Application Status and Development Prospect of Liquid Air Energy Storage

Abstract

The growth of the energy storage sector has garnered increasing attention from nations in recent years. In recent years, the energy storage sector has grown at a rate that has outpaced the expansion of the power sector in terms of real industrial output and application. Due to the obvious growth of renewable energy, there is a sizable market potential for the development of the energy storage industry, which is mostly represented by wind and light. Yet, there is still demand to integrate renewable energy into the grid on a wide scale and run safely and steadily because new energy sources are sometimes available and sometimes not, so they cannot provide a steady, reliable source of power directly by themselves. The aforementioned issues can be successfully resolved through the utilization of technological advancements in energy storage on a grand scale. There are many different ways to store energy, but some of the most common large-scale methods are using batteries, hydroelectric dams, and compressed air. As a novel form of cryogenic technology, liquid air energy storage (LAES) represents a significant step forward in energy storage. It can realize grid-connected new energy consumption, reasonably absorbs low-valley electricity and waste heat resources, and can steadily output various energy sources, including cold, heat, electricity, and industrial gas. This article will discuss the basic principles of LAES and its integrated systems and hope to facilitate future efficient energy storage and renewable energy usage by using LAES technology.