Method - including energy storage method - for supplying energy in the vicinity of the point of consumption using regenerative energy sources, and use thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to a universal application method including an energy storage process for supplying energy in the vicinity of the point of consumption using regenerative energy sources and to the use thereof, said method being applicable primarily in the energy industry. The shift away from the use of fossil energy to regenerative energy sources requires a novel energy supply infrastructure. The supply from wind and solar energy as main energy sources does not coincide with the electricity demand in terms of time frame such that the function of storage devices is increasingly important. The universal application method achieves a new level of application quality by virtue of the measures taken, i.e. the storage of fluctuating current supplies with short reaction times in order to adapt the network loads on the basis of a plurality of separately actuatable hub modules so as to use potential energy in a structure while simultaneously doubling the usage of the surface area on the roof by means photovoltaics and / or wind turbines. The application quality consists in the reliable supply of current in an autonomous as well as network-integrated manner in the vicinity of the point of consumption without specific location requirements and with an automatic and reliable operation which can be remote-controlled, high storage and distribution cycles with short reaction times and without self-discharges or degeneration, a low auxiliary energy consumption, low operating costs, a high degree of environmental compatibility with a high degree of efficiency, and a long calendar service life which is conterminous with the building.

Description

[0001] PROCESS - INCLUDING POWER STORAGE - FOR POWER SUPPLY NEAR CONSUMPTION USING RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES AND ITS APPLICATION

[0002] Description

[0003] The invention relates to a “universal application method including electricity storage for near-consumption power supply using renewable energy sources and its application”, which is primarily applicable in the energy sector.

[0004] The transition from the use of fossil fuels to renewable energy sources requires a new energy supply infrastructure. Base, medium, and peak-load power plants have previously been responsible for adjusting grid loads in a planned manner, with appropriate storage being used specifically depending on electricity demand. The availability of wind and solar energy as the main energy sources does not coincide with electricity demand, so storage systems are becoming increasingly important for their functionality, both to ensure frequency stability and to provide the required electricity quantities throughout the day and night.

[0005] The demands placed on the applicable storage technologies are high. In addition to cost-effectiveness, safety, environmental compatibility, and longevity, technical requirements regarding the energy efficiency of the storage systems dominate. These include storage capacity, energy density, storage duration, response time, cycle stability, and efficiency, as the revenue from the cost-benefit ratio (input electricity price to output electricity price) refinances the costs of building and operating the storage systems. Except in superconducting coils or capacitors for special applications, electrical energy cannot be stored directly, which requires additional, loss-prone conversions into storable energy forms. Current technology uses potential, electrochemical, kinetic, chemical, and thermal energy as intermediate storage systems, with their respective specialized conversion processes.This results in differences regarding possible capacity and storage duration, whether these can be used as reserves, short-term, or long-term storage, and how quickly load changes can be responded to while maintaining high cyclic stability. Are there special site requirements, as with pumped-air or compressed-air storage plants, or can the storage facility be located near important grid nodes?

[0006] Driven in part by e-mobility, electrochemical energy storage in batteries or accumulators is at a high level of development. The advantages of short response times, automatic, efficient operation, and comparatively high energy density are compromised by self-discharge, limited charging cycles, and expensive raw materials, which call into question their economic viability on a large-scale basis. Furthermore, the disposal of used battery cells, or better yet, their recyclability, remains unsolved on a large scale.

[0007] In "power-to-gas" processes, energy is stored chemically in the calorific value of hydrogen, which is produced during electrolysis by adding water and electricity along with oxygen. Whether this is further hydrogenated to produce synthetic methane or converted back into electricity directly in a fuel cell or power process when needed depends on the intended use. However, at least 50% of the electricity input cannot be converted back, which calls into question the viability of this technology as a pure electricity storage system without combined heat and power generation. Research is focusing on so-called "Carnot batteries" (Physics Journal 14 (2015) No. 2), which are predicted to use thermal energy highly efficiently for intermediate storage.In the event of a power surplus, a heat pump process is designed to charge a special high-temperature heat storage unit by absorbing work and heat at low temperatures. This heat storage unit then supplies evaporation heat to a power process when electricity is needed to adjust the load (Patent EP 1987299 B1 2007). In addition to the unavoidable temperature gradient when charging and discharging the high-temperature heat storage unit and the effort required to provide the low-temperature heat source, the steam power process incurs high standby losses to keep it operational. As the storage duration increases, the response time decreases due to longer startup times, and efficiency decreases due to self-discharge, which limits its usability.

[0008] Compressed air storage power plants use excess electricity to compress air and store it underground in caverns. The sliding pressure gradient created by the compressor increases the potential energy, which, when released, drives a turbine to regenerate electricity. The principle is simple, and efficiency is further increased when stored compression heat preheats the air before expansion. They can be used on a large scale with good efficiency if the local geology permits, for example, in leachable salt domes (caverns), as very large pressure-resistant storage volumes are required.

[0009] The dominant large-scale storage technology is pumped-storage power plants, which utilize the potential energy transfer of water between the upper and lower reservoirs. With very high efficiency, rapid availability, and short start-up and switchover times, storage losses are virtually nonexistent, except for system friction, water losses due to evaporation or infiltration, and waste heat during power conversion. Their use requires significant landscape intervention in specific terrain topographies, which is why this type of power storage remains limited.

[0010] Energy storage systems based on potential energy through hydraulic lifting of a rock mass, as described in DE 10 2010 034 757 B4, increase the lifting weight, but require a secure and difficult-to-implement seal between the lifting cylinder and the ground. In the event of failure, the rock mass sinks to the ground, and the displaced water floods the surrounding area.

[0011] Lifting storage plants, as proposed in DE 10 2007 057 323 A1, also utilize potential energy to temporarily store electricity. A lifting mechanism mechanically raises (charging) or lowers (discharging) a weight, a principle long used by clockmakers to operate tower clocks. The idea of ​​lowering a large mass deep underground to utilize existing disused shafts makes sense, but limits its application to former mining areas. Provided the water maintenance costs over the useful life of the storage facility do not reduce its revenue too drastically, the combination of lifting mechanism and shaft meets most storage technology requirements, with the exception of the location requirement.

[0012] Although electricity storage systems are becoming increasingly important functionally as large turbines, which were able to smooth out frequency fluctuations with their rotor mass, are gradually being taken off the grid, the market and revenue conditions for storage operators are challenging, also due to grid charges, surcharges, taxes, self-consumption, and levies. The legal framework is constantly changing, making long-term financial planning difficult and requiring a high degree of flexibility.

[0013] The fictitious energy technology expert is familiar with storage technologies, including all their advantages and disadvantages, improves efficiency, and understands the economic constraints and location requirements of each variant. However, solutions to the underlying requirements for the invention's tasks are lacking in the prior art. These include:

[0014] • flexible choice of location in compliance with urban planning guidelines for a consumption-oriented, frequency-stable power supply with renewable energy sources, which can be operated autonomously and / or in the grid,

[0015] • flexible adaptation to changing market and earnings conditions through possible changes in operating mode,

[0016] • a long calendar lifespan with consistently high system utilization,

[0017] • high operational reliability with low damage potential,

[0018] • very short response times with a small-scale, modulatable power feed-in for network load adjustment,

[0019] • a high number of storage and retrieval cycles without self-discharge with automatic remote-controlled operation,

[0020] • high environmental compatibility during production, use and dismantling (complete recyclability),

[0021] • low operating costs with low auxiliary energy consumption.

[0022] The objects are achieved according to the invention essentially by the features characterized in claims 1 to 7. The universal application method, including electricity storage for near-consumer power supply using renewable energy sources, and its application achieves a new application quality through the process measures of storing fluctuating power supplies with short response times for grid load adjustment, based on many separately controllable hub modules, utilizing potential energy in a protected structure, with simultaneous dual use of the floor space by photovoltaics and / or wind turbines. It consists in the secure, both self-sufficient and grid-integrated power supply near consumers using renewable energy sources without specific site requirements.

[0023] Mechanical lifting energy storage systems are known to utilize potential energy for intermediate power storage highly efficiently and without self-discharge. Losses per cycle are less than 10% due to power conversion and friction. Instead of moving a heavy lifting energy storage system into deep, restricted old shafts, reducing the lifting height to the size of a building makes it location-independent. For the same capacity, this significantly increases the number of lifting modules and the associated space requirements. Photovoltaic systems also require large installation areas, which do not allow for dual use except on roofs. In a suitably designed tall structure, both power storage and power generation can be accommodated in a space-saving and efficient manner, creating a load-dependent power supply for fluctuating energy sources.

[0024] A lifting module 4 consists of a winch with a weight suspended from the end of a cable or chain, which is raised or lowered depending on the motor / generator operation. Each module interacts with the grid as a separately controllable individual cell, has its own power converter with a data bus connection, and feeds in or withdraws power in seconds, depending on requirements. Cable and chain winches are at a high technical level thanks to elevator and crane construction. Modern control and regulation technology combined with tried-and-tested mechanics result in a flexible storage technology that will still be effective in 100 years in terms of efficiency and handling.

[0025] From an economic perspective, there are various options for load-dependent power supply with fluctuating energy sources, including storage, which influence the production costs. For the same storage capacity, the required floor space is determined by both the lifting height and the lifting weight of the individual modules. The choice of material determines the number of lifting modules and thus the price, whether the weight is made of iron at 7.8 t / m 3 , made of concrete with 2.4 t / m 3 or from a container filled with water at 1 t / m 3Is a clad steel structure sufficient as a building, or does it have to be a solid concrete structure that fits in with the urban planning in terms of height and design? These factors, in addition to the price advantage through large quantities of identical hub modules at each location, enable a high level of monetary variability. The dual use of the floor space with storage and photovoltaics on the roof, with the additional option of a south-facing wall, improves the profitability through mixed calculations and generates its own electricity, which can be further increased by wind turbines at the corners of the building. If a biomass power plant is also available nearby as a reserve for calm periods, it can be activated depending on the storage charge level and the weather. The many individually controllable hub modules ensure frequency stability depending on the load, whereby the power grid remains functionally reliable even with fluctuating renewable energy sources, whether operated autonomously or in a network.An important prerequisite for the flexible power supply of the future in order to be able to do without fossil or nuclear energy sources.

[0026] The universal application method, including electricity storage for near-consumer power supply using renewable energy sources, and its application also meets these additional requirements. It requires no site-specific topology and can be flexibly adapted to changing market and yield conditions, as storage, photovoltaics, and wind power can be operated both independently and interdependently depending on the market situation. It enables automatic, safe, remotely controllable operation, high storage and withdrawal cycles with very short response times—all without self-discharge, degeneration, low auxiliary energy consumption, low operating costs, high efficiency, high environmental compatibility, and a long service life comparable to the building's calendar, with complete recyclability afterward.

[0027] Figure 1 illustrates the basic universal usage process, including electricity storage, for near-consumer power supply using renewable energy sources and its application.

[0028] Depending on the planned storage capacity and in accordance with financial considerations, numerous individually controllable hub modules 4 are installed in structure 1. These are connected to the central computer-based control unit 5 via power lines 11 and data bus lines 12. The input current reaches the central computer-based control unit 5 via power lines 11 and originates from the photovoltaic system 6 on roof 2 or south side 3, from wind turbines 7, from the biomass power plant 8, or from the electricity surplus from the grid 9. Depending on the operating mode, whether autonomous as an island grid or in a network, remote control 10 by the grid operator is possible.The central computer-based control unit 5 is flexibly programmable depending on market and yield conditions, whether the input current from 6, 7 and / or 8 is forwarded via the grid 9 as output and billed, or whether a portion is temporarily stored via the hub modules 4 so that it can be fed into a load sink at a higher yield later. The same applies to inexpensive surplus power from the grid. This capability is particularly important for operators during the transition period on the way to renewable energy supply. After this, every grid can be automatically operated with stable frequency, with a long service life and consistently high efficiency, even when the large rotor masses of the turbines are missing. This completely solves the problems. This universal application method is particularly suitable for the highly fluctuating load changes in railway operations, when electric locks start up or feed in power during braking.The location near the railway network requires no further requirements other than the required floor space. With the combination of storage, control, and self-generation using renewable energy sources all in one location in a single structure, which requires neither topological requirements like pumped-storage power plants nor geological requirements like compressed air power plants, which rely on leachable salt domes for pressure storage, a reliable, highly flexible, long-lasting, and highly efficient power supply is available with appropriate dimensions without additional space required for photovoltaics. With a steel truss construction, the material value also increases after a potential 100 years of use. Another option is for former open lignite opencast mine extinguishers, which, instead of being flooded with water, utilize the cavity down to the earth's surface for storage and photovoltaics through appropriate large-scale lifting structures.

[0029] Universal usage process including electricity storage for near-consumption power supply with renewable energy sources and its application

[0030] List of reference symbols

[0031] 1 building

[0032] 2 roof

[0033] 3 South side

[0034] 4 lifting module

[0035] 5 computer-aided central control unit

[0036] 6 Photovoltaics

[0037] 7 wind turbines

[0038] 8 biomass power plants

[0039] 9 Network

[0040] 10 Remote control

[0041] 11 Power line

[0042] 12 data bus line

Claims

Patent claims 1. Universal application method including electricity storage for near-consumer electricity supply with renewable energy sources and its application, consisting of the known technological methods for the use of potential energy by means of a lifting storage plant, solar energy use by photovoltaics, wind energy use by means of a wind turbine and biomass use by means of a thermal power plant, which interact with an interconnected electricity grid and / or an autonomous electricity grid, characterized in that a) the lifting height of a lifting storage plant is determined by locally permissible building formats, b) that the total lifting load resulting from the planned storage capacity and the lifting height is distributed over individual lifting modules (4), c) that a lifting module (4) consists of a winch with motor / generator operation and a vertically guided lifting weight which is connected by a cable ora chain is connected to the winch, d) that each lifting module (4) is equipped with its own power conversion and is controlled separately via a data bus connection, e) that the individual size of a lifting module (4) is determined in a cost-optimised manner by weighing up the choice of material for the lifting weight and the standardisable series production of the winches in large quantities. f) that the cost-relevant enclosed space of the lifting power plant is determined by the selectable area-to-height ratio of the lifting module weights, g) that the floor space requirement for the structure (1) of the lifting storage plant is determined by the number of lifting modules (4), h) that the floor space of the structure (1) is doubled by the sunny areas on the roof (2) and the south side (3) is additionally used by photovoltaics, i) that it can be used universally in areas of consumption without any geological, specific or topological site requirements, j) that the modular design achieves universal scaling of the storage capacity with constant efficiency, k) that the separate power conversion with data bus control of the respective lifting modules (4) is connected directly to the network to be controlled (9) by a computer-aided central control unit (5),l) that the grid load is regulated in a matter of seconds, flexibly, precisely, remotely and automatically in the range of 0 - 100% of the storage capacity by means of modulatable feed-in current quantities from a computer-assisted central control unit (5) via the data bus with the individual control of the hub modules (4), m) that electricity, whether from photovoltaics (6), wind turbines (7), from the biomass power plant (8) from self-generation or surplus electricity from the grid (9), is stored in the hub modules (4) in a pure form and is flexibly fed back depending on market and revenue conditions with regard to grid charges, levies, taxes, self-consumption or duties, n) that the high number of hub modules (4) ensures a high level of operational reliability, even in the event of individual failures.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that wind energy is used by wind turbines on the roof or around the building (1) at suitable locations to increase local power generation.

3. Method according to one or more of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that, in order to bridge a prolonged lull in energy sources, the electricity shortage is compensated for by weather-controlled, switchable thermal biomass power plants for stabilization.

4. Method according to one or more of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the environmental impact is minimal due to the high efficiency until the end of the service life and due to the recyclable construction and materials.

5. Method according to one or more of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that with the choice of the lifting height, the qualitative requirements of the respective structure (1) and the dimensioning of the individual module, a high case-related monetary variability with regard to dimensions and material is achieved, 6. Method according to one or more of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it can be started without additional auxiliary energy and the charge state is maintained without loss when not in use.

7. Method according to one or more of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that one part of the lifting storage regulates the network load adjustment, while at the same time surplus electricity is stored in the other part.

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