SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REDUCING MOISTURE IN A COMPRESSED AIR ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM

• US 20110100213A1
• Filed: 10/30/2009
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nuovo Pignone Tecnologie SRL (Nuovo Pignone International SRL)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Gonzalez Salazar, Miguel Angel, Botero, Cristina, Belloni, Clarissa S.K., Freund, Sebastian W., Finkenrath, Matthias, Hoffmann, Stephanie Marie-Noelle
• Granted Patent: US 8,347,629 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 95/92
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/263 by absorption
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 1/02 the working fluid being an unheated pressurised gas
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 6/16 for storing compressed air
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/211 by intercooling, e.g. during a compression cycle
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/16 Mechanical energy storage, e.g. flywheels or pressurised fluids

Abstract

A method, system, and apparatus including a compressed air energy storage system that includes an ambient air intake configured to intake a quantity of ambient air for storage in a compressed air storage volume, a compression system having a compression path that is configured to convey air compressed by the compression system through the compression system, a first path configured to convey ambient air to the compression system, a second path proceeding from the compression system to the compressed air storage volume and configured to convey compressed air to the compressed air storage volume, and a dehumidifying system. The dehumidifying system is coupleable to at least one of the first path that proceeds from the ambient air intake to the compression system, the compression path, and the second path. The dehumidifying system includes a dehumidifying component configured to remove moisture from the ambient air and/or the compressed air.

Claims

1. A compressed air energy storage (CAES) system comprising:

an ambient air intake configured to intake a quantity of ambient air for storage in a compressed air storage volume;

a compression system coupled to the ambient air intake and configured to compress the quantity of ambient air to a quantity of compressed air, the compression system comprising a compression path therethrough configured to convey the quantity of compressed air through the compression system;

a first path proceeding from the ambient air intake to the compression system and configured to convey the quantity of ambient air to the compression system; and

a second path proceeding from the compression system to the compressed air storage volume and configured to convey the quantity of compressed air to the compressed air storage volume; and

a dehumidifying system coupleable to at least one of the first path, the compression path, and the second path, the dehumidifying system comprising a dehumidifying component configured to remove a quantity of moisture from one of the quantity of ambient air and the quantity of compressed air.

2. The CAES system of claim 1 wherein the CAES system is an adiabatic CAES system and further comprises a thermal energy storage (TES) system along the second path between the compression system and the compressed air storage volume, the thermal energy storage system configured to remove and store a quantity of heat from the quantity of compressed air, wherein the dehumidifying system removes the quantity of moisture from the quantity of compressed air prior to the quantity of compressed air reaching the TES system.

3. The CAES system of claim 1 wherein the dehumidifying component comprises a desiccant-based dehumidifying component.

4. The CAES system of claim 1 wherein the dehumidifying component comprises a glycol-based dehumidifying component.

5. The CAES system of claim 1 wherein the dehumidifying system further comprises a heating system configured to remove moisture from the dehumidifying component.

6. The CAES system of claim 5 wherein the heating system is configured to convey heat from a turbine exhaust from the CAES to the dehumidifying component to remove the moisture.

7. The CAES system of claim 5 wherein the heating system comprises at least one of a combustion heat generating component and an electrical heat generating component.

8. The CAES system of claim 1 wherein the compression system comprises:

a first compressor configured to compress the quantity of ambient air; and

a second compressor configured to further compress the quantity of ambient air, wherein at least a portion of the dehumidifying system is coupleable to the compression path between the first and second compressors.

9. A compressed air energy storage (CAES) system comprising:

a compression train comprising;

a first compressor configured to compress a quantity of ambient air into a first quantity of compressed air; and

a second compressor configured to compress the first quantity of compressed air into a second quantity of compressed air;

a compressed air storage volume configured to store the second quantity of compressed air;

a first compressed air conveyance path coupled to the compression train and to the compressed air storage volume and configured to convey the second quantity of compressed air to the compressed air storage volume;

a power generation system configured to generate electricity from a third quantity of compressed air;

a compressed air exit path coupled to the power generation system and to the compressed air storage volume and configured to convey the third quantity of compressed air from the compressed air storage volume to the power generation system; and

a dehumidifying component configured to remove a quantity of moisture from one of the ambient air and the compressed air prior to storage of the quantity of compressed air in the energy storage volume.

10. The CAES system of claim 9 wherein the CAES system is an adiabatic CAES further comprising a thermal energy storage (TES) component coupled to the compressed air conveyance path and configured to remove a quantity of heat from the quantity of compressed air prior to storage of the quantity of compressed air in the compressed air storage volume, and wherein the dehumidifying component is configured to minimize moisture transfer to the TES component.

11. The CAES system of claim 9 wherein the dehumidifying component comprises a plurality of desiccant materials.

12. The CAES system of claim 9 wherein the dehumidifying component comprises a glycol-based material.

13. The CAES system of claim 9 further comprising a recharging system coupled to the dehumidifying component and configured to transfer heat to the dehumidifying component to remove moisture from the dehumidifying component.

14. The CAES system of claim 13 wherein the recharging system comprises a heating unit to produce the heat to be transferred to the dehumidifying component, the heating unit producing the heat via one of combustion power and electrical power.

15. The CAES system of claim 13 wherein the power generation system comprises a turbine configured to produce electrical energy from the compressed air, and wherein the heat transferred to the dehumidifying component is conveyed from an exhaust of the turbine.

16. The CAES system of claim 9 wherein the compression train comprises a compression path coupled to the first and second compressors, wherein the dehumidifying component is coupled to the compression path between the first and second compressors.

17. A method of removing moisture from a compressed air energy storage (CAES) system comprising:

conveying a quantity of air through a compression system comprising;

an air intake configured to intake the quantity of air into the compression system;

at least two compressors configured to compress the quantity air after intake; and

a compressed air outlet configured to provide a path for the quantity of air that is compressed to exit the compression system;

transferring the quantity of air exited from the compressed air outlet to a compressed air storage volume, the compressed air storage volume configured to store the quantity of air for later energy production; and

passing the quantity of air through a dehumidifying system to remove moisture from the quantity of air prior to storage of the quantity of air in the compressed air storage volume.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the dehumidifying system is coupled to the compression system between the first and second compressors.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the dehumidifying system comprises at least one of a glycol-based dehumidifying component and a desiccant-based dehumidifying component.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising conveying heat to the dehumidifying system to remove moisture from the dehumidifying system.