Liquid Air Energy Storage System Research Articles

Diffusive solubility of nitrogen in Propane: Measurement from 96 K to 227 K at 0.1 MPa

The burgeoning demand for large-scale energy storage has catalyzed the advancement of Liquid Air Energy Storage (LAES) technology. However, the liquid-phase propane cold storage process in LAES systems encounters a significant challenge: the dissolution of nitrogen protection gas in propane poses a substantial risk to both operational safety and performance. Given the dearth of data on the diffusive solubility of nitrogen in propane under constant atmospheric pressure and low-temperature conditions, this study constructed a testbench and conducted experiments within a temperature range of 96–227 K at a pressure of 0.1 MPa. The molar diffusive solubilities at 227 K, 176 K, 139 K, and 96 K are 0.030 %, 0.177 %, 0.297 %, and 0.962 %, respectively. Besides, this study also fits a calculation equation for the diffusive solubility of nitrogen in propane, which applies to the propane cold storage process in LAES systems.

Environmental performance of a multi-energy liquid air energy storage (LAES) system in cogeneration asset – A life cycle assessment-based comparison with lithium ion (Li-ion) battery

Increase in energy demand is shaping both developed and developing countries globally. As a result, the endeavour to reduce carbon emissions also encompasses electrical energy storage systems to ensure environmentally friendly power production and distribution. Currently, the scientific community is actively exploring and developing new storage technologies for this purpose. The focus of this work is to compare the eco-friendliness of a relatively novel technology such as liquid air energy storage (LAES) with an established storage solution such as Li-Ion battery (Li-ion). The comparison is carried out through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology which aims to assess the environmental impacts from each life stage, according to different impact categories. In particular, the study refers to the unitary storage and the delivery of electricity as well as cooling energy, considering all the inefficiencies and limits of each technology. The results show that in the full electric case study Li-ion battery environmentally outperform LAES due to (1) the higher round trip efficiency and (2) the significantly high environmental impact of the diathermic oil utilized by LAES, accounting for 92 % of the manufacture and disposal phase. Conversely, the cogeneration case study highlights that the “flexibility” and “dualism” of LAES, capable to efficiently deliver both electricity and cooling, offset the impact related to the higher electricity consumption during the use phase. Notably in energy mix frameworks with high share of primary energy source from fossil fuels, cogenerative LAES demonstrates superior environmental performance compared to Li-ion battery (i.e. 1302 kgCO2eq/MWhe vs 1140 kgCO2eq/MWhe for Singapore energy mix), attributable to its reduced electricity consumption.

A real options-based framework for multi-generation liquid air energy storage investment decision under multiple uncertainties and policy incentives

Liquid Air Energy Storage (LAES) is a promising energy storage technology renowned for its advantages such as geographical flexibility and high energy density. Comprehensively assessing LAES investment value and timing remains challenging due to uncertainties in technology costs and market conditions. This study introduces a real options-based framework to evaluate investments in multi-generation LAES systems in China's power market by considering uncertain factors, such as investment cost and electricity price. Additionally, the impact of various incentives, including subsidies and preferential taxation policies, on LAES investment is investigated. The proposed investment decision framework is applied in a case study of a 10 MW-class multi-generation LAES system. Results show that the current economic environment is insufficient to trigger immediate LAES investment. The recommended optimal investment times are 2029 for Guangdong, 2031 for Jiangsu, and 2036 for Beijing and Qinghai without incentives. The levelized cost of storage at the optimal investment time is 0.105-0.174$/kWhe, and the optimal investment value is 882-9269k$. It is also found that preferential taxation policies can increase the LAES investment value. Increasing investment subsidies and technology learning effects have limited impacts on stimulating investments. In contrast, discharge subsidies are more favorable for promoting the deployment of LAES systems.

Analysis of Liquid Air Energy Storage System with Organic Rankine Cycle and Heat Regeneration System

Liquid air energy storage (LAES) is one of the most promising technologies for power generation and storage, enabling power generation during peak hours. This article presents the results of a study of a new type of LAES, taking into account thermal and electrical loads. The following three variants of the scheme are being considered: with single-stage air compression and the use of compression heat for regasification (Case 1); with single-stage compression and the organic Rankine cycle (Case 2); and with three-stage air compression/expansion and the organic Rankine cycle (Case 3). To analyze the proposed schemes, the Aspen HYSYS v.12 software package was used to compile models of the studied cycles. The analysis shows that round-trip efficiency (RTE) can be as high as 54%. The cost of 1 kg of liquid air is USD 7–8. Moreover, it is shown that the generation of electrical energy largely depends on the operation of the expander plant, followed by the organic Rankine cycle (ORC).

Investigation of an integrated liquid air energy storage system with closed Brayton cycle and solar power: A multi-objective optimization and comprehensive analysis

Energy storage has garnered global attention as a promising solution to the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources. For large-scale (>100 MW) energy storage technology, there are only three types: Pumped Hydroelectric energy storage (PHES), Compressed air energy storage (CAES) and Liquid air energy storage (LAES). The limitation of PHES is that several natural geological features are needed. The traditional CAES needs a combustion chamber, which will result in environmental problems. LAES offers several advantages over traditional CAES systems, including higher energy density, scalability, flexibility in site selection, lower environmental impact, cost-effectiveness, and compatibility with renewable energy sources. Under these conditions, LAES is more suitable than other systems. This investigation examined a novel zero-carbon system integrating LAES with CBC and solar power. The primary objective is to maximize the round-trip efficiency (RTE) of the system while simultaneously minimizing the total investment cost per unit of output power (ICPP). By systematically exploring the trade-offs between RTE and ICPP, the study seeks to identify the proposed system’s most efficient and economically viable configurations. Each subsystem was simulated using Aspen Plus® V12 and validated against actual plant data. The analysis indicates that the proposed optimal LAES-CBC system could achieve a remarkable increase in RTE up to 67.81 %, representing an increase of 11.18 % compared to the baseline. Additionally, the total ICPP could be reduced to 0.2739 $/kWh, marking a decrease of 5.96 %. The charging process of the LAES system emerges as a critical focal point due to its significant contributions to exergy destruction and equipment costs. This study provides valuable insights into enhancing and achieving maximum efficiency and cost-effectiveness. These insights are essential for accelerating the transition towards a carbon–neutral energy system, highlighting the importance of research in advancing sustainable energy technologies.

A novel liquid air energy storage system with efficient thermal storage: Comprehensive evaluation of optimal configuration

Liquid air energy storage (LAES) stands out as a highly promising solution for large-scale energy storage, offering advantages such as geographical flexibility and high energy density. However, the technology faces challenges inherent in the cold and heat storage processes. While systems with liquid-phase medium can offer high efficiency, it comes with drawbacks including environmental pollution, safety concerns, and high costs. Alternatively, systems with solid-phase media in packed beds can address these issues, yet it profoundly weakens system performance. Compounding these issues, many current economic evaluations of LAES rely on inaccurate or outdated data, resulting in skewed assessments. In response to these challenges and to drive scientific evaluation and engineering advancements in LAES, this study introduces an innovative LAES system with efficient thermal storage (ETS-LAES). An original thermal storage method is introduced for the first time, based on gravity-driven solid-phase particle flow and gas-solid direct contact heat transfer. The study establishes thermodynamic and heat transfer models, along with a universally applicable economic evaluation model. The ETS-LAES system is comprehensively assessed utilizing different operational modes introduced in the study. Research findings showcase a round-trip efficiency (RTE) of 58.76%, currently standing as the highest RTE record for cold and heat storage based on solid-phase media. The economic evaluation reveals substantial advantages for the ETS-LAES system during the transition from demonstration projects to commercial projects and guides the selection of the scale for the LAES system. The levelized cost of storage (LCOS) for the ETS-LAES system can decrease to 0.0982 USD/kWh as the capacity increases to 1000MW, due to the use of inexpensive solid-phase thermal storage media throughout. The investment payback period (IPP) is halved compared to conventional LAES systems, indicating a strengthening of the profitability. The proposed solution in this study holds great potential, particularly in offering valuable insights into the practical implementation and commercialization of LAES.

A process flow of an air separation unit with an energy storage function: Utilizing distillation potential to absorb energy storage air and its performance

The integration of liquid air energy storage (LAES) and air separation units (ASUs) can improve the operation economy of ASUs due to their matching at refrigeration temperature. A process flow of an ASU with energy storage utilizing the distillation potential of the ASU to absorb the released air due to storing energy (i.e., the energy storage air) is proposed. Its novelty is thus: the ASU can be used to absorb the energy storage air to maximize the air utilization and improve the energy efficiency of the integrated system. It can be simulated using Aspen Plus software. Based on the simulated data, an optimal process flow is determined by analyzing the effect of a reduction in discharge of energy storage air on the distillation conditions of the ASU, and its energy efficiency analysis and economic evaluation are conducted. When the discharge of energy storage air is reduced by 50 % during energy storage and the stored liquid air is directly recovered into the ASU during energy release, a proposed process flow with largest absorption for energy storage air could be obtained. Its product exergy efficiencies for energy storage and release are 37.80 % and 37.57 %, respectively. The overall exergy efficiency of the LAES and the electrical round-trip efficiency of the proposed system are both 67.48 %, the electricity cost saving ratio is 6.43 %, and the payback period of the LAES is 2.4 years. The investment in an air booster accounts for the largest proportion of the overall cost (being some 49.3 % of the total investment required for such a LAES system). After the proposed system is applied throughout the industry, carbon dioxide emissions can be decreased by 15.12–26.76 Mt/year on the grid side.

Thermodynamic analysis of liquid air energy storage system integrating LNG cold energy

Liquid air energy storage (LAES) presents a promising solution to effectively manage intermittent renewable energy and optimize power grid peaking. This paper introduces a LAES system integrating LNG cold energy to flexibly manage power peaking, including intermediate energy storage, power generation using organic Rankine cycle, multi-stage direct expansion, and solar energy for heating. Aiming to maximize the electrical round-trip efficiency, a genetic algorithm is employed to optimize the operational parameters of the proposed LAES system. The results indicate that the combined design of cold energy utilization, multi-stage direct expansion and solar heating for proposed LAES system significantly improve the power performance, achieving an energy capacity of 0.125 kWh/kgLNG and an electrical round-trip efficiency of 376.7 %. The exergy losses of heat exchange equipment are far larger than mechanical equipment in the LAES system, so the optimization design of heat exchange equipment is preferred to improve the exergy performance. The proposed system achieves both high efficiency and flexibility and hence contributes to the development of liquid air energy storage systems.

Evaluating economic feasibility of liquid air energy storage systems in US and European markets

Liquid air energy storage is a clean and scalable long-duration energy storage technology capable of delivering multiple gigawatt-hours of storage. The inherent locatability of this technology unlocks nearly universal siting opportunities for grid-scale storage, which were previously unavailable with traditional technologies such as pumped hydro energy storage and compressed air energy storage. While the technical viability of liquid air energy storage has been established, its economic viability has not yet been rigorously assessed across diverse electricity markets. In this work, a mixed-integer linear program was used to conduct a high-level economic analysis of this technology in US and European markets. By simultaneously optimizing the design and operation of liquid air energy storage systems to maximize their net present value, a yes/no indication of their economic viability can be obtained. Using this approach, the economic viability of this technology was established for the West load zone of Texas through identification of a system with an optimal net present value of $10.4 million and a levelized cost of storage of $119/MWh. Sensitivity analyses were also performed to elucidate how improved technical performance and economic incentives might affect the economic feasibility and, consequently, the adoption of this technology more broadly in the future.

Sustainable energy storage solutions for coal-fired power plants: A comparative study on the integration of liquid air energy storage and hydrogen energy storage systems

With the majority of the world's energy demand still reliant on fossil fuels, particularly coal, mitigating the substantial carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from coal-fired power plants is imperative for achieving a net-zero carbon future. Energy storage technologies offer a viable solution to provide better flexibility against load fluctuations and reduce the carbon footprint of coal-fired power plants by minimizing exergy losses, thereby achieving better energy efficiency. This work focuses on developing two such energy storage technologies: Liquid Air Energy Storage (LAES) and Hydrogen Energy Storage (HES), and their integration strategies with a sub-critical coal-fired power plant. The performance of the integrated systems is analyzed based on key parameters like energy storage capacity, net unit power output during charging and discharging, round-trip efficiencies, and net unit efficiencies at different operating load conditions of the plant. Our results show that during the charging cycles, by increasing the air flow rate in LAES and the hydrogen production rate in HES, the net unit efficiency of the integrated plant decreases by 3–10% at different load conditions, while the energy-based round-trip efficiency increases with increasing liquid air and hydrogen flow rates during the discharge cycles. For the HES system, utilization of the produced hydrogen in the fuel cells gives 40–50% better roundtrip efficiencies than co-firing hydrogen in the boiler at full and minimum load and it increases with increasing hydrogen flow rates. While HES has shown a better overall net unit efficiency (41.5%, in fuel cell scenario) of the integrated unit than the LAES system (40%) for the base case operation, LAES shows superior round-trip efficiencies when operated at higher liquid air discharge flow rates (>80 kg/s). The results provide insights into the system modeling of LAES and HES integrated with a sub-critical coal power plant, contributing to the advancement of sustainable energy storage solutions.

Research on dynamic characteristics and control strategy of energy release process of liquid air energy storage system

Research on dynamic characteristics and control strategy of energy release process of liquid air energy storage system

A novel system of liquid air energy storage with LNG cold energy and industrial waste heat: Thermodynamic and economic analysis

Liquid air energy storage (LAES) is a promising technology for large-scale energy storage applications, particularly for integrating renewable energy sources. While standalone LAES systems typically exhibit an efficiency of approximately 50 %, research has been conducted to utilize the cold energy of liquefied natural gas (LNG) gasification. This approach, applied during the LAES energy storage phase of air compression and liquefaction, can reduce the power consumption of the compressor and enhance the performance of the integrated system. However, the improvement in the system's efficiency is constrained due to the low temperature of the air entering the turbine expansion during the energy release phase. Most studies only focus on the utilization of LNG cold energy, neglecting the proper utilization of the cold energy generated during the liquid air gasification process. This paper proposes an integrated system of LNG cold energy utilization and cement industry waste heat recovery (WHR) with LAES (LNG-LAES-WHR). A thermodynamic model is constructed, and the system is optimized by using four-stage compression, four-stage expansion, and R601 as the working fluid for WHR. The optimized integrated system has a round-trip efficiency (RTE) of 176.27 % and achieves a power output of 337.53 MW. Compared to the previously proposed system, this system has a high exergy efficiency of 74.49 % with a maximum energy storage capacity of 0.5918 kW/kg LNG. The economic analysis shows that the system has the best economic performance when constructed in Zhuhai: the dynamic payback period (DPP) is 4.2 years and the life cycle net present value (NPV) is 1170.72 million USD. This system realizes the cascaded utilization of energy, both in terms of heat and cold, which is safe, flexible, and highly efficient. This work provides a reference for the design of integrated systems for large-scale LAES for industrial applications.

Modelling and simulation of a novel liquid air energy storage system with a liquid piston, NH[formula omitted] and CO[formula omitted] cycles for enhanced heat and cold utilisation

A liquid piston system (LP) is proposed to recover energy during the discharge of a liquid air energy storage (LAES) plant. The traditionally used air turbine is replaced with an LP system which will expand the evaporated air to generate power. Moreover, an NH3 and transcritical CO2 cycle are integrated to enhance heat and cold utilisation. The integrated LAES system was modelled using gPROMS. The numerical results have a maximum discrepancy of less than 6.4% from experimental data previously reported in the literature. The round-trip efficiency (RTE) was studied for various scenarios, including the sensitivity to thermal oil flow rate and heat exchanger efficiencies. Additionally, the study examined the influence of several LP configurations and concluded with a comparison to a conventional LAES system. With a liquefaction pressure of 40 bar, the highest RTE reached was 37%, surpassing the conventional LAES system’s 25% RTE at a discharge pressure of 25 bar. The heat utilisation was 96%, which doubles that of the conventional LAES system, while the cold utilisation was enhanced by 10%. Furthermore, the LP, NH3, and CO2 cycles thermal efficiencies were 88%, 19%, and 30%, respectively. A detailed energy assessment for heat and cold utilisation is presented.

Novel liquid air energy storage coupled with liquefied ethylene cold energy: Thermodynamic, exergy and economic analysis

Liquid air energy storage (LAES) technology, unrestricted by geographical conditions and capable of flexible integration with external energy sources, holds considerable potential. However, the efficiency of the LAES system is hindered by the shortage of cold energy, requiring the introduction of external cold energy. Currently, research on external cold energy coupling predominantly concentrates on the regasification cold energy of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), with scant attention to other cold energy sources, such as ethylene. The conventional regasification process of Liquefied Ethylene (LE) is accompanied by the wasting of abundant regasification cold energy, making it crucial to explore a method to effectively recover and utilize it. This study firstly presents two system cases that couple LAES with the regasification cold energy of LE, filling the research gap. Two cases are simulated: Case 1 utilizes the LE cold energy to cool the air after compression, similar to the common method of coupling LNG cold energy, and Case 2 innovatively applies LE cold energy in low-temperature compression and cooling after compression, along with the introduction of 350 ℃ solar thermal energy. Key parameters in Case 2 are optimized through sensitivity analysis. Additionally, exergy destruction and economic analysis of the two cases are conducted. The main results indicate that: the round-trip efficiency (RTE) and exergy efficiency (EXE) of Case 1 are 63.3% and 59.5%, respectively; for Case 2, although the EXE of 57.06% is slightly lower than Case 1, the RTE can be markedly improved to 211.4%, and it has a lower initial investment cost, quicker return, and lower investment risk. This study systematically presents a novel technical solution for the integration of external cold energy with LAES systems, marking the first investigation into the coupling of LAES systems with liquefied ethylene regasification processes.

Thermo-economic multi-objective optimization of the liquid air energy storage system

Liquid Air Energy Storage (LAES) is a promising energy storage technology for large-scale application in future energy systems with a higher renewable penetration. However, most studies focused on the thermodynamic analysis of LAES, few studies on thermo-economic optimization of LAES have been reported so far. Thus, this work focuses on the multi-objective optimization of LAES by using non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II), taking the round trip efficiency (RTE) and economic indicators as the optimization objectives. Three major results were obtained from this work. First, the NSGA-II-based optimization framework is able to determine the optimal design and operational parameters of LAES under different configurations and scenarios, including the optimal charging and discharging pressure, heat transfer areas, and mass flow rates of hot and cold storage media etc. It is shown that the increase of energy efficiency by 9 % ~ 14 % and a decrease of exergy destruction by 16 % were seen. Secondly, the design and operational guidelines of LAES can be derived from the optimization. The optimal charging pressure was found to vary between 13 and 15 MPa, and the optimal discharging pressure is between 9 and 12 MPa, depending on the machines' efficiencies and pinch points of heat exchangers of a LAES system. Finally, the Pareto Fronts of capital expenditure, energy efficiency and the occupied space energy density of a LAES system provide system operators good operational and investment advice. Specifically, the RTE of the LAES increasing by 1 % is at the cost of increasing the capital cost by 0.5–1 %. In this study, if the investment budget is over 48 M£, a LAES system with three-stage compressors and four-stage turbines presents better trade-off between RTE and investment cost than the three-stage and four-stage systems. Overall, this work provides, for the first time, an NSGA-II-based optimization framework capable of determining the optimal design and operational parameters of LAES, informing the stakeholders of the design guidelines and investment guidance under different scenarios.

Experimental analysis of packed bed cold energy storage in the liquid air energy storage system

Liquid air energy storage (LAES) is a large-scale energy storage technology with extensive demand and promising application prospects. The packed bed for cold energy storage (CES) is widely applied in LAES due to its safety and environmental friendliness. At present, most of the research on CES is theoretical analysis with symmetric cold energy transfer. Actually, the changes of the temperature field result in asymmetrical energy transfer in the energy storage and release processes, but there are few experimental studies on the dynamic characteristics and parameter influence mechanism. Therefore, a platform is established and experiments with different conditions are conducted. The dynamic characteristics of CES and the corresponding performance of LAES are analyzed. The results show that the thermocline develops until outlet temperature changes, leading to a decrease in the LAES efficiency. Under basic conditions, the energy and exergy efficiencies of CES are 90.3 % and 73.3 %. Selecting materials based on physical properties, reducing the flow rate and temperature range of the fluid can improve the packed bed performance. Furthermore, dynamic characteristics of CES gradually weaken until reaching a stable state after multi-cycle, with energy and exergy efficiencies decreasing by 2.5 % and 8.0 %. The decline in the LAES energy efficiency is 4.7 %.

The effect of insulation on boil-off gas in liquid air storage tank

Increasing renewable energy is posing a challenge to the stability of electricity grid, and the importance of an energy storage system (ESS) is becoming clearer. A Liquid Air Energy Storage System (LAES) is proposed as one of the promising ESS technologies. LAES converts electricity to liquid air efficiently and economically. However, since the storage temperature of liquid air is −196 °C, loss of liquid air is inevitable due to evaporation, i.e., boil-off gas (BOG). A loss of liquid air has negative effect on the round-trip efficiency of LAES; therefore, the BOG rate must be minimized. In this research, the insulation performance of liquid air tank is evaluated. To calculate the heat ingress and BOG rate, a partial equilibrium model is developed. The insulation performance is evaluated with varying insulation thickness, emissivity, aspect ratio and materials. The results show that the BOG rate of vacuum insulation can reach 1.8 %/day. For foam glass insulation, the BOG rate can become 2.25 %/day. With optimal geometry, 0.7 %/day for vacuum insulation and 1 %/day for foam glass insulation can be achieved. The vacuum insulation generally shows better insulation performance, however, there is area where the foam glass insulation shows better performance depending on the insulation thickness and emissivity.

Photovoltaic-driven liquid air energy storage system for combined cooling, heating and power towards zero-energy buildings

Renewable energy and energy storage technologies are expected to promote the goal of net zero-energy buildings. This article presents a new sustainable energy solution using photovoltaic-driven liquid air energy storage (PV-LAES) for achieving the combined cooling, heating and power (CCHP) supply. Liquid air is used to store and generate power to smooth the supply-load fluctuations, and the residual heat from hot oil in the LAES system is used for the cooling and heating supplements. Taking an actual building as the research object, the dynamic PV-LAES system model is built to optimize the power/cooling/heating supplies, and then evaluate the economic and environmental performances. In a single year, the PV-LAES system can produce 523.93 MWh of electricity, 57.75 GJ of cold energy, and 119.24 GJ of heat energy, resulting in an improved round-trip efficiency of 67.05 % and a carbon emission reduction of 368.35 tons. The dynamic payback period is 6.45 years and the cumulative net present value (NPV) reaches 515 k$ throughout the life cycle. Overall, this article provides a new solution using the PV-LAES system to obtain high energy efficiency, good economic benefits, and high environmental performance for future zero-energy buildings.

Techno-economic analysis of a new thermal storage operation strategy for a solar aided liquid air energy storage system

The SA-LAES system is an economical and efficient energy storage solution that combines solar energy with LAES. However, the inherent instability of solar energy can result in uncertainty regarding heat storage, thereby compromising the stability of the energy storage system. The development of more economical, efficient, and stable strategies for the SA-LAES system represents a challenging task. The present study puts forward a novel thermal storage operation scheme (Strategy 2) for SA-LAES systems integrated with electric heating during valley periods, thereby achieving long-term stable operation of the energy storage system via the alternating utilization of two full molten salt tanks and one empty molten salt tank. Theoretical and case studies are conducted based on thermodynamic and economical technical indicators, and detailed comparisons are made with the traditional strategy (Strategy 1) of only changing the solar multiple and capacity. The results show the exergy destruction of Strategy 1 mainly occurs in air turbines under off-design operating conditions. The exergy destruction of Strategy 2 is mainly in the electric heater part. The single-day analysis found that the new strategy has a more significant advantage in terms of exergy efficiency than Strategy 1 when the direct normal irradiance (DNI) is below 650 W/m2. In the case study, the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) values for Nanning, Beijing, and Hami regions in Strategy 2 are 0.118 $/kWh, 0.077 $/kWh, and 0.062 $/kWh, respectively. The LCOE values of Strategy 2 are decreased by 10.97 %, 27.49 %, and 3.40 % compared to Strategy 1, respectively. The payback periods for investments in the Beijing and Hami regions have decreased by 67.63 % and 16.41 %, respectively. The research presented in this article provides an economical, efficient, and stable operating strategy for thermal storage in the SA-LAES system.

Dynamic characteristics of a novel liquid air energy storage system coupled with solar heat and waste heat recovery

Liquid air energy storage (LAES) is a promising energy storage technology for its high energy storage density, free from geographical conditions and small impacts on the environment. In this paper, a novel LAES system coupled with solar heat and absorption chillers (LAES-S-A) is proposed and dynamically modeled. A power-speed control system is established for this system. Two operating control strategies are developed for the solar heat collection process. The transient characteristics of the novel system during the start-up, load-up process and encountering different disturbances are investigated. Besides, the dynamic responses when the waste heat is used for producing heating energy are also studied. The results indicate that the power-speed control system can guarantee a very short equilibrium time and a very small overshoot. The energy efficiency of the LAES-S-A system is 65.84 %, while that is 75.32 % when the waste heat is used for producing heating supply. When a disturbance occurs, the equilibrium times of the absorption chiller, air turbines and heating device are 1500 s, 40 s and 38 s, respectively. Compared with the absorption chiller, the heating device can better cooperate with the air turbines. The results can provide a reference for future studies.