COMPRESSED AIR

ENERGY STORAGE
(CAES)

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 Methods of energy storage
• The energy storage methods can be categorized into fiver different types.
I. Chemical energy storage
II. Mechanical energy storage
III. Electric storage
IV. Heat storage
V. Biological storage

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• Compressed air energy storage and flywheel falls under mechanical energy
storage.
• CAES involves the conversion of electrical energy into high-pressure compressed
air that can be released at a later time to drive a turbine generator to produce
electricity. This makes it ideally suited to work along intermittent energy sources
such as solar PV and wind energy.
• While many smaller applications exist, the first utility-scale CAES system was put
in place in the 1970’s with over 290 MW nameplate capacity

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How Compressed Air Energy Storage
Works
• CAES uses energy during low demand periods to compress air. Then it injects the
air into a depleted natural gas reservoir. Next, the compressed air is used to power
a generator during times when energy demand is highest. The proposed
commercial-scale project has a nominal output capacity of up to 300 megawatts
(MW).

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3 systems of the compressed air system
• Compressed air systems usually consist of the following components:
I. compressor.
II. air cooler.
III. air receiver tank.

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Technologies/methods used in CAES
• Diabatic CAES Method-Two existing commercial scale CAES plants in Huntorf,
Germany, and in McIntosh, Alabama, USA, as well as all the proposed designs
foreseeable future are based on this technology. The extra heat with intercoolers
into the atmosphere as waste
• Adiabatic Method- retains the heat produced by compression and returns it to the
air when the air is expanded to generate power.
• Isothermal CAES-emerging technology which attempts to overcome some of the
limitations of traditional (diabatic or adiabatic) CAES. This approach attempts to
maintain operating temperature by constant heat exchange to the environment.
They are only practical for low power levels, without very effective heat
exchangers.

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difference between diabatic CAES and
adiabatic CAES
• In diabatic systems, the heat from compression is released as waste. For adiabatic
systems, the heat from compression is stored and later reused during air
expansion-generating a larger amount of power output
• Advanced adiabatic Storage system-Heat of compression is stored separately and
utilized before expansion process. Isothermal storage system-CAES tank is
maintained at a constant temperature during charging and discharging processes.

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 Current and planned plant designs
1. Huntorf Plant-first compressed air energy storage power station in the world.
• Germany owns 290 MW CAES plant in Huntorf
• ABB was the main contractor for the plant.
• Compressed air is stored in two salt caverns between 2100 and 2600 feet below the
surface with a total volume of 11 million cubic feet.
• At the compressor airflow rate of 187000 scfm,the plant requires 12 hours for full
recharge during off-peak power and capable of delivering full output for up to 4 hours
and some additional power for another 10 hours.
• Used to provide peak shaving, spinning reserves and VAR support.

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 McIntosh plant
2. McIntosh plant- 110 MW plant owned by the power south electric cooperative
• Is the second CAES power plant in the world and the first in the united states build
in 1991
• The air is compressed in three stages each followed by an intercooler.
• Compressed air is stored in salt cavern between 1,500 and 2,500 feet below the
surface with a total volume of 19 million cubic feet, yielding a power generating
duration of 26 hours at full power and 267,000 scfm.
• Used to store off-peak power, generate peak power and provide spinning reserves.

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Upcoming plants
• Norton Plant- 2700MW CAES plant.
• World’s largest plant
• Compressed air is stored in an abandoned limestone mine at a depth of 2200 feet
below the surface with a total volume of 338 million cubic feet.

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Matagorda plant
• Matagorda Plant -540 MW CAES plant in Matagorda, Texas
• The design called for four independent 135 MW power train modules; each of
which could reach full power in 14 minutes.
• The future status of this plant is uncertain at this time.

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Compressed air storage system designs
• CAES offers a method to store low-cost off-peak energy in the form of stored
compressed air ( in an underground reservoir or on an aboveground piping or
vessel system) and to generate on-peak electricity by;
a) Releasing the compressed air from the storage reservoir.
b) Preheating the cool, high pressure air
c) Directing the preheated air into an expansion turbine driving an electric
generator

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Compressed Air Energy Cycles
• Conventional cycle
• Recuperator cycle
• Combined cycle
• Steam-injected cycle
• Compressed air with humidification
• Adiabatic cycle

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Conventional cycle
• Major components include

I. A motor/generator with clutches on both ends( to engage/disengage it to/from the

compressor train, the expander train, or both)
II. Multi-stage compressor with intercoolers to reduce the power requirements needed
during compression cycle, and with aftercooler to reduce storage volume requirements.
III. An expander train consisting of high and low-pressure turboexpanders with combustors
between stages
IV. Control system (to regulate and control the off-peak energy storage and peak power
V. supply, to switch from the compressed air storage mode to the electric power generation
VI. mode, or to operate the plant as a synchronous condenser to regulate VARS on the grid)
VII. Auxiliary equipment (fuel storage and handling, cooling system, mechanical systems,
VIII.electrical systems, heat exchangers)
IX. Underground or aboveground compressed air storage, including piping and fittings

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Recuperated Cycle
• A recuperated cycle plant is the conventional CAES thermal cycle with an
additional component the (recuperator)
• A recuperator recovers the low pressure turbine waste heat to preheat the stored
air before it goes into the high-pressure combustor. This reduces the fuel
consumption of the plan
• used in the Alabama McIntosh plant that was designed for primary operation as a
source of peak power and as a load-management storage plant.

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Combined Cycle
• A combined cycle plant is the conventional cycle with addition of a Heat Recovery
Steam Generator (HRSG) and steam turbine
• The exhaust heat from the low-pressure expander is recovered in the HRSG to
produce steam, which in turn drives a steam turbine and provides additional
power from the plant.

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Steam-injected Cycle
• A steam-injected cycle plant is the conventional cycle adapted to use the HRSG to
recover waste heat for steam production. The steam is added to the airflow from
the storage reservoir to increase the mass flow through the expansion turbine
during the generation cycle, thereby increasing the output power level from the
plant.

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Compressed Air Storage with
Humidification (CASH)
• the stored air is humidified in an air saturator before being injected into the
combustion turbine. The mass of air needed to be stored per unit of power output
is significantly reduced due to humidification. Thus, the size of the air storage
reservoir required is much smaller than other types of CAES cycles.

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Adiabatic CAES Cycle
• In the adiabatic cycle the thermal energy recovered during the compression cycle
is stored and used later to reheat the stored air during the generation cycle to
reduce or even eliminate any fuel consumption.

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New Concepts in CAES Design

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