DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CONVERTING AND STORING ELECTRICAL ENERGY IN THE FORM OF COMPRESSED AIR
First Claim
1. An energy conversion device for converting electrical energy into aeraulic energy and vice versa, and for storing this in the form of compressed air,the device comprising:
- dynamo-electric machines which have an electrical power link to a grid;
dynamo-hydraulic machines mechanically linked to the dynamo-electric machines;
at least one conversion chamber capable on the one hand of containing liquid pumped by the dynamo-hydraulic machines operating as pumps or receiving liquid intended to supply power to the dynamo-hydraulic machines operating as expanders, and on the other hand of containing air, such that the liquid present in the chamber forms a liquid piston for compression or expansion of air;
a reservoir for storing compressed air at a storage pressure;
sealable means for bidirectional aeraulic communication between the conversion chambers and the storage reservoir; and
each dynamo-hydraulic machine is provided in order to operate within a respective pressure range at its high-pressure opening in order to carry out the pumping or the hydraulic expansion in stages inside each conversion chamber successively with several said dynamo-hydraulic machines up to or, respectively, from the desired storage pressure, the pressure range being narrower than the difference between the low pressure and the storage pressure, and in that distribution means are provided to connect each conversion chamber successively to at least two dynamo-hydraulic machines provided in order to operate within different pressure ranges.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A device and method for converting electric energy into pneumatic energy and vice versa, which involves: pumping a liquid forming a liquid piston into a conversion chamber in which a quantity of air is trapped until the air reaches a pressure of a compressed air storage vessel; or churning a liquid by expanding the compressed air in a conversion chamber which is filled with a quantity of liquid, in which device or method the pumping or the churning of the water takes place in the same conversion chamber and consecutively in at least two pumping or churning stages, respectively, provided so as to operate in different pressure ranges. The present device and method can be used in particular in the field of converting and storing electric energy.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. An energy conversion device for converting electrical energy into aeraulic energy and vice versa, and for storing this in the form of compressed air,
the device comprising: -
dynamo-electric machines which have an electrical power link to a grid; dynamo-hydraulic machines mechanically linked to the dynamo-electric machines; at least one conversion chamber capable on the one hand of containing liquid pumped by the dynamo-hydraulic machines operating as pumps or receiving liquid intended to supply power to the dynamo-hydraulic machines operating as expanders, and on the other hand of containing air, such that the liquid present in the chamber forms a liquid piston for compression or expansion of air; a reservoir for storing compressed air at a storage pressure; sealable means for bidirectional aeraulic communication between the conversion chambers and the storage reservoir; and each dynamo-hydraulic machine is provided in order to operate within a respective pressure range at its high-pressure opening in order to carry out the pumping or the hydraulic expansion in stages inside each conversion chamber successively with several said dynamo-hydraulic machines up to or, respectively, from the desired storage pressure, the pressure range being narrower than the difference between the low pressure and the storage pressure, and in that distribution means are provided to connect each conversion chamber successively to at least two dynamo-hydraulic machines provided in order to operate within different pressure ranges. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for converting electrical energy into aeraulic energy and vice versa, in which:
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a liquid is pumped, forming a liquid piston in a conversion chamber in which a quantity of air is trapped until this air reaches a pressure of a compressed air storage reservoir, then the compressed air is transferred from the conversion chamber to the storage reservoir; and
/ora liquid is turbined by allowing compressed air to enter a conversion chamber containing a quantity of liquid such that the liquid is pushed through a turbine; and the pumping or the turbining of the liquid is carried out successively at least in two stages of pumping or, respectively, turbining provided to take place within different pressure ranges. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification