Modular deep sea mechanical compressed air energy storage device and construction method

Abstract

This invention discloses a modular deep-sea mechanical compressed air energy storage device and its construction method. The modular deep-sea mechanical compressed air energy storage device includes an air tank assembly, a base assembly, and a pile plate assembly. The air tank assembly stores compressed air and has a movable air plug inside the tank. The air plug moves up and down along the inner wall of the tank to compress or expand the internal space. The base assembly rigidly fixes the air tank and is fixedly connected to the pile plate assembly below it. The pile plate assembly is used to drive the piles into the seabed. This invention is scientifically designed and can safely and reliably store externally input compressed air in a submerged state (the entire structure is below sea level), effectively coping with the high-pressure extreme environment required for deep-sea compressed air energy storage, and has significant practical implications.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the fields of new energy and deep-sea energy storage technology, and in particular to a modular deep-sea mechanical compressed air energy storage device and its construction method. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, offshore wind power is developing rapidly, with installed capacity increasing daily and moving towards deeper waters. However, transporting offshore wind power to land requires a large number of submarine cables for long-distance transmission, resulting in a high levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) (the total cost incurred by a power generation project over its entire lifecycle for each kilowatt-hour produced). Some scholars have proposed using offshore wind power to produce hydrogen at sea and transport it through underwater pipelines, but this also results in high costs. Furthermore, offshore wind power is significantly affected by the stability of the wind energy environment, leading to substantial fluctuations.

[0003] Therefore, offshore energy storage technology has become a key research focus globally in recent years. Existing traditional offshore energy storage technologies include chemical battery energy storage, thermal energy storage, hydrogen production energy storage, and compressed air energy storage. Among these, compressed air energy storage technology, with its advantages of zero carbon emissions, large capacity, long operating time, and high reusability, has promising development prospects.

[0004] It should be noted that compressed air energy storage technology is a physical energy storage technology that uses electrical energy to compress and store air, and then releases the high-pressure air to drive power generation equipment when needed.

[0005] However, existing conventional compressed air storage devices cannot reliably store compressed air (such as compressed air generated by electricity) in a submerged state (i.e., a position below sea level). They are unable to effectively cope with the high-pressure extreme environment required for deep-sea compressed air energy storage, and there is an urgent need to propose a reliable structural form to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to address the technical deficiencies of existing technologies by providing a modular deep-sea mechanical compressed air energy storage device and its construction method.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention provides a modular deep-sea mechanical compressed air energy storage device, including an air storage tank assembly, a base assembly, and a pile plate assembly; Air tank assembly for storing compressed air; The gas storage tank assembly has a removable gas plug built into the gas tank; An air plug is used to move up and down along the inner wall of an air tank to compress or expand the space inside the tank. The base assembly is used to rigidly fix the gas storage tank and to fix it to the pile plate assembly below it; Pile sheet assembly for driving piles into the seabed.

[0008] Furthermore, this invention provides a construction method for a modular deep-sea mechanical compressed air energy storage device as described above, which includes the following steps: Step S1: On shore, push the air plug into the air tank in advance, connect the air nozzle to the air outlet of the external compressed air supply equipment, and fix the right-angle brace in place. Step S2: Transport the gas storage tank assembly, base assembly, and pile plate assembly to the designated installation location in the ocean by transport vessel; Step S3: First, sink the base assembly and pile plate assembly. After the base assembly and pile plate assembly reach the preset position on the seabed, drive the foundation pile into the seabed. At this time, the fence pressure bar is in the open state. Step S4: Through the water pump connected to the water injection hole at the bottom of the air plug, seawater is pumped into the air plug. Then, with the help of an external crane, the air tank assembly is lowered to the top of the base assembly. The lowering position is controlled so that the protruding part of the air tank frame on the outside of the air tank frame slides into the slot of the protruding part of the air tank frame of the sliding fence. The fence pressure bar is closed and the pressure bar bolt is pinned in for initial fixation. Step S5: Then, screw the outer frame bolts through the opening slots of the sliding fence, and fix the gas tank outer frame to the sliding fence in the base assembly through the outer frame bolts, thus completing the construction operation.

[0009] As can be seen from the technical solution provided by the present invention above, compared with the prior art, the present invention provides a modular deep-sea mechanical compressed air energy storage device and construction method. The design is scientific and can safely and reliably store externally input compressed air in a submerged state (the entire structure is located below the sea level). It effectively copes with the high-pressure extreme environment required for deep-sea compressed air energy storage and has significant practical significance.

[0010] Furthermore, the technical solution of this invention can also effectively address the high corrosiveness and extreme environments such as ocean currents faced by deep-sea compressed air energy storage.

[0011] It should be noted that the modular deep-sea mechanical compressed air energy storage device provided by this invention is mainly used to store compressed air generated from electrical energy; generating compressed air is not the design scope of this invention. The device of this invention can store high-pressure air in a tank, and when the stored high-pressure air is released and supplied to an external power generation device, it can generate electricity.

[0012] It should be noted that, since the structure of this invention needs to be installed in deep water below sea level (for example, in a location where the water depth is more than 10 meters below sea level), the structure of this invention will be subjected to high pressure from seawater. Under the pressure of seawater, compressed gas is injected into the tank body by an air compressor to balance the pressure inside and outside the tank.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial technical effects: 1. This invention utilizes a gas tank-piston structure to effectively utilize the high pressure of deep-sea water. Compared to a purely rigid tank, the piston movement allows the air inside the tank to be discharged using seawater pressure, preventing a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the tank and avoiding continuous load on the tank from huge water pressure. Compared to a flexible airbag, the mechanical movement of the structure effectively reduces material fatigue damage and improves the utilization efficiency of the device.

[0014] 2. This invention enables rapid fixation of the gas storage tank by setting a sliding fence that meshes with the outer frame of the gas tank (interlocking), which can effectively address the difficulties in docking caused by the complex load of ocean currents on the tank in the deep sea. In addition, the outer frame is reinforced with bolts for secondary reinforcement, which can withstand the huge buoyancy force after the tank is filled with gas and the load of ocean currents on the tank.

[0015] 3. The present invention anchors the device by setting up a pile plate assembly, and the number of foundation piles can be increased or decreased according to the size of the device. The pile plate assembly effectively disperses the buoyancy force of the tank and the horizontal cyclic load, so that the entire device is rigidly anchored to the seabed.

[0016] 4. This invention proposes a modular installation approach, which can increase or decrease the capacity according to the actual energy storage needs, and the modules can be connected in parallel or in series through pipelines, effectively adapting to the diverse needs of deep-sea energy storage.

[0017] 5. This invention innovatively proposes to effectively utilize deep-sea pressure through piston movement inside the tank, and provides a pile-plate anchoring method and a modular installation approach, which can effectively address the challenges of high pressure, difficult installation, and strong corrosion in deep-sea energy storage. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 is a first-view schematic diagram of the overall structure of a modular deep-sea mechanical compressed air energy storage device provided by the present invention; Figure 2 is Figure 1 Enlarged view of point A; Figure 3 is a second-view schematic diagram of the overall structure of a modular deep-sea mechanical compressed air energy storage device provided by the present invention; Figure 4 is a structural schematic diagram of the base assembly and the pile plate assembly; Figure 5 is Figure 4 Enlarged view of point B; Figure 6 is a first-view schematic diagram of the gas storage tank assembly; Figure 7 is Figure 6 Enlarged view of point C; Figure 8 is a second-view schematic diagram of the gas storage tank assembly; Figure 9 is Figure 8 Enlarged view of point D; Figure 10 is a side sectional view of the gas storage tank assembly; Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of the gas storage tank assembly; Figure 12 is an exploded schematic diagram of a modular deep-sea mechanical compressed air energy storage device provided by the present invention; Figure 13 is Figure 12 Enlarged view of point E; In the diagram, 1 - gas storage tank assembly; 100 - Outer protrusion of the gas cylinder frame; 101 - Gas nozzle; 102 - Gas cylinder; 103 - Gas plug; 104 - Outer frame of the gas cylinder; 105 - Rib plate of the outer frame; 106 - Screw hole of the outer frame; 107 - External frame bolt; 108 - Support bolt; 109 - Right-angle support; 1010 - Support connecting plate; 1011 - Connecting plate bolt; 1012 - Air plug protruding rubber ring; 1013 - Air plug water injection hole; 2-Base assembly; 200 - Gas tank outer frame protrusion insertion slot; 201 - Vertical support column; 202 - Horizontal support column; 203 - Horizontal support column base plate; 204 - Base plate screw; 205 - Sliding fence; 206 - Fence screw hole; 207 - Fence pressure bar; 208 - Pressure bar base; 209 - Pressure bar bolt; 3-Pile plate assembly; 301-Gravity plate; 302-Foundation pile. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0020] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0021] In the description of this patent, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "setting" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection or setting, a detachable connection or setting, or an integral connection or setting. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this patent according to the specific circumstances.

[0022] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0023] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described below through specific embodiments. Details not specified in the embodiments are all conventional technologies in the industry.

[0024] See Figures 1 to 13 The present invention provides a modular deep-sea mechanical compressed air energy storage device, including an air storage tank assembly 1, a base assembly 2 and a pile plate assembly 3; Air tank assembly 1, used to store compressed air; The gas storage tank assembly 1 has a movable gas plug 103 built into the gas tank 102; The air plug 103 is used to move up and down along the inner wall of the air tank 102 to correspondingly compress or expand the space inside the air tank 102; The base assembly 2 is used to rigidly fix the gas storage tank 1 and to fix it to the pile plate assembly 3 below it; Pile plate assembly 3, used for piling (vertically inserting) into the seabed.

[0025] In this invention, the gas storage tank assembly 1 includes a gas nozzle 101, a gas tank 102, a gas plug 103, a gas tank outer frame 104, an outer frame rib plate 105, an outer frame screw hole 106, an outer frame bolt 107, a support bolt 108, a right-angle support 109, a support connecting plate 1010, a connecting plate bolt 1011, a gas plug protruding rubber ring 1012, and a gas plug water injection hole 1013; Multiple gas tank frames 104 are fixedly installed around the lower outer side of the gas tank 102; Air tank 102 is used to store compressed air; An air nozzle 101 is provided on the top of the air tank 102; The inner walls of the gas cylinder 102 fit tightly against the outer walls of the gas plug 103.

[0026] It should be noted that, see Figure 10The gas tank 102 is placed at the top of the entire device and fixed vertically to the horizontal plane; the gas nozzle 101 is located on the upper part of the gas tank 102, used to connect the inside and outside of the gas tank 102, and points upward to the horizontal plane; the gas nozzle 101 connects the inside and outside of the tank, and can be connected to a gas pipeline to fill the tank with high-pressure gas.

[0027] In practice, the upper part of the gas tank 102 is hemispherical; The air plug 103 is hemispherical in shape; The shape of the air plug 103 corresponds to and matches the upper part of the inner cavity of the air tank 102; In practice, the air plug 103 is made of a rigid material (such as stainless steel), and the outer shell of the air plug 103 is a rigid shell.

[0028] In practice, an air plug protrusion rubber ring 1012 is provided around the lower part of the air plug 103; The outer protruding rubber ring 10122 of the air plug is tightly fitted to the inner wall of the air tank 102; It should be noted that, see Figure 10 , Figure 11 The air plug 103 has a hemispherical structure and is built into the air tank 102. It can move up and down along the inner wall of the air tank to compress or expand the space inside the air tank 102. The outer side of the air plug 103 is wrapped with an external rubber ring 1012 that fits tightly against the inner wall of the air tank 102. The external rubber ring 1012 can effectively isolate seawater from the air inside the tank, prevent corrosion inside the tank, and the rubber material is inexpensive and easy to replace and maintain. The hemispherical air plug 103 can fit tightly against the hemisphere at the top of the air tank 102, which can completely vent the gas inside the tank and effectively utilize the deep sea pressure.

[0029] It should also be noted that the combination of the air plug 103 and the air tank 102 can isolate the seawater outside the air tank 102, so that after the device of the present invention is submerged underwater, the seawater pressure will push the air plug 103 upward, thereby expelling the air inside the air tank 102. When the device of the present invention needs to store energy, the external air is compressed by an external air compressor pump (or air compressor), and the resulting pressurized air (i.e., compressed air) is injected into the internal water-proof space formed by the air plug 103 and the air tank 102 through the air nozzle 101. Therefore, the internal space of the air tank 102 will push the air plug 103 downward due to the change in air pressure. The deeper the seawater, the greater the required air pressure (i.e. the air pressure used to push the air plug 103 downward) and the more energy is stored.

[0030] It should be noted that, see Figure 6Multiple gas tank outer frames 104 are circumferentially fixed below the gas tank 102 and are arranged in a trapezoidal shape facing outward from the center of the gas tank 102. The gas tank outer frames 104 are used to rigidly fix the tank body of the gas tank 102 and are a distributed force transmission path. They are constructed into an outwardly protruding trapezoidal structure, which can effectively distribute the constraint force on the tank body of the gas tank 102 to the surrounding area of ​​the tank body.

[0031] In practice, each gas tank outer frame 104 has multiple outer frame ribs 105 on its inner side; It should be noted that, see Figure 11 The outer frame rib 105 is placed inside the gas tank outer frame 104 and is arranged vertically and laterally perpendicular to the horizontal plane; the outer frame rib 105 is used to reinforce the gas tank outer frame 104 from the inside and enhance its rigidity.

[0032] For specific implementation details, please refer to the appendix. Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 7 The outer side of the gas tank outer frame 104 (specifically, the gas tank outer frame protrusion 100 on the outer side of the gas tank outer frame 104) is fixedly connected to the sliding fence 205 in the base assembly 2 by the outer frame bolts 107.

[0033] Furthermore, on the outer side of the gas tank outer frame 104, there are multiple outer frame bolt holes distributed along the vertical direction; Each set of frame screw holes includes two horizontally spaced frame screw holes 106; The sliding grid 205 in the base assembly 2 has horizontally distributed opening slots at positions corresponding to each pair of outer frame screw holes; After the outer frame bolt 107 passes through the opening slot in the sliding fence 205, it is threaded and fixedly connected to the corresponding outer frame bolt hole 106.

[0034] It should be noted that, see appendix Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 7 The outer frame screw holes 106 and outer frame bolts 107 are located on the outer trapezoidal surface of the gas tank outer frame 104; the outer frame bolts 107 are used to fix and connect with the sliding fence 205 in the base assembly 2 to finally reinforce the gas tank assembly 1.

[0035] For specific implementation details, see [link / reference] Figure 8 , Figure 9 Each gas tank outer frame 104 has two inclined vertical planes on both sides, and the two vertical planes are axially symmetrical. The gas storage tank assembly 1 also includes multiple right-angle braces 109; The vertical planes on both sides of each gas tank outer frame 104 are fixedly connected to the vertical right-angle side of the upper side of a right-angle support 109 by multiple (e.g., four) support bolts 108, and the horizontal right-angle sides of the lower side of the two right-angle supports 109 are connected by multiple (e.g., three) support connecting plates 1010. The horizontal right-angled side of the right-angle support 109 is located directly below the air plug 103 inside the air tank 102; The right-angle brace 109 is used to confine the air plug 103 inside the air tank 102, so that the air plug 103 can only move up and down along the inner wall of the air tank 102.

[0036] Furthermore, the length of the horizontal right-angled side of the lower side of the right-angled support 109 is greater than the wall thickness of the gas tank 102.

[0037] It should be noted that, see Figure 8 , Figure 9 One right-angled side of the right-angled support 109 is fixed to the vertical planes on both sides of the outer frame 104 of the gas tank by the support bolt 108. The other right-angled side of the right-angled support 109 extends around the lower side of the gas tank 102 toward the tubular center of the gas tank 102, and the extension length is greater than the thickness of the tank wall. By setting the right-angled support 109, the gas plug 103 can be restricted inside the gas tank 102, so that the gas plug 103 can only move up and down along the inner wall of the gas tank 102.

[0038] Furthermore, the support connecting plate 1010 is fixedly connected to the vertical right-angle side of the right-angle support 109 on the outside by the connecting plate bolt 1011.

[0039] It should be noted that, see Figure 9 The support connecting plate 1010 connects the horizontal right-angled sides of two right-angled supports 109 located on both sides of the same gas tank outer frame 104 through the connecting plate bolt 1011; each gas tank outer frame 104 is equipped with two support connecting plates 1010 respectively, which can achieve stress symmetry on a single gas tank outer frame 104, prevent the gas tank outer frame 104 from buckling and deforming, and enhance the restraining force on the gas plug 103.

[0040] In practice, water is injected into the air plug 103.

[0041] Furthermore, a water injection hole 1013 is provided at the center of the horizontal bottom surface of the air plug 103; It should be noted that, see Figure 10The air plug water injection hole 1013 is located on the lower side of the hemispherical plane of the air plug 103. The air plug water injection hole 1013 is used to connect the inside and outside of the air plug 103. The air plug water injection hole 1013 is used to inject water into the air plug 103 (through the water injection pipe connected to the water injection pump or pumping machine located outside). On the one hand, it can reduce the self-weight of the structure. On the other hand, it can ensure that when the entire structure is submerged in the sea (the entire structure is below the sea level), there is no cavity inside the tank, which avoids the structural collapse and damage caused by the huge internal and external pressure difference, and reduces the overall buoyancy of the device.

[0042] It should be noted that, in the device provided by this invention, the function of the air plug 103 is to work in conjunction with the air tank 102 to isolate it from external seawater. The reason for designing the air plug 103 to be movable along the inner wall of the air tank 102 is to fully utilize underwater pressure. If it were designed as a single, continuous tank, the outer wall of the tank would be subjected to uniform pressure directed towards the inner wall after being placed underwater. However, this would not change the internal capacity of the tank. Therefore, if placed in deep water with the capacity unchanged, the immense seawater pressure could cause the tank to collapse. If advanced control technology (assuming such technology exists) allows for continuous pressurization of the tank during its descent, balancing the internal and external pressures, it would effectively solve the problem of tank collapse. However, the subsequent energy release would exhibit a non-linear trend, meaning the rate of energy release would gradually decrease, which is not conducive to energy storage and power generation. The device of the present invention adopts the combination of air plug 103 and air tank 102, which makes the internal space of the air tank variable. Its internal pressure is only affected by the water depth. As long as the depth of the air tank from the sea surface remains unchanged, its output energy is approximately stable.

[0043] In this invention, the base assembly 2 includes a vertical support column 201, a horizontal support column 202, a horizontal support column base plate 203, a base plate screw 204, a sliding fence 205, a fence screw hole 206, a fence pressure bar 207, a pressure bar base 208, and a pressure bar bolt 209. The sliding fence 205 is inserted into the gas tank outer frame 104 in the gas tank assembly 1; Multiple vertical support columns 201 are evenly distributed on the circumferential outer side of the gas tank 102 of the gas storage tank assembly 1, and are spaced apart from the outer wall of the gas tank 102. A vertically distributed sliding fence 205 is provided between any two adjacent vertical support columns 201, and the sliding fence 205 is connected to the adjacent vertical support columns 201 on both sides by multiple horizontal support columns 202.

[0044] It should be noted that, see Figures 1-3The vertical support column 201 is arranged vertically above the gravity plate 301 in the pile plate assembly 3. The horizontal support column 202 is fixed vertically to the vertical support column 201 and is arranged circumferentially along the tubular center of the gas tank 102. The horizontal and vertical arrangement can effectively bear the buoyancy of the gas tank assembly 1 and the action of the ocean current, and transfer the load to the pile plate assembly 3 below.

[0045] In practice, each horizontal support column 202 has a fixed horizontal support column base plate 203 at one end facing the sliding fence 205. The horizontal support column base plate 203 is fixedly connected to the sliding fence 205 by multiple (e.g., four) base plate screws 204.

[0046] It should be noted that, see Figure 2 The base plate 203 of the horizontal support column is fixed to the end of the horizontal support column 202 and is fixed to the sliding fence 205 by the base plate screws 204.

[0047] In practice, multiple fence screw holes 206 are provided on both sides of the sliding fence 205; The fence screw hole 206 is used to connect to the horizontal support column base plate 203 on the horizontal support column 202 via the base plate screw 204.

[0048] It should be noted that, see Figure 2 , Figure 13 The sliding fence 205 is vertically arranged, and multiple fence screw holes 206 are arranged on both sides for receiving the base plate screws 204.

[0049] For specific implementation details, see [link / reference] Figure 2 , Figure 5 , Figure 7 Regarding the connection between the sliding fence 205 and the gas tank outer frame 104 in the gas tank assembly 1, the specific design is as follows: The sliding fence 205 is provided with vertically distributed gas tank outer frame protrusion insertion slots 200 facing the inner end of the gas tank outer frame 104 in the gas tank assembly 1. The gas tank outer frame protrusion insertion slot 200 is used to insert the gas tank outer frame protrusion 100 of the gas tank outer frame 104 in the gas tank assembly 1. The gas tank outer frame protrusion 100 is located at the outer end of each gas tank outer frame 104; Further, see Figure 7 The outer frame protrusion 100 of the gas tank includes a first protrusion 1001 and a second protrusion 1002; The first protrusion 1001 is located outside the second protrusion 1002; The width of the first protrusion 1001 is greater than the width of the second protrusion 1002 (which has a rectangular cross-section).

[0050] It should be noted that the middle section of the first protrusion 1001 has a rectangular cross-section, and its two ends have two lugs protruding from the second protrusion 1002 (the side of the two lugs facing away from each other is semi-elliptical).

[0051] In practice, each of the two ends of the top of each sliding fence 205 is provided with a pressure bar base 208; One of the pressure bar bases 208 is hinged to one end of the fence pressure bar 207; Another pressure bar base 208 is connected to the other end of the fence pressure bar 207 by pressure bar bolt 209.

[0052] It should be noted that, see Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 5 The fence pressure bar 207 is located on the upper side of the sliding fence 205 and is fixed to the sliding fence 205 through the pressure bar base 208. The fence pressure bar 207 can rotate around the pressure bar base 208 on one side, and the pressure bar base 208 on the other side can be inserted into the pressure bar bolt 209 through the reserved hole of the fence pressure bar 207. Therefore, the fence pressure bar 207 can be used to initially fix the gas storage tank assembly 1 by opening and closing (i.e., pre-fixing before the installation of the outer frame bolt 107), effectively dealing with the installation difficulties caused by complex loads in the ocean current environment and facilitating subsequent reinforcement.

[0053] It should also be noted that, in this invention, the gas tank outer frame 104 and the gas tank 102 are rigidly connected, and the outer side of the gas tank outer frame 104 has a gas tank outer frame protrusion 100. During installation, the gas tank outer frame protrusion 100 is aligned with the gas tank outer frame protrusion insertion slot 200, and the gas storage tank assembly 1 is slid in. The bottom of the sliding fence 205 is in a closed state. When the gas tank outer frame 104 is slid into the designated position, its downward displacement will be restricted. At this time, the free end of the fence pressure bar 207 can be rotated around the pressure bar base 208 to another pressure bar base 208 position and the pressure bar bolt 209 is inserted. At this time, the fence pressure bar 207 is in a closed state. At this time, the freedom of the pressure bar bolt 209 in all directions is restricted, so the gas storage tank assembly 1 is fixed (i.e., its position is restricted to the lower side of the fence pressure bar 207).

[0054] In this invention, the pile-slab assembly 3 includes a gravity plate 301 and a foundation pile 302; At the four bottom corners of the gravity plate 301, a vertically distributed foundation pile 302 is respectively provided; Piles 302 are used for downward (vertical) driving into the seabed.

[0055] It should be noted that, see Figure 3The gravity plate 301 is horizontally arranged below the entire device of the present invention, and multiple foundation piles 302 are vertically inserted into and pass through the gravity plate 301 and extend downward. The gravity plate 301 can be made of reinforced concrete structure and has a large gravity. The foundation piles 302 penetrate into the seabed through the gravity plate 301, which can provide horizontal restraint and some pull-out resistance for the structure.

[0056] To better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the working principle of the present invention is explained below.

[0057] After the device of this invention is installed underwater, the nozzle 101 can be connected to the external wind power compressed gas preparation system and the pneumatic power generation system. The wind power compressed gas preparation system can be connected to the external thermal storage system. In the field of offshore wind power energy storage technology, the wind power compressed gas preparation system, the pneumatic power generation system, and the thermal storage system are all "external systems" other than this invention. They are existing, mature, and widely used systems. They can be any feasible and recognized models that are currently available on the market. These three systems are not the innovation of this invention and will not be described in detail here. In this invention, when an external wind power system (such as an offshore wind power system) generates electricity and some of the generated electricity is difficult for users to consume, the external wind power system can transfer the excess electricity to an existing conventional wind-powered compressed air preparation system. This system can use electrical energy to compress external air and then inject the resulting compressed air into the device of this invention (through nozzle 101). During air compression, the wind-powered compressed air preparation system releases a large amount of heat energy due to the rapid decrease in gas volume per unit space. Therefore, the system is connected to an external heat storage system, which is needed to store the released heat energy.

[0058] It should be noted that when the device of the present invention is installed but not yet in use, the internal space of the closed system composed of the gas tank 102 and the gas plug 103 will be completely discharged from the gas tank 102 under the action of seawater pressure (i.e. discharged outward through the gas nozzle 101).

[0059] When compressed air supplied by an external compressed air supply device (such as a wind power compressed gas preparation system) is injected into the device of the present invention (through the air nozzle 101), as the compressed air is injected, the pressure of the compressed air inside the air tank 102 is greater than the pressure of seawater. Therefore, the air plug 103 will move downward along the inner wall of the air tank 102 under the action of high pressure gas, resulting in the formation of a gas storage space inside the device of the present invention. When the air plug 103 moves to the lowest edge of the air tank 102, the right-angle support 109 will restrict the displacement of the air plug 103 and prevent the air plug 103 from sliding further downward. At this time, no more air will be filled into the tank of the air tank 102.

[0060] It should be noted that when compressed air is filled into the tank of gas tank 102, the internal space of the tank will increase. Since the density of compressed air is less than that of seawater, the tank will be subject to upward buoyancy. At this time, the role of the base assembly 2 is to limit the displacement of the gas storage tank assembly 1.

[0061] When the device of the present invention needs to release energy (i.e., release the energy of compressed air), the compressed air inside the tank 102 can be released (through the air nozzle 101) to the pneumatic power generation system through the cooperation of the device of the present invention and the external pneumatic power generation system. At this time, due to the gradual release of gas, the air pressure inside the tank decreases. The seawater pressure is greater than the compressed air pressure, so the air plug 103 will move upward along the inner wall of the tank 102 under the action of the seawater pressure until all the air inside the tank 102 is emptied, thus completing one "energy storage-energy release" process of the device of the present invention.

[0062] To construct the modular deep-sea mechanical compressed air energy storage device provided by the present invention, the present invention also provides a construction method for the modular deep-sea mechanical compressed air energy storage device, comprising the following steps: Step S1: On shore, push the air plug 103 into the air tank 102 in advance, connect the air nozzle 101 to the air outlet of the external compressed air supply equipment (specifically through connecting pipes and corresponding pipe joints), and fix the right-angle support 109 in place. In practice, the external compressed air supply device can be any device capable of providing compressed air. For example, it can be a mature wind power compressed gas preparation system that has been widely applied in the field of offshore wind power energy storage technology. It is an existing conventional system and will not be described in detail here. The wind power compressed gas preparation system uses the electrical energy generated by wind power to receive atmospheric air above sea level, compresses the air to standard atmospheric pressure, and then fills it into the air energy storage device of this invention.

[0063] It should be noted that when compressed air is compressed, the rapid decrease in the gas volume per unit space releases a large amount of heat energy. Therefore, compressed air preparation systems need to be equipped with heat storage systems to store the released heat energy.

[0064] In practice, the nozzle 101 can also be connected to an external compressed air utilization device (such as an external pneumatic power generation system) to release compressed air to the external compressed air utilization device.

[0065] Step S2: Transport the gas storage tank assembly 1, the base assembly 2, and the pile plate assembly 3 to the designated installation location in the ocean by transport ship; Step S3: First, sink the base assembly 2 and the pile plate assembly 3. After the base assembly 2 and the pile plate assembly 3 reach the preset position on the seabed, drive the foundation pile 302 into the seabed. At this time, the fence pressure bar 207 is in the open state. It should be noted that the entire structure of the energy storage device of this invention is located below sea level.

[0066] Step S4: The water pump is connected to the water injection hole 1013 at the bottom of the air plug 103 to pump seawater into the air plug 103. Then, the air tank assembly 1 is lowered above the base assembly 2 with the help of an external crane (e.g., an external crane). The lowering position is controlled so that the protrusion 100 of the air tank frame 104 on the outside of the air tank frame 104 is slid into the insertion groove 200 of the protrusion of the air tank frame of the sliding fence 205. The fence pressure bar 207 is closed and the pressure bar bolt 209 is inserted for initial fixation. In step S4, the outlet of the water pump (i.e., the water pump) is connected to the air plug water inlet 1013 through a connecting pipe, and the inlet of the water pump (i.e., the water pump) extends to a position below the sea level. A seawater filtration device (e.g., a filter screen) can be further installed at the inlet to filter seaweed and other debris.

[0067] Step S5: Then, screw the outer frame bolt 107 through the opening slot (i.e., fence hole) of the sliding fence 205, and fix the gas tank outer frame 104 to the sliding fence 205 in the base assembly 2 through the outer frame bolt 107, thus completing the construction operation.

[0068] In summary, compared with existing technologies, this invention provides a modular deep-sea mechanical compressed air energy storage device and construction method. The device is scientifically designed and can safely and reliably store externally input compressed air in a submerged state (with the entire structure located below sea level). It effectively copes with the high-pressure extreme environment required for deep-sea compressed air energy storage and has significant practical implications.

[0069] Furthermore, the technical solution of this invention can also effectively address the high corrosiveness and extreme environments such as ocean currents faced by deep-sea compressed air energy storage.

[0070] It should be noted that, in this invention, the combined structural design of the gas tank 102 and the gas plug 103 allows the gas tank 102 to form a sealed space isolated from seawater, and the size of this space increases (or decreases) depending on the amount of gas injected into the gas nozzle 101. In contrast, a completely sealed tank (i.e., an ordinary tank without a gas plug) cannot change its internal space and will experience enormous pressure after sinking into the deep sea due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside. The internal space of the tank in the device of this invention is variable and can adapt to pressure changes at different water depths.

[0071] It should be noted that the materials used in existing traditional deep-sea compressed air energy storage devices are currently widely recognized as flexible structures, typically made of high-strength polyester fiber, aramid, nylon, etc. While this type also has the advantage of variable internal space, seawater is highly saline and chlorine-containing, and the oxygen and microorganisms in seawater are highly corrosive, especially to flexible materials. In contrast, different parts of the general embodiments of the device of this invention can be made of rigid materials such as stainless steel and concrete, which have the advantage of corrosion resistance.

[0072] It should be noted that factors such as ocean currents will continuously apply cyclic loads to the structure. Traditional deep-sea compressed air energy storage devices generally use flexible structures, which are prone to material fatigue and failure. However, the embodiments of the device of the present invention, except for the protruding rubber ring 1012 (which is made of elastic rubber) outside the air plug, can all adopt rigid structures (such as stainless steel or concrete materials), which can effectively cope with the ocean current environment.

[0073] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial technical effects: 1. This invention utilizes a gas tank-piston structure to effectively utilize the high pressure of deep-sea water. Compared to a purely rigid tank, the piston movement allows the air inside the tank to be discharged using seawater pressure, preventing a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the tank and avoiding continuous load on the tank from huge water pressure. Compared to a flexible airbag, the mechanical movement of the structure effectively reduces material fatigue damage and improves the utilization efficiency of the device.

[0074] It should be noted that, in this invention, the air plug 103 is a plug-type structure built into the air tank 102. When an external compressed air supply device (e.g., a wind power compressed gas preparation system) wants to inject compressed air into the tank of the air tank 102, the air plug 103 can slide downward along the inner wall of the air tank 102 under the push of air pressure. When the device of this invention releases gas to drive the external compressed air utilization device to work (e.g., to drive the pneumatic power generation system located outside to generate electricity), the air pressure inside the air tank 102 will decrease, and the seawater pressure will push the air plug 103 to slide upward along the inner wall of the air tank 102.

[0075] It should be noted that before the installation of the gas tank 102 in the device of the present invention for the submersion operation, the gas plug 103 should be filled with water through the water injection hole 1013, then the gas plug 103 should be placed into the gas tank 102, the right angle support 109 should be installed, and the external device (such as a wind power compressed gas preparation system) should be connected through the air nozzle 101. It should be noted that during the sinking operation, in order to ensure that the air inside the tank is discharged, the external device (such as the wind power compressed gas preparation system) and the gas nozzle 101 should activate the exhaust function (e.g., the wind power compressed gas preparation system is in the open state) to ensure that the air pressure inside the tank is the same as the atmospheric pressure. As the water depth increases, the device of the present invention is subjected to water pressure directed towards the inside of the gas tank 102. The air pressure in the cavity inside the gas tank 102 gradually decreases below the seawater pressure. Under the action of seawater pressure, the air inside the gas tank 102 is gradually discharged until it is emptied, at which point the air plug 103 reaches the top of the gas tank 102.

[0076] When the device of the present invention is running, the interior of the gas tank 102 is initially empty. Compressed air is injected into the tank by an external device (such as a wind power compressed gas preparation system) (instead of injecting gas at standard atmospheric pressure, because: the pressure of seawater in the deep sea environment is extremely high. After injecting gas at standard atmospheric pressure, the volume will be highly compressed, releasing a large amount of heat and causing the structure to heat up, affecting the service life of the device. Therefore, a wind power compressed gas preparation system and a heat storage system are set up in advance to prepare gas in the external atmospheric environment at standard atmospheric pressure into compressed air in advance). Due to the continuous injection of compressed air, the internal cavity of the gas tank 102 is gradually filled with air, forming a balance with the external seawater pressure. It should be noted that this invention only considers the static pressure of seawater and the uniformity of seawater density. Under the same gravity environment, the static pressure of seawater is generally only affected by its density and water depth. Therefore, the deeper the seawater, the greater the static pressure. Due to the piston-type structural design, when the device of this invention is below the horizontal plane (the external device is closed and the amount of gas in the gas tank remains unchanged), the deeper the gas tank 102 in the device of this invention is placed in the water, the greater the gas pressure inside the tank.

[0077] 2. This invention enables rapid fixation of the gas storage tank by setting a sliding fence that meshes with the outer frame of the gas tank (interlocking), which can effectively address the difficulties in docking caused by the complex load of ocean currents on the tank in the deep sea. In addition, the outer frame is reinforced with bolts for secondary reinforcement, which can withstand the huge buoyancy force after the tank is filled with gas and the load of ocean currents on the tank.

[0078] 3. The present invention anchors the device by setting up a pile plate assembly, and the number of foundation piles can be increased or decreased according to the size of the device. The pile plate assembly effectively disperses the buoyancy force of the tank and the horizontal cyclic load, so that the entire device is rigidly anchored to the seabed.

[0079] 4. This invention proposes a modular installation approach, which can increase or decrease the capacity according to the actual energy storage needs, and the modules can be connected in parallel or in series through pipelines, effectively adapting to the diverse needs of deep-sea energy storage.

[0080] 5. This invention innovatively proposes to effectively utilize deep-sea pressure through piston movement inside the tank, and provides a pile-plate anchoring method and a modular installation approach, which can effectively address the challenges of high pressure, difficult installation, and strong corrosion in deep-sea energy storage.

[0081] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A modular deep-sea mechanical compressed air energy storage device, characterized in that, It includes a gas storage tank assembly (1), a base assembly (2), and a pile plate assembly (3); Air tank assembly (1) for storing compressed air; The gas storage tank assembly (1) has a movable gas plug (103) built into a gas tank (102). An air plug (103) is used to move up and down along the inner wall of the air tank (102) to correspondingly compress or expand the space inside the air tank (102); The base assembly (2) is used to rigidly fix the gas storage tank (1) and is fixedly connected to the pile plate assembly (3) below it; Pile sheet assembly (3) is used for pile driving into the seabed.

2. The modular deep-sea mechanical compressed air energy storage device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The gas storage tank assembly (1) includes a gas nozzle (101), a gas tank (102), and a gas plug (103). Multiple gas tank frames (104) are fixedly installed around the lower outer side of the gas tank (102). The air tank (102) is used to store compressed air; The top of the gas cylinder (102) is provided with a gas nozzle (101). The inner walls of the gas cylinder (102) fit tightly against the outer walls of the gas plug (103).

3. The modular deep-sea mechanical compressed air energy storage device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The upper part of the gas cylinder (102) is hemispherical; The air plug (103) is hemispherical in shape; The shape of the air plug (103) corresponds to and matches the upper part of the inner cavity of the air tank (102); And / or, An air plug protrusion rubber ring (1012) is provided around the lower part of the air plug (103). The gas plug protrudes into the rubber ring (10122) and fits tightly against the inner wall of the gas tank (102); And / or, On the inner side of each gas tank outer frame (104), there are multiple outer frame ribs (105). The outer side of the gas tank frame (104) is fixedly connected to the sliding fence (205) in the base assembly (2) by the frame bolts (107); And / or, The outer side of the gas tank outer frame (104) has multiple outer frame screw holes distributed along the vertical direction; Each set of frame screw holes includes two horizontally spaced frame screw holes (106). The sliding fence (205) in the base assembly (2) has horizontally distributed opening slots at positions corresponding to each outer frame screw hole; After the outer frame bolt (107) passes through the opening slot in the sliding fence (205), it is threaded and fixedly connected to the corresponding outer frame screw hole (106).

4. The modular deep-sea mechanical compressed air energy storage device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, Each gas tank outer frame (104) has two inclined vertical planes on both sides, and the two vertical planes are axially symmetrical. The gas storage tank assembly (1) also includes multiple right-angle bracing (109); The vertical planes on both sides of each gas tank outer frame (104) are fixedly connected to the vertical right-angle side of the upper side of a right-angle support (109) by multiple support bolts (108), and the horizontal right-angle sides of the lower side of the two right-angle supports (109) are connected by multiple support connecting plates (1010). The horizontal right-angle side of the right-angle support (109) is located directly below the air plug (103) inside the air tank (102); Right-angle bracing (109) is used to confine the air plug (103) inside the air tank (102), so that the air plug (103) can only move up and down along the inner wall of the air tank (102); And / or, The bottom of the air plug (103) has a horizontal bottom surface center position where an air plug water injection hole (1013) is provided.

5. The modular deep-sea mechanical compressed air energy storage device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The base assembly (2) includes vertical support columns (201), horizontal support columns (202) and a sliding fence (205); The sliding fence (205) is inserted into the gas tank frame (104) in the gas tank assembly (1); Multiple vertical support columns (201) are evenly distributed on the circumferential outer side of the gas tank (102) of the gas storage tank assembly (1), and are spaced apart from the outer wall of the gas tank (102); A vertically distributed sliding fence (205) is provided between any two adjacent vertical support columns (201), and the sliding fence (205) is connected to the adjacent vertical support column (201) on both sides by multiple horizontal support columns (202).

6. The modular deep-sea mechanical compressed air energy storage device as described in claim 5, characterized in that, Each horizontal support post (202) has a fixed horizontal support post base plate (203) at one end facing the sliding fence (205). The base plate (203) of the horizontal support column is fixedly connected to the sliding fence (205) by multiple base plate screws (204); Multiple screw holes (206) are provided on both sides of the sliding fence (205). The fence screw hole (206) is used to connect to the horizontal support column base plate (203) on the horizontal support column (202) by means of the base plate screw (204).

7. The modular deep-sea mechanical compressed air energy storage device as described in claim 5, characterized in that, Regarding the connection between the sliding fence (205) and the gas tank frame (104) in the gas tank assembly (1), the specific design is as follows: The sliding fence (205) is provided with vertically distributed gas tank outer frame protrusion insertion slots (200) facing the inner end of the gas tank outer frame (104) in the gas tank assembly (1). Gas tank outer frame protrusion insertion slot (200) for inserting the gas tank outer frame protrusion (100) of the gas tank outer frame (104) in the gas tank assembly (1). The gas tank outer frame protrusion (100) is located at the outer end of each gas tank outer frame (104).

8. The modular deep-sea mechanical compressed air energy storage device as described in claim 5, characterized in that, Each of the two ends of the top of the sliding fence (205) is provided with a pressure bar base (208). One of the pressure bar bases (208) is hinged to one end of the fence pressure bar (207); Another pressure bar base (208) is connected to the other end of the fence pressure bar (207) by pressure bar bolts (209).

9. The modular deep-sea mechanical compressed air energy storage device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The pile-slab assembly (3) includes a gravity plate (301) and a foundation pile (302). At the four bottom corners of the gravity plate (301), a vertically distributed foundation pile (302) is provided respectively. Foundation pile (302) is used for downward pile driving into the seabed.

10. A construction method for a modular deep-sea mechanical compressed air energy storage device as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step S1: On shore, push the air plug (103) into the air tank (102), connect the air nozzle (101) to the air outlet of the external compressed air supply equipment, and fix the right-angle support (109) in place. Step S2: Transport the gas storage tank assembly (1), the base assembly (2) and the pile plate assembly (3) to the designated installation location in the ocean by transport ship; Step S3: First, sink the base assembly (2) and the pile plate assembly (3). After the base assembly (2) and the pile plate assembly (3) reach the preset position on the seabed, drive the foundation pile (302) into the seabed. At this time, the fence pressure bar (207) is in the open state. Step S4: The water is pumped into the air plug (103) by connecting the water pump to the water injection hole (1013) at the bottom of the air plug (103). Then, the air tank assembly (1) is lowered above the base assembly (2) by an external crane. The lowering position is controlled so that the protrusion (100) of the air tank frame (104) on the outside of the air tank frame (104) slides into the slot (200) of the protrusion of the air tank frame of the sliding fence (205). The fence pressure bar (207) is closed and the pressure bar bolt (209) is inserted for initial fixation. Step S5: Then, screw the outer frame bolt (107) through the opening slot of the sliding fence (205) to fix the gas tank outer frame (104) to the sliding fence (205) in the base assembly (2) through the outer frame bolt (107) to complete the construction operation.

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