Compressed Gas Storage with Liquid Cooling and Dehydration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current compressed air energy storage (CAES) systems and natural gas storage systems face inefficiencies due to temperature and water content management issues, leading to reduced operational capacity and increased costs, while existing storage caverns have limitations in maintaining minimum pressure to prevent collapse and ensure structural integrity.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing a pneumatic cylinder with a double-acting piston and hydraulic actuator, coupled with a liquid management system, to optimize gas compression, expansion, and storage by controlling temperature and water content, and employing a liquid management system to dehydrate natural gas, thereby improving efficiency and operational capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional compressors with intercoolers and aftercoolers are used to compress natural gas, then the gas can be stored in underground caverns, but the compression process generates substantial heat that reduces system efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful heat generated during compression by introducing a liquid cooling medium into the compression chamber. The liquid absorbs the excess heat directly from the gas during compression, preventing temperature rise that would reduce efficiency. This separates the heat removal function from the compression process itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a liquid cooling medium as an intermediary substance between the compressed gas and the compression chamber walls. This liquid mediates heat transfer by absorbing heat from the gas and transferring it to the chamber walls, enabling efficient cooling without direct contact between gas and solid surfaces.
2Quantity of substance
If natural gas is stored in underground caverns, then energy can be stored for later use, but the cavern must be maintained at minimum pressure to prevent collapse, limiting usable capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the cooling medium through phase transitions. The liquid cooling medium absorbs heat during compression, then can be phase-changed to remove large amounts of heat during expansion, enabling better temperature and pressure control in the storage cavern.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes phase transitions of the cooling medium (liquid to vapor and back) to manage heat during compression and expansion cycles. This phase change mechanism provides efficient heat removal while maintaining pressure within acceptable ranges for cavern stability.
3Ease of manufacture
If natural gas contains water, then the gas can be stored and transported, but water causes corrosion of pipelines and exceeds regulatory requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful presence of water vapor in natural gas into a beneficial cooling mechanism. The water vapor acts as the cooling medium during compression, absorbing heat and condensing to remove excess water from the gas, thereby eliminating corrosion risks while improving cooling efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the natural gas itself (through its water vapor content) to serve as the cooling medium during compression. The gas's own water content provides the cooling function, eliminating the need for separate cooling systems and simultaneously removing excess water to prevent corrosion.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances the efficiency of gas compression and storage by effectively managing temperature and water content, increasing the usable capacity of storage caverns, and reducing operational costs by optimizing energy storage and retrieval processes.
Implementation Method 1
introducing a liquid into the compression chamber configured to cool the natural gas during compression
Implementation Method 2
the compressed natural gas is expanded in an expansion chamber
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, devices and methods for the compression, expansion, and/or storage of a gas are described herein. An apparatus suitable for use in a compressed gas-based energy storage and recovery system includes a pneumatic cylinder having a working piston disposed therein for reciprocating movement in the pneumatic cylinder, a hydraulic actuator coupled to the working piston, and a hydraulic controller fluidically coupleable to the hydraulic actuator. The apparatus is fluidically coupleable to a compressed gas storage chamber which includes a first storage chamber fluidically coupleable to the pneumatic chamber, and a second storage chamber is fluidically coupleable to the first storage chamber. The first storage chamber is disposed at a first elevation and is configured to contain a liquid and a gas. The second storage chamber is disposed at a second elevation greater than the first elevation, and is configured to contain a volume of liquid.