Method and apparatus for storing and using energy to reduce the end-user cost of energy

• US 7,155,912 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2004
• Issued: 01/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ben M. Enis, Paul Lieberman
• Original Assignee: Ben M. Enis, Paul Lieberman
• Inventors: Enis, Ben M., Lieberman, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Richter; Sheldon J
• Application Number:
  US10/973,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20050138929A1
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• Field of Search: 603/98, 606/418, 606/52, 606/59, 607/06, 290/43, 290/52, 290/54, 307/66, 307/67, 700/286, 700/291, 700/295, 700/296
• US Class Current: 60/652
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 2200/16 Waste heat
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 60/30 storing heat in liquids
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 20/00 Heat storage plants or apparatus in general; Regenerative heat-exchange apparatus not covered by groups F28D17/00 or F28D19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 15/006 in the form of pneumatic energy, e.g. compressed air energy storage [CAES] accumulators for supplying fluid under pressure F15B1/04
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2203/10 Power transmission or distribution systems management focussing at grid-level, e.g. load flow analysis, node profile computation, meshed network optimisation, active network management or spinning reserve management
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/64 The condition being economic, e.g. tariff based load management
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/003 Load forecast, e.g. methods or systems for forecasting future load demand
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/28 Arrangements for balancing of the load in a network by storage of energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/46 Conversion of thermal power into mechanical power, e.g. Rankine, Stirling or solar thermal engines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/14 Thermal energy storage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/16 Mechanical energy storage, e.g. flywheels or pressurised fluids
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/244 the home appliances being or involving heating ventilating and air conditioning [HVAC] units

Abstract

The invention relates to an energy storing method and apparatus for use by end-users of energy, such as commercial property owners and operators. The system differs from past systems, insofar as it is not intended to be used by and in connection with energy suppliers, such as large utility and power supply plants and grids. The system preferably relates to the manner in which an end-user of energy can implement energy and costs savings, by using energy storage and time-shifting methods, to control and regulate the consumption of energy in a manner that achieves a cost savings over a period of time. One aspect of the method relates to accurately forecasting and predicting the energy demands and peaks that might occur on a daily basis, by recording and analyzing the prior day'"'"'s history, as well as the overall energy demand histories, using short and long term forecasts, and then setting up a variable energy storage/use plan or schedule that helps to reduce the peak demands by time-shifting the energy that is used, i.e., reducing consumption during high demand/high cost periods, and using the energy stored during low demand/low cost periods during the high demand/high cost periods.

Claims

1. A method of reducing the end-user cost of energy at a predetermined location, comprising:

providing an energy storage system comprising at least one tank and compressor capable of storing energy in the form of compressed air energy;

locating said system at an end-user site, wherein said end-user is a consumer of energy rather than a supplier;

forecasting how much energy will be used at said site during a second period of time, during which the energy cost is at a relatively high second rate;

determining the nature and extent of the peak power surges and/or spikes that are expected to occur at said site during said second period of time;

storing in said tank a predetermined amount of compressed air energy from an energy source during a first period of time, during which the energy cost is at a relatively low first rate, wherein said first period of time is prior to said second period of time; and

using the compressed air energy from said tank in a manner that helps offset the amount of energy used at said site during said second period of time, and offset the peak power surges and/or spikes occurring at said site during said second period of time, such that the surges and/or spikes are substantially reduced or eliminated.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the energy source is a power grid connected to the system that can be accessed to supply energy into storage.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said site is a commercial property, and wherein the storage system is used to lower the overall cost of energy at said commercial property.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the energy storage system comprises at least one device taken from the group consisting of:

a. a solar thermal collector;

b. thermal inertia mass;

c. thin walled tubing with anti-freeze distributed inside the tank;

d. fossil fuel burner;

e circulation device for using hot air from the compressor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises developing an energy usage schedule for the second period of time to determine how the energy from storage should be used during said second period of time.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the method comprises determining the amount of a demand charge that may be applied at said site based on the spikes and/or surges that may occur during said second period of time, and developing the energy usage schedule to reduce and/or offset the spikes and/or surges.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the energy storage system comprises at least one turbo-expander and generator to release the compressed air energy and generate electricity during said second period of time.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the energy storage system is adapted to use cold air from the turbo-expander for cooling and/or refrigeration purposes at said site.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the energy storage system comprises an indicator for measuring the energy consumption rate at said site to determine how much energy in storage should be released at any given moment in time to off-set the peak power spikes and/or surges that can occur at said site.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the indicator is a consumption meter that can determine how much energy in storage should be released at any given moment in time.

11. A method of reducing the end-user cost of energy at a predetermined location, comprising:

providing an energy storage system comprising at least one tank and compressor capable of storing energy in the form of compressed air energy;

locating said system at an end-user site, wherein said end-user is a consumer of energy rather than a supplier;

determining the nature and extent of the peak power surges and/or spikes that are expected to occur at said site during a second period of time, during which demand charges are assessed based on the level of said peak power surges and/or spikes;

storing in said tank a predetermined amount of compressed air energy from an energy source during a first period of time, during which the energy cost is lower than during said second period of time, wherein said first period of time is prior to said second period of time; and

using the compressed air energy from said tank in a manner that offsets the peak power surges and/or spikes occurring at said site during said second period of time, such that said peak power surges and/or spikes are substantially reduced or eliminated.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the energy source is a power grid connected to the system that can be accessed to supply energy into storage.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said site is a commercial property, and wherein the storage system is used to lower the overall cost of energy at said commercial property.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the energy storage system comprises at least one turbo-expander and generator to release the compressed air energy and generate electricity during said second period of time.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the energy storage system comprises at least one device taken from the group consisting of:

a. a solar thermal collector;

b. thermal inertia mass;

c. thin walled tubing with anti-freeze distributed inside the tank;

d. fossil fuel burner;

e. circulation device for using hot air from the compressor.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the energy storage system comprises an indicator for measuring the energy consumption rate at said site to determine how much energy in storage should be released at any given moment in time to off-set the peak power spikes and/or surges that can occur at said site.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the indicator is a consumption meter that can determine how much energy in storage should be released at any given moment in time.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the method comprises forecasting how much energy will be used at said site during said second period of time, and determining how much compressed air energy will need to be stored in said tank to offset the energy used at said site, and to offset the peak power surges and/or spikes that are expected to occur at said site during said second period of time.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the method comprises developing an energy usage schedule for the second period of time to determine how the energy from storage should be used during said second period of time.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the method comprises determining the amount of the demand charge that may be applied during said second period of time, and developing the energy usage schedule to reduce and/or offset the peak power spikes and/or surges during said second period of time.