolving into the heat-transfer fluid;
- exhausting from the cylinder assembly gas at the second pressure, at least a portion of the heat-transfer fluid remaining in the cylinder assembly;
- and
- thereafter, recovering energy from gas effervescing from the heat-transfer fluid in the cylinder assembly.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.