Geothermal Energy Storage System with Carbon Sequestration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current energy systems face challenges in storing excess energy from intermittent renewable sources like solar and wind, leading to reliance on fossil fuels for grid stability and preventing blackouts, as there is a lack of economically feasible grid-scale energy storage solutions for short to long durations.
Innovation Solution
A method involving compressing a primary fluid, injecting it into a subsurface or on-surface reservoir, and using a closed-loop system with multiple turbines and a heat exchanger to generate electricity, allowing for both short and long-duration energy storage and generation, utilizing geothermal or non-geothermal reservoirs for modularity and carbon-negative energy production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If excess energy from renewable sources is stored using conventional methods, then grid stability is maintained, but economically feasible grid-scale storage solutions are lacking for short to long durations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines energy storage with geothermal energy generation in a single integrated system. The compressed fluid is injected into a geothermal reservoir, and upon release, it expands to drive turbines for electricity generation. This merging of storage and generation functions eliminates the need for separate storage infrastructure, reducing costs and improving economic feasibility while maintaining grid stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The geothermal reservoir serves multiple functions: it acts as both the storage medium for compressed fluid and the heat source for energy generation. The same reservoir enables both short-duration and long-duration storage capabilities, providing universal applicability for different grid needs without requiring separate systems.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If renewable energy generation is increased to reduce fossil fuel reliance, then carbon emissions decrease, but intermittency of natural energy sources creates blackouts when generation is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by storing excess renewable energy in the geothermal reservoir during periods of high generation. This pre-stored energy is then released during periods of low renewable generation, preventing blackouts and ensuring continuous grid availability while maintaining high renewable energy utilization and low carbon emissions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the state parameters of the working fluid by compressing it during energy storage and allowing it to expand during energy generation. This parameter transformation enables the fluid to store energy in a compact form and then release it efficiently, bridging the intermittency gap between renewable generation and grid demand.
3Loss of energy
If a closed-loop system with multiple turbines and heat exchangers is used for energy generation, then round-trip efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple energy extraction mechanisms into a single integrated system. The first turbine captures kinetic energy from the expanding fluid, the second turbine captures additional energy from isentropic expansion, and the heat exchanger recovers thermal energy. By combining these functions in one closed-loop system rather than separate systems, the patent achieves high round-trip efficiency while managing complexity through integration.
4Object-generated harmful factors
If geothermal reservoirs are used for energy storage and generation, then carbon-negative energy production is achieved, but subsurface injection and controlled release infrastructure is required
Solution Approach 1:
The geothermal reservoir serves itself by providing both the storage capacity and the heat source for energy generation. The subsurface infrastructure is utilized as a natural resource rather than requiring extensive artificial construction. The reservoir's inherent properties enable the system to achieve carbon-negative operation while minimizing the need for complex external infrastructure.
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
The solution provides dispatchable, scalable, and sustainable electricity generation and storage with high round-trip efficiency, affordability, scalability, and rapid charging capabilities, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and enhancing grid stability.
Implementation Method 1
a second turbine where the turbine moves due to isentropic expansion of the fluid
Implementation Method 2
a heat exchanger where heat is captured by a secondary fluid as the primary fluid is passed through the heat exchanger
Implementation Method 3
a third turbine outside the closed loop of primary fluid produces additional electricity by binary cycle. This electricity is produced by rotating turbine due to expansion of the secondary fluid
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method provide integrated carbon-negative, geothermal-based, energy generation and storage. The embodiments produce dispatchable electricity at grid-scale by storing excess energy from the grid and generating its own energy. The excess energy may be taken from solar and wind sources. In one aspect, the subject technology is energy storage, energy generation, carbon utilization and sequestration, all in one. The technology has very high round-trip efficiency of storing energy and is carbon-negative which makes it far more sustainable than any competing energy storage technology.