Techno-economic assessment of a biomass-driven liquid air energy storage (LAES) system for optimal operation with wind turbines

Abstract

Liquid air energy storage (LAES) is a promising technology for enhancing the quality and stability of renewable power. In this regard, improving the performance of the LAES system has a significant effect on the future of energy systems. The LAES system can be employed for managing the functions of wind power as an important source of renewable energies. In this study, the novel biomass-driven LAES system is designed for power and heat production. A thermoelectric generator (TEG) and domestic hot water (DHW) are used for waste heat recovery in the compression process. Energy, exergy, and economic analysis are applied for evaluating the performance of the system. One kilogram per second of air is compressed by consuming 3964 kWh of power during the charging time and generates 9041 kWh power, and 3795 kWh heat during discharging period with 79.2% energy efficiency and 51.8% exergy efficiency. The gasifier and combustion chamber are responsible for 65% of exergy destruction in the system. The dynamic performance of the system is investigated for the case study of Ireland using actual wind data. Additionally, single-objective optimization shows that the introduced system can provide 2615 MW, 120.4 MW, and 1425 MW constant power for three days in February, July, and December, respectively. The income for electricity generation is 1 M$ for February and December and 20,045 $ for July.