Partly Adiabatic Process Management of Compressed Air Energy Storage Power Plants for Storing Renewable Energy

Kurzfassung

The development of new technologies for large-scale electricity storage is a key element in future flexible electricity transmission systems. Electricity storage in adiabatic compressed air energy storage (A-CAES) power plants offers the prospect of making a substantial contribution to reach this goal. This concept allows efficient, local zero-emission electricity storage on the basis of compressed air in underground caverns. The compression and expansion of air in turbomachinery help to balance power generation peaks that are not demand-driven on the one hand and consumption-induced load peaks on the other. For further improvements in cost efficiencies and flexibility, system modifications regarding the integration of an electrical heating component are investigated. For an exemplarily A-CAES case, the potentials in cost reduction of the central power plant components are identified and compared to loss in total round trip efficiency. Promising concepts and specifications will be the basis in future works to develop a high-power and efficient electrical heating component. The presentation outlines results from the project work in the German project ADELE-ING.