Renewables II

Kelly T. Sanders
October 13, 2020
 Energy Storage

Kelly T. Sanders, Ph.D.

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Our current power grid is ill-equipped to
deal with today’s challenges

Kelly T. Sanders, Ph.D.

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Storage technologies come in many shapes
and sizes– each technology faces challenges
Small-scale Utility-scale
• Capacitors • Pumped hydropower
• Inductors • Compressed Air Energy
• Flywheels Storage (CAES)
• Batteries (static and flow)
• Carriers: hydrogen and
other liquid fuels

Kelly T. Sanders, Ph.D.

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There are many characteristics that determine
a storage technology’s deployability
• Power Rating • Other parameters:
– W = Joules per second of – capital costs:
electricity dissipation • Power: $ per W
• Stored Energy • Energy: $ per kWh
– Watt-hours – discharge time
• Gravimetric Density – response time
– efficiency (%)
– specific power (W per kg)
– suitable storage period
– specific energy (Wh per
kg) – self-discharge rate (%
per day)
• Volumetric Density – technology lifetime
– power density (W per L) – technology maturity
– energy density (Wh per L) – environmental issues

Kelly T. Sanders, Ph.D.

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There are a few storage technologies that are
available at a large scale (i.e., big enough to back up
power plants)
Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) Pumped Hydroelectric

energystorageexchange.org

Largest pumpedPh.D.
hydro storage in the U.S. is the Bath County Pumped Storage Station
Kelly T. Sanders,
in Virginia (3 GW of capacity, Generated -935 GWh in 2017)
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CAES works like a giant battery. In this project, hollow caverns carved out of
the salt — each more than 1,000 feet from top to bottom and several
hundred feet wide — would be pumped full of air at high pressure, using
energy generated by solar panels or wind turbines during times when the
power isn’t needed. When the power is eventually needed, the tightly
packed air would be released from the caverns, turning turbines on the way
out to generate electricity.

BUT.. This system requires Natural Gas to heat air as it leaves cavern so it
can effectively push turbine (but requires half NG of modern NG plant)

Kelly T. Sanders, Ph.D.

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Energy Storage Density and Capacity Are the
Critical Parameters
Technology Volumetric Gravimetric Capacity
Energy Density Energy Density
[MJ/m3] [kJ/kg]
Inductor 10 2 Small
Capacitor 40 40 Small
Battery: Lead-acid 30 180 Small
Flywheel 200 200 Small
Battery: NiMh 360 270 Small
Battery: Lithium 1080 540 Small
Gasoline 35,000 44,000 Small
Ethanol 24,000 24,000 Small
Hydrogen 0.000001 120,000 Small
Pumped Hydro 0.001 0.001 Large
CAES 10-20 N/A Large

Kelly T. Sanders, Lifecycle,

10/13/2020
Ph.D. cost, efficiency and availability are also important 8
 Transmission &
Reserve & Response Distribution Bulk Power
Services Grid Support Management
Pumped
Hydro
Discharge Time at Rated Power

Hydrogen & Fuel Cells

Hours

Compressed Air
Flow Batteries Energy Storage (CAES)
Cryogenic Energy
High-Energy Storage
Sodium-Sulphur
Supercapacitors
Battery
Adv. Lead-Acid Battery
Minutes

Lithium Ion Battery

Lead-Acid Battery
Nickel Metal Hydride Battery Cost Sources:
Gallo et. al (2016)
Flywheels
Seconds

Super
High-Energy Conducting
Supercapacitors Magnetic
1 kW 10 kW 100 kW 1 MW 10 MW 100 MW 1 GW

Kelly T.Ouch Very Expensive Cheaper(ish)

($1000s+
Sanders, Ph.D.
10/13/2020 per kWh) (High $100s per kWh) ($10s- Low 100s per kWh) 9
 Kelly T. Sanders, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
ktsanders@usc.edu