Compressed Air Energy Storage Projects Research Articles

Development and technology status of energy storage in depleted gas reservoirs

Utilizing energy storage in depleted oil and gas reservoirs can improve productivity while reducing power costs and is one of the best ways to achieve synergistic development of "Carbon Peak–Carbon Neutral" and "Underground Resource Utilization". Starting from the development of Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) technology, the site selection of CAES in depleted gas and oil reservoirs, the evolution mechanism of reservoir dynamic sealing, and the high-flow CAES and injection technology are summarized. It focuses on analyzing the characteristics, key equipment, reservoir construction, application scenarios and cost analysis of CAES projects, and sorting out the technical key points and existing difficulties. The development trend of CAES technology is proposed, and the future development path is scrutinized to provide reference for the research of CAES projects in depleted oil and gas reservoirs.Graphical abstract

Two-phase Fluid Solid Coupling Modeling: Theory, Numerical Model, and Application

Underground compressed air energy storage (CAES) is seen as an important and promising way for balancing electrical power system. Many large-scale CAES projects (≥300 MW) are being planned in China, some of which have already been permitted for construction. Despite the benefits from CAES, some challenges arise in area of construction technology, operation system, maintenance and monitoring methods. One of the challenges lies in the evaluation of air leakage effect on flow and stress field around the underground cavern. Therefore, considering the actual physical field characteristics, the mathematical formula of mass conservation equations for air and water in porous media, as well as equilibrium equations for solid mechanics are established first and then coupled together for numerical solutions. The constitutive models for solid and porous fluid adopt classical elastic and Darcy’s law respectively, while the air-water interaction adopts classical van-Genuchten model and contributes to solid mechanics by pore pressure. Numerical implementations are based on secondary development to COMSOL software. Then interpretations to simulation results and the comparison with results not taking damage effect into account are made.

Integrating compressed air energy storage with wind energy system – A review

- With an increasing capacity of wind energy globally, wind-driven Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) technology has gained significant momentum in recent years. However, unlike traditional CAES systems, a wind-driven CAES system operates with more frequent fluctuations due to the intermittent nature of wind power. Consequently, the design and operation of wind-driven CAES systems must address such a complex and dynamic behavior. Considering the growing interest in wind-driven CAES systems, a comprehensive and systematic review of the existing literature on their design and operational characteristics is appealing. Therefore, this study aims at filling this research gap by examining the existing literature on the configuration, sizing, and operation/scheduling of wind-driven CAES systems. This review also aims at highlighting the underlying assumptions and methodologies employed in previous studies on wind-driven CAES systems. Given the challenges faced by several CAES projects, which were discontinued due to geological and economic constraints, it is imperative to conduct comprehensive feasibility studies to support the development and implementation of wind-driven CAES systems. Additionally, there is a growing necessity to explore the feasibility of small-scale CAES systems, focusing on their potential to bolster energy security and resilience for small or remote communities in distributed energy systems. By examining the existing literature and highlighting the gaps in current research, a number of insights are provided serving as foundations for future investigations in this field.

Design and Selection of Pipelines for Compressed Air Energy Storage Power Plants

The principle of Compressed-air energy storage is that the compressed air energy storage system uses compressed air as the energy storage carrier, which is a physical Energy storage that uses mechanical equipment to realize energy storage, transfer and utilization across time and space. At present, Compressed-air energy storage is the second largest technology that is considered suitable for GW level large-scale electric energy storage after pumped storage. Compressed air energy storage has outstanding advantages such as large scale, low cost, long service life, and short construction period. As a key link connecting compressors, expanders, and gas storage devices, the compressed air main pipeline has characteristics such as high operating pressure, low internal fluid temperature, large temperature difference between indoor and outdoor pipelines, and frequent start and stop. The design, calculation, and installation of the compressed air main pipeline will affect the economy and reliability of the entire system, and even bring serious destructive accidents. This article comprehensively introduces the selection method and process of compressed air energy storage pipeline design, and further verifies the feasibility and accuracy of the design method through case studies of specific projects. It provides convenience and calculation methods for the large-scale development of compressed air energy storage projects in the future[1].

Three-dimensional thermo-mechanical analysis of abandoned mine drifts for underground compressed air energy storage: A comparative study of two construction and plugging schemes

Compressed air energy storage (CAES) is a large-scale energy storage technology that can overcome the intermittency and volatility of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind energy. Although abandoned mines can be reused for underground CAES of large scale, their feasibility requires further investigations. This study performs a comparative study on the effects of two construction and plugging schemes on the thermo-mechanical responses of an abandoned drift for the 60-MW CAES project in Datong Yunggang Mine, China. The first scheme uses only the drift as the air container, and the shaft is plugged with concrete. The second scheme uses the drift and shaft. A coupled 3D model is established, and the interaction of the temperature field, displacement field, and air state is fully considered. The numerical model is validated via previous analytical and numerical methods. The simulations indicate that air temperature and air pressure evolve “up-down-down-up” in one CAES cycle. The two schemes have roughly consistent air temperature, and relative huge difference exists for the air pressure. During the charging stage, relatively high tensile stress is induced by the air injection into the caverns. The first scheme shows less stress concentration and lower tensile stress, indicating that the concrete plugging at the intersection between Drift 1080 and North-5 Shaft is effective to reduce the stress concentration. This study can serve as reference for CAES design in similar engineering and studies.

A multi-criteria decision-making framework for compressed air energy storage power site selection based on the probabilistic language term sets and regret theory

To promote the sustainable development of the energy economy and handle the intermittent problems of renewable energy power generation, compressed air energy storage (CAES) power generation has emerged. Site selection makes an important contribution to the success of CAES project and is a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem. This paper proposes a MCDM method based on probabilistic language term sets (PLTSs) and regret theory, and applies it to the site selection of CAES project. Firstly, this paper constructs an index system covering six criteria and sixteen sub-criteria. Secondly, PLTSs are used to describe the evaluation information of decision makers (DMs), which consider the hesitation of DMs and information uncertainty. And a new distance formula of PLTSs is defined. Thirdly, this paper considers the psychological characteristics of DMs by introducing regret theory, and further defines a comprehensive perceptual utility function to avoid the enlargement or reduction of the regret or rejoice value due to the ignorance of expected value of the plan itself. Fourthly, a weighting model of DMs weights is established by using the entropy weight method, and a criteria weight model is developed by minimizing distance deviation. Furthermore, a MCDM method is proposed. Finally, a case study is provided to verify the effectiveness and feasibility of our method. The results show that option A3 is the best choice. This work provides a scientific theoretical basis for the investment decision-making of CAES project.

Sustainable development evaluation on wind power compressed air energy storage projects based on multi-source heterogeneous data

According to the requirement of energy sustainable development strategy in Jilin province, this paper evaluates the performance of wind power coupling compressed air energy storage projects for a wind farm in Jilin from the perspective of sustainability. Firstly, a sustainable criteria system is established from economic, social and ecological dimensions, and 10 secondary criteria are given. Secondly, to fully express the hesitancy and fuzziness of experts, linguistic fuzzy hesitant sets (LFHSs) are used to describe the subjective evaluation information. And then, the cloud model is developed to deal with the randomness and fuzziness of LFHS. Thirdly, a multi criteria decision-making model based on improved Choquet fuzzy integral and deviation degree is proposed for a multi criteria evaluation problem with initial data in the form of crisp values, interval numbers and linguistic fuzzy hesitant sets. The deviation degree can deal with multi-source heterogeneous data and Choquet fuzzy integral improved with Mobius transformation can eliminate the overlap information between criteria. Finally, the case study in Jilin is given to illustrate the effective of the proposed evaluation criteria and technique. From the results, the project 4: wind power coupling compressed air energy storage system with meshing switch is the most suitable alternative for the wand farm, followed by the project of wind power coupling compressed air energy storage system with variable configuration. Moreover, the sensitivity analysis reveals that the project 4 always occupies its top ranking when its weight is floating within a certain range. At last, some policy implications to promote wind power industry are given for the government.

Overview of current compressed air energy storage projects and analysis of the potential underground storage capacity in India and the UK

Compressed air energy storage (CAES) is an established and evolving technology for providing large-scale, long-term electricity storage that can aid electrical power systems achieve the goal of decarbonisation. CAES facilities often utilise large underground storage caverns to ensure high capacity systems. This results in the need of locations with suitable geological features to develop a CAES plant. This paper examines recent and ongoing large-scale CAES projects and presents candidate methods of storing high pressure air using underground features. An assessment of the overall potential for CAES in India is presented by examining its geological features and locations with the greatest potential for CAES plants are determined. This is combined with an analysis of the renewable electricity generation potential in India to identify candidate areas for renewable generation and CAES integrated systems. Up to 1.05% of Indian land area is deemed suitable for CAES plant development and if fully utilised would be sufficient to meet the energy storage needs of India, however, practically a very small fraction of the total suitable land that could be developed so other competing energy storage technologies should be considered. Conversely, the UK possesses a very good potential for CAES, enough to greatly exceed necessary energy storage, owing to the abundance of salt beds not present in India. For CAES to garner serious consideration in India, aquifer storage based CAES needs to be demonstrated.

A review on the development of compressed air energy storage in China: Technical and economic challenges to commercialization

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the environmental impact of fossil fuels, China has become the world's largest country in electricity production from renewable energy. The intermittent nature of renewable energy poses challenges to the stability of the existing power grid. Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) that stores energy in the form of high-pressure air has the potential to deal with the unstable supply of renewable energy at large scale in China. This study provides a detailed overview of the latest CAES development in China, including feasibility analysis, air storage options for CAES plants, and pilot CAES projects. According to China's energy structure, the application of CAES is reviewed from the perspectives of grid regulation, energy generation, and demand side management. A cost-benefit analysis shows that promoting electricity trading market could enable CAES to realize high-level arbitrage in areas with large power consumptions, and the integration of CAES with renewable energy generation in the “Three North” regions of China reveals considerable economic and environmental benefits. The challenges for commercializing CAES in China are also discussed.

An Internal Type-2 Trapezoidal Fuzzy Sets-PROMETHEE-II based Investment Decision Framework of Compressed Air Energy Storage Project in China under the Perspective of Different Investors

• Establish a novel investment decision-making framework of the promising compressed air energy storage in China • Construct a comprehensive investment decision-making criteria system of CAES project • Build a scenario analysis model based on different investor preferences • A serious of sensitive investment criteria are identified for improving the investment decision making of CAES project. Along with the huge demand for volatility remedies of renewable energy, the construction of compressed air energy storage plant has been paid great attention around the world since it is economical to help flatten the intermittency, less geography restriction and little environment impact. To select the optimal compressed air energy storage project with massive difficulties in different preference of investors to energy development directions, uncertainties of decision-making environment and complex and various attributes of the evaluation object, an investment decision making framework is proposed in this paper from the perspective of four different types of investors based on internal type-2 trapezoidal fuzzy sets and PROMETHEE-II model. To validate the effectiveness of the established investment decision making framework, a case study in China is conducted. Result shows that different types of investors will have different optimal investment decision making results, and the investment selection results between the central government and local government, enterprises and individuals have a certain degree of consistency. Meanwhile, the stability and robustness as well as the superiority of the result and the proposed framework are confirmed by the sensitive and comparative analysis. This research possesses practical application value for investors or project managers in project investment choices.

Coupled hydromechanical analysis of an underground compressed air energy storage facility in sandstone

The underground storage of compressed air is a favourable and low-cost option for balancing off-peak electricity demands. Large volumes of air can be compressed and stored in the ground during low-demand electricity periods, and this pressurised air can then be released to generate electricity during high-demand times. Excavated caverns (generally in salt rock), depleted gas fields and abandoned/excavated mines are the main options typically considered in the design of a compressed air energy storage (CAES) facility. The storage of compressed air in aquifers is a new alternative that has been studied recently. The natural formations around a CAES facility are subjected to significant perturbations in hydraulic and mechanical fields. This paper presents an analysis of a CAES project in an aquifer using a fully coupled hydromechanical framework with the ability to consider the main physical phenomena that control the behaviour of this kind of system. The case study is based on an actual planned CAES project in Iowa, USA. Particular attention was paid to changes in the hydraulic and mechanical fields induced by the operational phases anticipated in a CAES project and to the impact of porosity heterogeneities on system performance. The analysis confirmed that the site is not suitable for a CAES plant.

Potential and Evolution of Compressed Air Energy Storage: Energy and Exergy Analyses

Energy storage systems are increasingly gaining importance with regard to their role in achieving load levelling, especially for matching intermittent sources of renewable energy with customer demand, as well as for storing excess nuclear or thermal power during the daily cycle. Compressed air energy storage (CAES), with its high reliability, economic feasibility, and low environmental impact, is a promising method for large-scale energy storage. Although there are only two large-scale CAES plants in existence, recently, a number of CAES projects have been initiated around the world, and some innovative concepts of CAES have been proposed. Existing CAES plants have some disadvantages such as energy loss due to dissipation of heat of compression, use of fossil fuels, and dependence on geological formations. This paper reviews the main drawbacks of the existing CAES systems and presents some innovative concepts of CAES, such as adiabatic CAES, isothermal CAES, micro-CAES combined with air-cycle heating and cooling, and constant-pressure CAES combined with pumped hydro storage that can address such problems and widen the scope of CAES applications, by energy and exergy analyses. These analyses greatly help us to understand the characteristics of each CAES system and compare different CAES systems.

Power system flexibility with electricity storage technologies: A technical–economic assessment of a large-scale storage facility

This study analyzes power storage as a key option to support wind energy integration. The case study is the French power system, whose characteristics rely on high rates of nuclear power and a strong emerging wind energy market. A dynamic optimization dispatching model is used to simulate the operation of the power system, under two development scenarios of the technology mix by 2030, one scenario documented by European Commission, EC [1], and a second one by French Transmission System Operator, RTE [2]. Both scenarios result in power storage requirements of around 7TWh for more than 4GW installed storage capacity of pumped hydro power plants in France as a whole. In this context, it is assessed the profitability of an additional regional project of Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) located in the region of Bretagne. It shows how benefits could accrue by avoiding the regional wind curtailment of 59GWh, by providing ancillary services such as secondary reserve, and by increasing the use of grid assets and the nuclear power output with more than 230GWh. The profitability of the CAES project remains however negative, around −70€/MWh despite the social value and the system benefits that results in. The study assesses qualitatively possible ways to incentivize the investment in new storage projects, through for instance contracts for difference, which would link the storage operation, its investment cost and stage of development to the power market design via power prices and a pre-defined rate of return. The periodical revision of these regulatory arrangements would enable the storage investor to recover the investment cost and would eliminate the risk of over rewarding generators in the case of windfall profits.

In Situ Stress Measurement and Design Guidelines for Compressed Air Energy Storage/Underground Pumped-Hydro Excavations

This paper focuses on past experience with conditions of in situ rock stress and their effects on underground excavations and presents relevant guidelines for the designers of underground pumped hydro or compressed air energy storage projects. An overview is given on what is known of magnitudes and directions of in situ rock stress from some worldwide field measurement data. The geological engineering experience in designing underground excavations for in situ stress conditions recommended from extensive practice in Norway is described. Field examples are taken from U.S. underground construction and mining that verify some principles found in Norwegian practice. Hydrofracturing and overcoring for in situ stress measurements are then described and costs are discussed.