Aboveground compressed air energy storage systems: Experimental and numerical approach
Emeric Dormoy, Brice Le Lostec, Didier Haillot
Abstract
• Instrumented experimental workbench for aboveground CAES is studied and modeled. • Calibrated model is presented having every mean absolute percentage error <4 %. • Addition of a TES system to recover waste heat is proven to be relevant. • Round trip efficiency of 16% is achieved through triple stage expansion simulation. The transition towards renewable energy sources necessitates reliable energy storage solutions to address the intermittency of solar and wind power. Among these solutions, compressed air energy storage technology holds promise, particularly in aboveground installations. While underground compressed air energy storage systems have shown potential at the grid scale, the focus on smaller aboveground installations is increasing due to their flexibility and higher energy density, yet they remain less mature and require further investigation. This research presents a comprehensive analysis of an aboveground system using both experimental data and numerical simulations, develops numerical model with real air properties and employs a quasi-steady-state approach. Experimental data calibration ensured model accuracy with a mean absolute percentage error below 4.0%, and parametric analysis revealed significant variations in round-trip efficiency, notably improving from 4.5% to 16.0% by increasing turbine stages from one to three with preheating. Further analysis confirmed the feasibility and relevance of integrating thermal energy storage into the system, aligning with the adiabatic concept, where compression heat is stored for subsequent expansion preheating, thereby enabling fully heated expansion using a three-stage turbine.