Pressure Vessel Lower Reservoirs for Open-Pit Mine Pumped Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge of implementing large-scale energy storage systems for the energy transition, particularly in open-pit lignite mines, is to balance storage capacity with ecological impact and cost-effectiveness, while addressing the inconsistency of renewable energy sources and the need for both short-term and long-term storage solutions.
Innovation Solution
Constructing an underwater pumped-storage power plant using a large number of pressure vessels arranged in a dry ground depression, such as an abandoned open-pit mine, which serve as a lower reservoir, equipped with turbines, pumps, and pump turbines, allowing for efficient energy conversion and storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional pumped-storage power plants are constructed, then energy storage capacity is provided, but landscape intervention and ecological impact increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent embeds numerous pressure vessels within the flooded ground depression, nesting storage components inside the existing geological structure. This approach provides large energy storage capacity while minimizing surface landscape intervention, as the pressure vessels are submerged and integrated into the depression rather than constructing large above-ground structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs pressure vessels with flexible or thin-walled structures that can be submerged in the flooded depression. These flexible shells allow for efficient space utilization and can be arranged in various configurations to maximize storage capacity while maintaining a minimal visual and ecological footprint on the landscape.
2Quantity of substance
If large-scale energy storage systems are implemented, then renewable energy inconsistency is addressed, but construction costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the energy storage system into numerous individual pressure vessels rather than constructing one large storage facility. This segmentation allows for modular construction, standardized manufacturing of pressure vessels, and phased implementation, thereby reducing overall construction costs while achieving the required storage capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes an existing ground depression (such as an abandoned open-pit mine) that has already been excavated, eliminating the need for costly new excavation work. By repurposing existing infrastructure and geological features, the construction costs are significantly reduced while still providing large-scale energy storage capacity.
3Quantity of substance
If pressure vessels are arranged in a flooded depression, then storage capacity is maximized, but construction complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent places all pressure vessels at the same water level within the flooded depression, creating an equipotential environment. This simplifies the hydraulic connections and pressure management between vessels, as they all operate under similar hydrostatic conditions, thereby reducing construction and operational complexity despite the large number of vessels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs the pressure vessels with standardized, universal configurations that can be mass-produced and interchangeably installed. Each vessel serves multiple functions: energy storage, hydraulic connection to penstocks, and structural integration with the depression floor. This universality simplifies construction procedures and reduces the need for custom engineering.
4Duration of action of moving object
If short-term storage systems are used, then energy transition requirements are met, but long-term storage capability is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines features of both short-term and long-term storage systems by creating a flooded depression with submerged pressure vessels. The water-filled environment provides immediate responsiveness for short-term regulation, while the large total volume of numerous vessels enables long-term energy storage. This merged approach satisfies both temporal storage requirements within a single integrated system.
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
This approach provides a cost-effective, flexible, and ecologically friendly solution with high storage capacity, enabling expandability and long-term sustainability, while minimizing landscape intervention and operational costs.
Implementation Method 1
pressure vessels which serve as a lower reservoir and are equipped with turbines, pumps and pump turbines, so that when the ground depression is flooded with water, water can be admitted into the pressure vessels and discharged from them
Implementation Method 2
pressure vessels are equipped with turbines, pumps and pump turbines
Implementation Method 3
pressure vessels are equipped with turbines, pumps and pump turbines
Implementation Method 4
when the ground depression is flooded with water, water can be admitted into the pressure vessels and discharged from them
Data Source
AI summary
A method for constructing an underwater pumped-storage power plant in a dry but floodable ground depression is disclosed, wherein a plurality of pressure vessels are provided or built in the dry ground depression, wherein the plurality of pressure vessels are arranged side by side and/or one above the other in the dry ground depression, where they serve as a lower reservoir for the underwater pumped-storage power plant to be constructed, and wherein the pressure vessels are designed such that they each have at least one flow-through opening for admitting and/or discharging water and are pressure-resistant such that they can be pumped dry in a dimensionally stable manner against a hydrostatic water pressure acting on the pressure vessels from the outside when the dry ground depression is flooded with water.