A novel nano-grade organosilicon polymer:Improving airtightness of compressed air energy storage in hard rock formations

Enhancing cavern sealing is crucial for improving the efficiency of compressed air energy storage(CAES)in hard rock formations.This study introduced a novel approach using a nano-grade organosilicon polymer(NOSP)as a sealant,coupled with an air seepage evaluation model that incorporates Knudsen diffusion.Moreover,the initial coating application methods were outlined,and the advantages of using NOSP compared to other sealing materials,particularly regarding cost and construction techniques,were also examined and discussed.Experimental results indicated a significant reduction in permeability of rock specimens coated with a 7–10μm thick NOSP layer.Specifically,under a 0.5 MPa pulse pressure,the permeability decreased to less than 1 n D,and under a 4 MPa pulse pressure,it ranged between4.5×10^(-6)–5.5×10^(-6)m D,marking a 75%–80%decrease in granite permeability.The sealing efficacy of NOSP surpasses concrete and is comparable to rubber materials.The optimal viscosity for application lies between 95 and 105 KU,and the coating thickness should ideally range from 7 to 10μm,applied to substrates with less than 3%porosity.This study provides new insights into air transport and sealing mechanisms at the pore level,proposing NOSP as a cost-effective and simplified solution for CAES applications.

Comparative analysis of thermodynamic and mechanical responses between underground hydrogen storage and compressed air energy storage in lined rock caverns

Underground hydrogen storage(UHS)and compressed air energy storage(CAES)are two viable largescale energy storage technologies for mitigating the intermittency of wind and solar power.Therefore,it is meaningful to compare the properties of hydrogen and air with typical thermodynamic storage processes.This study employs a multi-physical coupling model to compare the operations of CAES and UHS,integrating gas thermodynamics within caverns,thermal conduction,and mechanical deformation around rock caverns.Gas thermodynamic responses are validated using additional simulations and the field test data.Temperature and pressure variations of air and hydrogen within rock caverns exhibit similarities under both adiabatic and diabatic simulation modes.Hydrogen reaches higher temperature and pressure following gas charging stage compared to air,and the ideal gas assumption may lead to overestimation of gas temperature and pressure.Unlike steel lining of CAES,the sealing layer(fibre-reinforced plastic FRP)in UHS is prone to deformation but can effectively mitigates stress in the sealing layer.In CAES,the first principal stress on the surface of the sealing layer and concrete lining is tensile stress,whereas UHS exhibits compressive stress in the same areas.Our present research can provide references for the selection of energy storage methods.

Air tightness of compressed air storage energy caverns with polymer sealing layer subjected to various air pressures

During the operation of compressed air storage energy system,the rapid change of air pressure in a cavern will cause drastic changes in air density and permeability coefficient of sealing layer.To calculate and properly evaluate air tightness of polymer sealing caverns,the air-pressure-related air density and permeability must be considered.In this context,the high-pressure air penetration in the polymer sealing layer is studied in consideration of thermodynamic change of the cavern structure during the system operation.The air tightness model of compressed air storage energy caverns is then established.In the model,the permeability coefficient and air density of sealing layer vary with air pressure,and the effectiveness of the model is verified by field data in two test caverns.Finally,a compressed air storage energy cavern is taken as an example to understand the air tightness.The air leakage rate in the caverns is larger than that using air-pressure-independent permeability coefficient and air density,which is constant and small in the previous leakage rate calculation.Under the operating pressure of 4.5-10 MPa,the daily air leakage in the compressed air storage energy cavern of Yungang Mine with high polymer butyl rubber as the sealing material is 0.62%,which can meet the sealing requirements of compressed air storage energy caverns.The air tightness of the polymer sealing cavern is mainly affected by the cavern operating pressure,injected air temperature,cavern radius,and sealing layer thickness.The cavern air leakage rate will be decreased to reduce the cavern operating pressure the injection air temperature,or the cavern radius and sealing layer thickness will be increased.

Design and Development of Wind-Solar Hybrid Power System with Compressed Air Energy Storage for Voltage and Frequency Regulations

The intermittent nature of wind and solar photovoltaic energy systems leads to the fluctuation of power generated due to the fact that the power output is highly dependent upon local weather conditions, which results to the load shading issue that led to the voltage and frequency instability. In additional to that, the high proportions of erratic renewable energy sources can lead to erratic frequency changes which affect the grid stability. In order to reduce this effect, the energy storage system is commonly used in most wind-solar energy systems to balance the voltage and frequency instability during load variations. One of the innovative energy storage systems is the compressed air energy storage system (CAES) for wind and solar hybrid energy system and this technology is the key focus in this research study. The aim of this research was to examine the system configuration of the CAES system through modelling and experimental approach with PID controller design for regulating the voltage and frequency under different load conditions. The essential elements and the entire system have been presented in this work as thorough modelling in the MATLAB/Simulink environment for different load conditions. The developed model was tested through an experimental workbench using the developed prototype of the compressed air storage in the Siemens Lab at DeKUT and explored the consequence of the working parameters on the system proficiency and the model accuracy. The performance of the system for the developed prototype of CAES system was validated using results from an experimental workbench with MATLAB/Simulink R2022b simulation. The modeling and experimental results, shows that the frequency fluctuation and voltage drop of the developed CAES system during load variations was governed by the I/P converter using a PID_Compact controller programed in the TIA Portal V17 software and downloaded into PLC S7 1200. Based on these results, the model can be applied as a basis for the performance assessment of the compressed air energy storage system so as to be included in current technology of wind and solar hybrid energy systems.

Experimental Study of Compressed Air Foam System and Its Foam Rheology

The paper described a newly developed high performance compressed air foam system(CAFS). The effective system generates uniform foam w ith greater momentum by injecting compressed air into flowing foam solution. Foa m generated by this system presented superior viscous and wetting properties to water.A pendulum system was designed to measure yield stress of foam. The results pro ved the existence of yield stress of foam. And the increasing tendency of yield stress with gas fraction and bubble size has also been found out.

Analytical and Experimental Study on Complex Compressed Air Pipe Network

To analyze the working characteristics of complex compressed air networks, numerical methods are widely used which are based on finite element technology or intelligent algorithms. However, the effectiveness of the numerical methods is limited. In this paper, to provide a new method to optimize the design and the air supply strategy of the complex compressed air pipe network, firstly, a novel method to analyze the topology structure of the compressed air flow in the pipe network is initially proposed. A matrix is used to describe the topology structure of the compressed air flow. Moreover, based on the analysis of the pressure loss of the pipe network, the relationship between the pressure and the flow of the compressed air is derived, and a prediction method of pressure fluctuation and air flow in a segment in a complex pipe network is proposed. Finally, to inspect the effectiveness of the method, an experiment with a complex network is designed. The pressure and the flow of airflow in the network are measured and studied. The results of the study show that, the predicted results with the proposed method have a good consistency with the experimental results, and that verifies the air flow prediction method of the complex pipe network. This research proposes a new method to analyze the compressed air network and a prediction method of pressure fluctuation and air flow in a segment, which can predicate the fluctuation of the pressure according to the flow of compressed air, and predicate the fluctuation of the flow according to the pressure in a segment of a complex pipe network.

Optimization Study on a Single-cylinder Compressed Air Engine

The current research of compressed air engine（CAE） mainly focused on simulations and system integrations. However, energy efficiency and output torque of the CAE is limited, which restricts its application and popularization. In this paper, the working principles of CAE are briefly introduced. To set a foundation for the study on the optimization of the CAE, the basic mathematical model of working processes is set up. A pressure-compensated valve which can reduce the inertia force of the valve is proposed. To verify the mathematical model, the prototype with the newly designed pressure-compensated intake valve is built and the experiment is carried out, simulation and experimental results of the CAE are conducted, and pressures inside the cylinder and output torque of the CAE are obtained. Orthogonal design and grey relation analysis are utilized to optimize structural parameters. The experimental and optimized results show that, first of all, pressure inside the cylinder has the same changing tendency in both simulation curve and experimental curve. Secondly, the highest average output torque is obtained at the highest intake pressure and the lowest rotate speed. Thirdly, the optimization of the single-cylinder CAE can improve the working efficiency from an original 21.95% to 50.1%, an overall increase of 28.15%, and the average output torque increases also increases from 22.047 5 N · m to 22.439 N · m. This research designs a single-cylinder CAE with pressure-compensated intake valve, and proposes a structural parameters design method which improves the single-cylinder CAE performance.

Design issues for compressed air energy storage in sealed underground cavities

Compressed air energy storage （CAES） systems represent a new technology for storing very large amount of energy. A peculiarity of the systems is that gas must be stored under a high pressure （p - 10-30 MPa）. A lined rock cavern （LRC） in the form of a tunnel or shaft can be used within this pressure range. The rock mass surrounding the opening resists the internal pressure and the lining ensures gas tightness. The present paper investigates the key aspects of technical feasibility of shallow LRC tunnels or shafts under a wide range of geotechnical conditions. Results show that the safety with respect to uplift failure of the rock mass is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for assessing feasibility. The deformation of the rock mass should also be kept sufficiently small to preserve the integrity of the lining and, especially, its tightness. If the rock is not sufficiently stiff, buckling or fatigue failure of the steel lining becomes more decisive when evaluating the feasible operating air pressure. The design of the concrete plug that seals the compressed air stored in the container is another demanding task. Numerical analyses indicate that in most cases, the stability of the rock mass under the plug loading is not a decisive factor for plug design.

Performance Analysis of Constant-Pressure Pumped Hydro Combined with Compressed Air Energy Storage System Considering Off-Design Model of Compressor

With the wide application of renewable energy, energy storage technology has become a research hotspot. In order to overcome the shortcomings of energy loss caused by compression heating in compressed air energy storage technology, a novel constant-pressure pumped hydro combined with compressed air energy storage system was proposed. To deepen the understanding of the system and make the analysis closer to reality, this paper adopted an off-design model of the compressor to calculate and analyze the effect of key parameters on system thermodynamics performance. In addition, the results of this paper were compared with previous research results, and it was found that the current efficiency considering the off-design model of compressor was generally 2% - 5% higher than the previous efficiency. With increased preset pressure or with decreased terminal pressure, both the previous efficiency and current efficiency of the system increased. The exergy destruction coefficient of the throttle valve reached 4%. System efficiency was more sensitive to changes in water pump efficiency and hydroturbine efficiency.

Lift on a Low Speed Circular Arc Wing due to Air Compression

A fluid flow model consisting of Bernoulli’s law in its normal form, the equation of state of air, and the cross-stream force balance between a downward pressure gradient and the upward centrifugal force on fluid particles moving along curved streamlines over the top circular wing surface involving three equations in three unknowns (pressure, density and velocity) are solved to show that both density and pressure decrease upward as the inverse square of the distance from the circle’s center, and the velocity is independent of that dis-tance. These derived characteristics are used to explain the lift force on the wing in what is believed to be a novel way.

Research on Storage Capacity of Compressed Air Pumped Hydro Energy Storage Equipment

Compressed air pumped hydro energy storage equipment combines compressed air energy storage technology and pumped storage technology. The water is pumped to a vessel to compress air for energy storage, and the compressed air expanses pushing water to drive the hydro turbine for power generation. The novel storage equipment saves natural gas resources, reduces carbon emission, and improves the controllability and reliability. The principle of compressed air pumped hydro energy storage is introduced and its mathematical model is built. The storage and generation process of the novel equipment is analyzed using the model. The calculation formula of the storage power is deduced in theory in different situations of isothermal and adiabatic compression. The optimal storage scheme is given when the capacity and withstand pressure of the vessel is definitive, and the max available capacity and the equipment utilization efficiency evaluation of the scheme is given.

Rupture of sigmoid colon caused by compressed air

Compressed air has been generally used since the beginning of the 20 th century for various applications. However, rupture of the colon caused by compressed air is uncommon. We report a case of pneumatic rupture of the sigmoid colon. The patient was admitted to the emergency room complaining of abdominal pain and distention. His colleague triggered a compressed air nozzle against his anus as a practical joke 2 h previously. On arrival, his pulse rate was 126 beats/min, respiratory rate was 42 breaths/min and blood pressure was 86/54 mm Hg. Physical examination revealed peritoneal irritation and the abdomen was markedly distended. Computed tomography of the abdomen showed a large volume of air in the abdominal cavity. Peritoneocentesis was performed to relieve the tension pneumoperitoneum. Emergency laparotomy was done after controlling shock. Laparotomy revealed a 2-cm perforation in the sigmoid colon. The perforation was sutured and temporary ileostomy was performed as well as thorough drainage and irrigation of the abdominopelvic cavity. Reversal of ileostomy was performed successfully after 3 mo. Follow-up was uneventful. We also present a brief literature review.

Performance Evaluation of Compressed Air Energy Storage Using TRNSYS

The appreciable economic growth in some of the developing countries like India in the recent years, towards providing energy security causes large environmental impact. Renewable Energy （RE） is being seen as one of the important means to meet the growing power needs of the economy while enhancing energy security and providing opportunities for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. However, RE sources are highly intermittent in nature. The variability of these sources has led to concerns regarding the reliability of an electric grid that derives a large fraction of its energy from these sources as well as the cost of reliably integrating large amounts of variable generation into the electric grid. Hence at this juncture, it is necessary to explore the benefits of suitable Energy storage technologies. Compressed air energy storage （CAES） is a commercial, utility-scale technology that provides long-duration energy storage with fast ramp rates and good part-load operation. It is a promising storage technology for balancing the large-scale penetration of renewable energies, such as wind and solar power, into electric grids. Considering the potential of CAES storage, the present work, a thermodynamic model is developed with suitable assumptions and the simulation analysis is performed using transient system simulation （TRNSYS） v17 software. The system performanee is compared by considering the recovery during the heat of compression using a thermal storage system and without considering the heat recovery. The overall turnaround efficiency of the system without considering the thermal energy storage （TES） system is 57 % and with TES system the efficiency is increased to 70%.

Investigation on wind energy-compressed air power system

Wind energy is a pollution free and renewable resource widely distributed over China. Aimed at protecting the environment and enlarging application of wind energy, a new approach to application of wind energy by using compressed air power to some extent instead of electricity put forward. This includes: explaining the working principles and charac-teristics of the wind energy-compressed air power system; discussing the compatibility of wind energy and compressor capacity; presenting the theoretical model and computational simulation of the system. The obtained compressor capacity vs wind power relationship in certain wind velocity range can be helpful in the designing of the wind power-compressed air system. Results of investigations on the application of high-pressure compressed air for pressure reduction led to conclusion that pressure reduction with expander is better than the throttle regulator in energy saving.

Reaction Crystallization of Struvite in a Continuous FB MSZ Type Crystallizer with Jet Pump Driven by Compressed Air

The results of struvite reaction crystallization from diluted water solutions of phosphates （V） （0.20 mass% of PO43-） by means of magnesium and ammonium ions are presented. Continuous FB MSZ crystallizer with jet pump driven by compressed air was used. Influence of pH and mean residence time of suspension on the crystal product quality was determined. Increase in pH from 9 to 11 resulted that mean crystal size decreased nearly two-time： from 27.1 to 15.1μm for mean residence time of suspension 900 s. Elongation of this time from 900 to 3,600 s influenced struvite crystal size advantageously-it increased from 27.1 to 41.2 μm at pH 9. From the population density distributions nucleation and growth rates of struvite were calculated based on the simplest SIG model of mass crystallization kinetics in MSMPR crystallizer. Linear growth rate ofstruvite crystals decreased nearly two-time with the increase in environment pH from 9 to 11, and more than 2.5-time with the elongation of mean residence time of crystal suspension in a crystallizer from 900 to 3,600 s from 1.34× 10-8 m/s （pH 9, τ= 900 s） to 2.60×10-9 m/s （pH 11, τ= 3,600 s）.

Nanobubbles produced by hydraulic air compression technique

The anoxia of coastal water has already been a serious problem all over the word.Nanobubbles are proved to have great applications in water remediation because they could effectively increase the oxygen content and degrade organic matters in water.But the existing methods to produce nanobubbles are complicated and high cost to operate,especially in deep sea.In this paper,we presented a low-cost method,hydraulic air compression(HAC),to produce a large number of nanobubbles and proved that nanoscale gas bubbles could be produced by HAC for the first time.Nanoparticle tracking analysis was used to measure the size and concentration of produced nanobubbles.It indicated that the concentration of nanobubbles would increase as the downpipe height increases.Degassed measurements proved that produced“nanoparticles”are gas nanobubbles indeed.More dissolved oxygen in water would provide the source for larger number of nanobubble formation.Those results are expected to be very helpful for water remediation in ocean in the future.

Experimental Study on Coal-Breaking Pressure for Compressed Air

Based on lab model experiments and through the limit analysis, the theoretical formula of calculation coal breaking pressure with compressed air was derived. The experimental result shows that blasting pressure must exceed 84.0MPa to break coal with compressive strength of 13.2MPa. The research provides an important theoretical basis for the design of airshooting mining and industrial tests.

Response Characteristics of Flexible Risers in Offshore Compressed Air Energy Storage Systems

With the rapid development of marine renewable energy technologies, the demand to mitigate the fluctuation of variable generators with energy storage technologies continues to increase. Offshore compressed air energy storage (OCAES) is a novel flexible-scale energy storage technology that is suitable for marine renewable energy storage in coastal cities, islands, offshore platforms, and offshore renewable energy farms. For deep-water applications, a marine riser is necessary for connecting floating platforms and subsea systems. Thus, the response characteristics of marine risers are of great importance for the stability and safety of the entire OCAES system. In this study, numerical models of two kinds of flexible risers, namely, catenary riser and lazy wave riser, are established in OrcaFlex software. The static and dynamic characteristics of the catenary and the lazy wave risers are analyzed under different environment conditions and internal pressure levels. A sensitivity analysis of the main parameters affecting the lazy wave riser is also conducted. Results show that the structure of the lazy wave riser is more complex than the catenary riser;nevertheless, the former presents better response performance.

An Approach towards Eco-labeling of Compressed Air Filters Based on Carbon Footprint

Compressed air--a major industrial energy carrier, its filters are used to reach the required cleanliness level of compressed air. These filters, however, introduce a pressure drop which results in a loss of energy. It is shown that over the life cycle of a compressed air filter, the pressure drop dominates the total energy consumption and subsequently, the carbon footprint. From an economic as well as ecologic point of view, a reduction of the pressure drop is hence of utmost importance. Based on this finding and structuring, the wide range of applications and operational parameters, a pragmatic and technically feasible eco-labeling system for compressed air filters was developed as a decision supporting tool. Using this tool, procurement managers as well as the process engineers and environmental officers are able to steer the selection of suitable compressed air filters. The approach has been proposed to and discussed with various representatives of the compressed air filter industry nevertheless there is probably a long way to go to establish such a labeling procedure in industry.

Lung Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy Using an Abdominal Compression System, “Air-Bag System”

We investigated respiratory tumor motion in lung stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) with use of the “Air-Bag System”. 114 patients underwent four-dimensional (4D) computed tomography (CT) from October 2010 to April 2012. Gross tumor volume (GTV) was 8.1 ± 11.0 cc (range 0.3 - 77.5 cc). The tumor site was the upper and middle lobes in 62 cases, and lower lobe in 52 cases. The Air-Bag SystemTM consists of an inelastic air bag connected to a second smaller elastic air bag. The inelastic air bag is placed between the patient’s body surface and a HipFix and is secured by pressure adjustment via the elastic air bag. To assess respiratory tumor motion, the centroid of the tumor position is measured in the left-right, anterior-posterior, and caudal-cranial directions using the iPlan RT DoseTM treatment planning system. Respiratory tumor motion vector for patients with upper/middle and lower lobe tumors was 3.0 ± 2.2 mm (range, 0.4 - 11.7 mm) and 6.5 ± 4.6 mm (range, 0.4 - 22.0 mm) respectively, with this difference being significant (p < 0.05). Mean respiratory tumor motion for all patients was 0.9 ± 0.6 mm (range, 0.1 - 3.6 mm) in the left-right direction, 1.5 ± 1.1 mm (range, 0.1 - 5.7 mm) in the anterior-posterior direction, 4.1 ± 4.0 mm (range, 0.1 - 21.4 mm) in the caudal-cranial direction, and 4.7 ± 4.0 mm (range, 0.4 - 22.0 mm) overall. The Air-Bag System is expected to be provided an effective reduction in the motion of lung tumors.