Modeling and Performance Evaluation of the Dynamic Behavior of Gravity Energy Storage with a Wire Rope Hoisting System

Abstract

Energy storage is considered an essential solution to the high integration of renewable energy technologies which has been triggred by the increasing energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions. The inherent intermittency of these latter technologies must be addressed by the development of energy storage systems. This paper investigates an innovative energy storage concept which combines gravity energy storage (GES) with a hoisting device based on a wire rope with an aim to enhance the system performance. A sizing method was performed to determine the proper sizing of the hoisting system's components, mainly the wire rope and the drum. In addition, the objective of this study is to develop a dynamic model for both the storage and the generation modes of this storage device. The model has been developed using Matlab/Simulink and validated experimentally to prove its effectiveness in simulating the behavior of the system. The aim of the developed model is to identify the most critical parameters of the system namely the volume and the pressure, as well as the flow rate and the piston motion during the charging and the discharging modes, with and without the supplementary hoisting device. A comparison of the dynamic behavior of GES with and without a hoisting system has been performed to identify the value of this addition.