System and method for reducing moisture in a compressed air energy storage system

• US 8,347,629 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2009
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• 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: Finkenrath, Matthias, Botero, Cristina, Freund, Sebastian Walter, Gonzalez Salazar, Miguel Angel, Hoffmann, Stephanie Marie-Noelle, Belloni, Clarissa Sara Katharina, Marquardt, Roland, Moser, Kurt Peter, Zunft, Stefan Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Duane
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, PANKTI R
• Application Number:
  US12/609,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20110100213A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,166 Days
• Field of Search: 606/59, 606/49, 607/27, 606/52, 606/82, 606/51, 606/50, 606/63, 607/16, 607/19, 607/73, 607/72, 608/05, 60/391.5, 604/15, 165/10
• US Class Current: 60/659
• 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 first compressor configured to compress the quantity of ambient air;

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

a compression path between the first compressor and the second compressor 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;

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;

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;

a dehumidifying system coupled to the compression path, the dehumidifying system comprising a dehumidifying component positioned upstream from the compression system and configured to remove a quantity of moisture 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 and wherein the dehumidifying system further comprises a heating system configured to remove moisture from the dehumidifying component.

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

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

4. The CAES system of claim 1 wherein the heating system is configured to convey heat from a turbine exhaust from the CAES to the dehumidifying component to remove the moisture.

5. The CAES system of claim 1 wherein the heating system comprises at least one of a combustion heat generating component and an electrical heat generating component.