Compressed Air Energy Storage Reservoirs Research Articles

A GIS-MCDA Approach Addressing Economic-Social-Environmental Concerns for Selecting the Most Suitable Compressed Air Energy Storage Reservoirs

This article presents an assessment of the most suitable compressed air energy storage (CAES) reservoirs and facilities to better integrate renewable energy into the electricity grid. The novelty of this study resides in selecting the best CAES reservoir sites through the application of a multi-criteria decision aid (MCDA) tool, specifically the simple additive weighting (SAW) method. Besides using geographic information systems (GIS) spatial representation of potential reservoir areas, for the MCDA method, several spatial criteria, environmental and social constraints, and positive incentives (e.g., the proximity to existing power generation facilities of renewable energy sources) were contemplated. As a result, sixty-two alternatives or potential reservoir sites were identified, and thirteen criteria (seven constraints and six incentives) were considered. The final stage of this study consisted of conducting a sensitivity analysis to determine the robustness of the solutions obtained and giving insights regarding each criterion’s influence on the reservoir sites selected. The three best suitable reservoir sites obtained were the Monte Real salt dome, Sines Massif, and the Campina de Cima—Loulé salt mine. The results show that this GIS-MCDA methodological framework, integrating spatial and non-spatial information, proved to provide a multidimensional view of the potential reservoir CAES systems incorporating both constraints and incentives.

Compressed air energy storage: characteristics, basic principles, and geological considerations

With increasing global energy demand and increasing energy production from renewable resources, energy storage has been considered crucial in conducting energy management and ensuring the stability and reliability of the power network. By comparing different possible technologies for energy storage, Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) is recognized as one of the most effective and economical technologies to conduct long-term, large-scale energy storage. In terms of choosing underground formations for constructing CAES reservoirs, salt rock formations are the most suitable for building caverns to conduct long-term and large-scale energy storage. The existing CAES plants and those under planning have demonstrated the importance of CAES technology development. In both Canada and China, CAES plants are needed to conduct renewable energy storage and electricity management in particular areas. Although further research still needs to be conducted, it is feasible and economical to develop salt caverns for CAES in Canada and China. Cited as : Li, L., Liang, W., Lian, H., Yang, J., Dusseault, M. Compressed air energy storage: characteristics, basic principles, and geological considerations. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2018, 2(2): 135-147, doi: 10.26804/ager.2018.02.03

Thermodynamic and hydrodynamic response of compressed air energy storage reservoirs: a review

Installation of large-scale compressed air energy storage (CAES) plants requires underground reservoirs capable of storing compressed air. In general, suitable reservoirs for CAES applications are either porous rock reservoirs or cavern reservoirs. Depending on the reservoir type, the cyclical action of air injection and subsequent withdrawal produces temperature and pressure fluctuations within the reservoir. An accurate prediction of these fluctuations is essential for the design of the reservoir and its associated turbomachinery. Being mutually dependent, the selection of the turbomachinery and reservoir characteristics must be conducted simultaneously to obtain an integrated cost-effective plant. The present review is intended to encompass the pertinent literature on the temperature and pressure variations within CAES reservoirs. The principal experimental and operational data sources are described, as well as important results of theoretical modeling efforts. Conclusions derived from those investigations and their relevance to CAES plant designs are discussed.