Hydrostor proposes to accumulate renewable energy using underwater balls with compressed air
Welcome to the iCover Blog Pages ! The prospects of renewable energy sources (RES) and their role in the development of the energy infrastructure of developed countries are beyond doubt. At the same time, the widespread use of alternative energy is faced with the instability of its generation, the dependence of the amount of stored wind and solar energy on the time of day and year, solar activity and wind load. It is no exaggeration to say that the efficiency of using renewable energy sources is directly dependent on the efficiency of energy storage devices, which, in combination with a generator station, ensure the stability of the characteristics of the supplied electric current.
An original, effective, durable and inexpensive solution for storing excess energy from renewable energy sources was proposed by the Canadian company Hydrostor .
To maintain a constant level of supplied electricity and to store accumulated excess energy, Hydrostor employees proposed the use of a completely new simple and effective technology. The excess energy that is generated due to renewable energy is converted by the ground compressor station into the energy of compressed air, which is pumped into underwater balls placed in groups in a nearby body of water.
Placing balls of a certain size at a certain depth allows the use of hydrostatic water pressure and the technology itself with maximum efficiency. The first technological complexUnderwater-CAES , working on this principle, is now in the testing phase at a depth of 55 m below the surface of Lake Ontario near Toronto.
The balls connected to the compressor station using a system of underground and partially submarine pipes, when the energy is generated in excess, are filled with compressed air, acting as storage tanks. As the level of generated energy partially or completely drops, the excess pressure of the compressed air in the balls is “redistributed” in the opposite direction, forcing the turbine of the ground station generator to rotate. Thus, the entire system is constantly in the "auto-balancing" mode, simply and elegantly solving the task, and the consumer receives electricity with stable characteristics.
The principle of operation of the Underwater-CAES system is somewhat reminiscent of the principle used in hydroaccumulative power plants, which provide the required energy balance due to the water pumped to a certain height above the horizon and lowered into the system as necessary to ensure stable operation of the generators. But this, and other existing technologies both at the implementation stage and at the stage of operation of the plants are much more expensive.
Environmentally friendly air tanks can be used wherever there is a body of water in the relative proximity of the generating station.
The author of the idea of using underwater energy storage devices is Cameron Lewis, founder and chief technologist of Hydrostor. It is interesting that Lewis originally planned to install a hydroaccumulator station next to a wind generator built by him. The technical and economic calculations showed that such a solution would be ineffective. It was then that the idea was born to replace, in order to achieve the desired effect, water raised to a height with compressible air pumped into elastic balls buried under water.
The Underwater-CAES unit under test is designed for a peak power of a ground station of 660 kW and includes a complex of six balls filled with compressed air. Such a storage complex in tandem with a generator, as noted by the developers, is able to provide electricity to 330 small households. At the same time, the total area of the underwater part of the “energy base” is located on a tiny site measuring 10 x 40 meters. The absence of moving parts reveals another major advantage of this technology - the minimum need and cost of maintenance. Underwater currents do not create any problems during operation. The report notes that the complexes implemented on the basis of such technology do not imply any restrictions, both in size and power, which is explained by the relatively small area occupied at the bottom of the reservoirs.
The final cost of the project is not yet specified, but, according to the company, the installation of Hydrostor Underwater-CAES will be half the cost of the most advanced storage facilities created on the basis of lithium-ion batteries. At the same time, the durability of the system is twice the expected duration of its operation.
If the pilot project fully justifies itself, then already in 2016 the company plans to commission one more underwater energy storage facility of greater capacity. Subject to the installation and operation technology, the minimum warranty period for Underwater-CAES systems, as the manufacturer notes, will be 10 years and with a high degree of probability can be increased to 20 years.
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An original, effective, durable and inexpensive solution for storing excess energy from renewable energy sources was proposed by the Canadian company Hydrostor .
To maintain a constant level of supplied electricity and to store accumulated excess energy, Hydrostor employees proposed the use of a completely new simple and effective technology. The excess energy that is generated due to renewable energy is converted by the ground compressor station into the energy of compressed air, which is pumped into underwater balls placed in groups in a nearby body of water.
Placing balls of a certain size at a certain depth allows the use of hydrostatic water pressure and the technology itself with maximum efficiency. The first technological complexUnderwater-CAES , working on this principle, is now in the testing phase at a depth of 55 m below the surface of Lake Ontario near Toronto.
The balls connected to the compressor station using a system of underground and partially submarine pipes, when the energy is generated in excess, are filled with compressed air, acting as storage tanks. As the level of generated energy partially or completely drops, the excess pressure of the compressed air in the balls is “redistributed” in the opposite direction, forcing the turbine of the ground station generator to rotate. Thus, the entire system is constantly in the "auto-balancing" mode, simply and elegantly solving the task, and the consumer receives electricity with stable characteristics.
The principle of operation of the Underwater-CAES system is somewhat reminiscent of the principle used in hydroaccumulative power plants, which provide the required energy balance due to the water pumped to a certain height above the horizon and lowered into the system as necessary to ensure stable operation of the generators. But this, and other existing technologies both at the implementation stage and at the stage of operation of the plants are much more expensive.
Environmentally friendly air tanks can be used wherever there is a body of water in the relative proximity of the generating station.
The author of the idea of using underwater energy storage devices is Cameron Lewis, founder and chief technologist of Hydrostor. It is interesting that Lewis originally planned to install a hydroaccumulator station next to a wind generator built by him. The technical and economic calculations showed that such a solution would be ineffective. It was then that the idea was born to replace, in order to achieve the desired effect, water raised to a height with compressible air pumped into elastic balls buried under water.
The Underwater-CAES unit under test is designed for a peak power of a ground station of 660 kW and includes a complex of six balls filled with compressed air. Such a storage complex in tandem with a generator, as noted by the developers, is able to provide electricity to 330 small households. At the same time, the total area of the underwater part of the “energy base” is located on a tiny site measuring 10 x 40 meters. The absence of moving parts reveals another major advantage of this technology - the minimum need and cost of maintenance. Underwater currents do not create any problems during operation. The report notes that the complexes implemented on the basis of such technology do not imply any restrictions, both in size and power, which is explained by the relatively small area occupied at the bottom of the reservoirs.
The final cost of the project is not yet specified, but, according to the company, the installation of Hydrostor Underwater-CAES will be half the cost of the most advanced storage facilities created on the basis of lithium-ion batteries. At the same time, the durability of the system is twice the expected duration of its operation.
If the pilot project fully justifies itself, then already in 2016 the company plans to commission one more underwater energy storage facility of greater capacity. Subject to the installation and operation technology, the minimum warranty period for Underwater-CAES systems, as the manufacturer notes, will be 10 years and with a high degree of probability can be increased to 20 years.
Dear readers, we are always happy to meet and wait for you on the pages of our blog. We are ready to continue to share with you the latest news, review articles and other publications and will try to do our best to make the time spent with us useful for you. And, of course, do not forget to subscribe to our columns .
Our other articles and events