Staged Particle Heat Storage for Compressed Gas Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Compressed air energy storage systems suffer from suboptimal efficiency due to the discarding of heat energy during compression and the need for additional heating during expansion, with existing solutions requiring bulky and expensive thermal insulation or complex heat-transfer fluid systems, and facing issues with thermal gradient maintenance and pressure drops.
Innovation Solution
A compressed gas energy storage system utilizing a staged arrangement of fixed beds of heat storage particles with discontinuities in the thermal gradient, allowing controlled thermal stratification and efficient heat storage and restoration, which includes the use of phase change materials and thermally insulating layers to maintain uniform temperature and reduce pressure drops.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If thermal insulation is used to store compressed air at high temperature, then heat energy is preserved, but the storage system becomes bulky and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The storage system is divided into multiple fixed beds of particles arranged in stages, where each bed serves as a discrete heat storage unit. This segmentation allows heat to be stored in distributed locations throughout the gas flow path without requiring a single large insulated volume, thereby reducing overall system bulk while preserving heat energy.
Solution Approach 2:
Solid particles are introduced as an intermediary medium between the compressed hot gas and the storage function. These particles absorb and release heat during gas flow through the beds, enabling thermal energy storage without requiring bulky thermal insulation of the gas storage volume itself.
2Temperature
If heat-transfer fluid is used to store and restitute heat, then heat management is improved, but pressure drops increase due to heat exchangers
Solution Approach 1:
The heat transfer function is extracted from the gas flow path by using solid particle beds that the gas passes through directly. This eliminates the need for separate heat exchanger components and circulating heat-transfer fluids, thereby removing the source of pressure drops while maintaining effective heat storage and restoration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the compressed gas itself as the heat transfer medium by having it directly contact the particle beds during compression and expansion cycles. This eliminates the need for additional hydraulic or pneumatic heat transfer systems, reducing pressure losses while achieving the desired thermal management.
3Temperature
If static solid heat storage is used with fixed bed of particles, then thermal gradient is maintained, but heterogeneities cause non-uniform porosity and cold zones
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs multiple fixed beds arranged in stages rather than a single static bed. This staged configuration allows the gas to interact with multiple particle zones, promoting more uniform heat distribution and preventing the formation of persistent cold zones that occur in single-bed systems. The multi-bed arrangement dynamically distributes thermal energy throughout the system.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the storage system (different beds and stages) are designed with potentially different particle properties, sizes, or arrangements to optimize local heat transfer characteristics. This local customization ensures uniform thermal distribution across the entire system by compensating for variations in heat storage capacity and gas flow patterns in different zones.
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 solution enhances the overall efficiency of compressed gas energy storage and restoration by optimizing heat management, avoiding cold pockets, and reducing operational costs while maintaining thermal control, thus improving the system's operability and energy storage performance.
Implementation Method 1
the heat storage means comprises a staged arrangement made up of at least two fixed beds of heat storage particles
Implementation Method 2
AACAES (Advanced Adiabatic Compressed Air Energy Storage) in which the air is stored at ambient temperature and the heat due to the compression is also stored, separately, in a TES (Thermal Energy Storage) heat storage system
Implementation Method 3
which includes the use of phase change materials and thermally insulating layers to maintain uniform temperature
Implementation Method 4
which includes the use of phase change materials and thermally insulating layers to maintain uniform temperature
Data Source
AI summary
The invention comprises at least one gas compressor, at least one compressed gas storage, at least one expander for expanding the compressed gas for generating energy, and at least one heat storage, wherein the heat storage comprises a staged arrangement at least two fixed beds of heat storage particles and at least one discontinuity in a thermal gradient located between two adjacent beds.