P K M Educational Trust ® 23-03-2023

R.R. INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

(Affiliated to VTU, Belagavi | Approved by AICTE, New Delhi & Government of Karnataka)
Accredited by NAAC with B+

Department of Electronics and Electronics Engineering

TECHNICAL SEMINAR (18EES84)
ON
TOPIC: - GRAVITATIONAL ENERGY STORAGE BY USING UNDERGROUND MINES

Presented By: Under The Guidance of

Mr. GOWTHAM.G
DHEERAJ K Assistant Professor
USN:- 1RI19EE004 Dept. of EEE
RRIT

© R R INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
© R R INSTITUTIONS BANGALORE,-90
, BANGALORE
 23-03-2023

Content
• Abstract
• Introduction
• Objectives
• Methodology
• Results
• Advantages
• Conclusion
• Reference

© R R INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
© R R INSTITUTIONS BANGALORE,-90
, BANGALORE
 23-03-2023

Abstract
• Low-carbon energy transitions taking place worldwide are primarily driven by
the integration of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power.
• These variable renewable energy (VRE) sources require energy storage
options to match energy demand reliably at different time scales.
• This article suggests using a gravitational-based energy storage method by
making use of decommissioned underground mines as storage reservoirs,
using a vertical shaft and electric motor/generators for lifting and dumping large
volumes of sands.
• The proposed technology, called Underground Gravity Energy Storage (UGES),
can discharge electricity by lowering large volumes of sand into an
underground mine through the mine shaft

© R R INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
© R R INSTITUTIONS BANGALORE,-90
, BANGALORE
 Introduction 23-03-2023

• The transition toward a sustainable and resilient energy system compliant with
Paris climate targets requires large-scale storage of variable renewable
energy, such as wind and solar, over different time periods from hours to
weeks and seasons.
• Seasonal pumped hydro storage (SPHS) and hydrogen electrolysis (green
hydrogen) are the two most envisioned alternatives for long-duration energy
storage.
• However, the site specificity of SPHS and the high cost plus the low efficiency
of green hydrogen have been an impetus for research on emerging solutions
for long-duration energy storage, e.g., based on solid gravitational energy.
• Different geological and geographical locations can be considered for storing
energy, such as mountains, oceans, underground caverns, or mines.
• There are more than 290 abandoned or closed coal mines in India,
government data shows.
 Objective
23-03-2023

• When there is excess electrical energy in the grid, UGES can store electricity
by elevating sand from the mine and depositing it in upper storage sites on
top of the mine.
• Unlike battery energy storage, the energy storage medium of UGES is sand,
which means the self-discharge rate of the system is zero, enabling ultra-long
energy storage times.
• Furthermore, the use of sand as storage media alleviates any risk for
contaminating underground water resources as opposed to an underground
pumped hydro storage alternative.
 Methodology
23-03-2023

• UGES is a gravitational energy storage technology that consists of filling an

underground mine with sand to generate electricity when the cost of
electricity is high and then removing the sand from the mine to store energy
when electricity is cheap.
• The main components of UGES are the shaft, motor/generator, the upper
and lower storage sites, and mining equipment (Fig 1).
• The UGES shaft has variable depths and diameters. The deeper and wider
the mine shaft, the more power can be extracted from the plant. Also, the
most space of the shaft can be filled with sand, the higher the capacity of the
plant.
• To maximize power capacity, the sand containers in the shaft occupy around
50% of the shaft’s volume.
 23-03-2023

Fig.1 Underground Gravity Energy Storage system: a schematic of different

sections of the system.
 23-03-2023

• The other 50% of empty space is required for filling and emptying the
containers with sand.
• To reduce the costs and number of cables to support the sand containers,
and the forces exerted on the motor/generator, we propose several
motor/generators throughout the shaft.
• The containers applied in the shaft are foldable to optimize the utilization of
the shaft.
• After the sand is removed from the container on the top of the shaft during
storage mode and has to return to the bottom of the shaft to be filled again,
the container is folded so that it can occupy the least space on the shaft, as
shown in (figure 2)
 23-03-2023

Fig.2 Foldable container to optimize the utilization of the shaft (b)

motor/generator sheaves to increase traction on the rotor (side view) and (c)
rotor and generator.
 23-03-2023

Fig.3 Underground gravity energy storage methodological framework

 23-03-2023

Fig.4 Underground Gravity Energy Storage (b) fully charged

and (c) discharged.
 23-03-2023

Eq. 1 represents the quantity of energy stored, which is proportional to

the: (i) mass of the energy being stored,
(ii) height difference between the lower and upper storage sites,
and
(iii) the system's overall efficiency.
The system's energy storage capacity increases as the head difference
and storage mass increase.

𝐸𝐸 = 𝑚𝑚 × ℎ × 𝑔𝑔 × 𝑒𝑒 ………………………………..(1)

Where is the energy stored in the containers (in Joules), is their mass (in
kilograms), is the average 𝐸𝐸 𝑚𝑚 ℎ height difference between the upper and
lower storage sites (in meters), is the gravitational acceleration (in 𝑔𝑔
meters per second), and is the lift's efficiency, which is assumed to be
80%
 23-03-2023

Eq. 2 can be used to compute the power produced by the UGES plant.

Power is equal to the energy stored as potential energy times the system’s
efficiency, divided by the time required to lower the weights.
For instance, the system will produce more power if the containers are
dropped quicker.

𝑃𝑃 = 𝐸𝐸 × 𝑒𝑒 𝑇𝑇 ………………………………(2)

Where P is the UGES system's power output (in Watts), and T is the time it takes
for the container to move from the upper to the lower storage sites.
 Results
23-03-2023

• The amount of usable space will determine the suggested design's storage
medium in the upper storage site (surface) and lower (underground), which is
proportional to the energy storage potential of the mine, the demand for the
energy storage service, and the energy storage costs.
• For instance, a solution including a sand and water mixture can be appropriate
due to its low cost.
• However, if the mine is small and the demand for energy storage is high,
materials with a higher density may be used if the additional cost of the
material permits.
23-03-2023
23-03-2023
23-03-2023
23-03-2023
23-03-2023
 23-03-2023

Underground Gravity Energy Storage potential per country in GWh.

 Conclusion
23-03-2023

• In light of the findings of this study, to produce a modest but constant

amount of energy for a long time, UGES could be designed to store
energy over weekly, monthly or seasonal scales, depending on the
demand for energy storage.
• To offset the short-term changes in electricity consumption of solar and
wind generation, this modest but consistent electricity generation might
be supplemented with other storage technologies, such as batteries and
PHS.
• The cost of installed energy storage for UGES is estimated in this study
to vary from 1.0–10.0 USD/kWh, assuming an average height difference
between the upper and lower storage sites of 1500 and 200 m,
respectively.
 24-03-2023

• The power generation capacity varies with the mine’s depths, the mine
shaft’s diameter, and the sand moving speed.
• This paper proposed constructing several motors/generators along the shaft
to reduce the cables’ costs and allow using smaller, more common/affordable
motors/generators.
• The system’s technical lifespan can range from 20 to 30 years. The
technology’s storage potential ranges from 7 to 70 TWh globally, with most of
this potential concentrated in China, India, the USA, and Russia.
• A precise description of the UGES system performance is outside this
paper’s scope. We propose a more detailed analysis of the system’s
performance and efficiency for future work.
• UGES is a particularly interesting technology for long-term energy storage to
reduce seasonal fluctuations in electricity demand and wind and solar
generation.
 24-03-2023

Reference
1. Global Challenges Abandoned Mines: The Scars of the Past. Available online:
https://globalchallenges.ch/issue/6/abandonedmines-the-scars-of-the-past/ (accessed on 1 January
2023).
2. Wikipedia List of Deepest Mines. Available online:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_deepest_mines (accessed on 1 January 2023).
3. Centre of Disease Control and Prevention Number of Active Underground Mines by Sector and Year,
1983-2020. 2021. Available online: https://wwwn.cdc.gov/niosh-mining/MMWC/Mine (accessed on 1
January 2023).
4. ABCO Elevator Traction Elevators 101. Available online: https://abcoelevator.com/elevator-types-
components/tractionelevators-101/ (accessed on 1 January 2023).
5. Hwang, J.; Liu, C.; Chen, P. Design of Permanent-Magnet Synchronous Gear Motor with High Efficiency
for Elevators. In Proceedings of the 2012 IEEE Third International Conference on Sustainable Energy
Technologies (ICSET), Kathmandu, Nepal, 24–27 September 2012; pp. 205–210.
6. Al-Kodmany, K. Tall Buildings and Elevators: A Review of Recent Technological Advances. Buildings
2015, 5, 1070–1104. [CrossRef]
7. Mohaney, S.; Shah, M. Emerging Trends in Vertical Elevating System. Int. J. Eng. Manag. Res. IJEMR 2015, 5,
51–56.