Techno-Economic Analysis of a Cryogenic Flux Capacitor for Grid Storage

Conference · Fri Oct 28 04:00:00 EDT 2022 · Volume 4: Cycle Innovations; Cycle Innovations: Energy Storage

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1115/gt2022-83375· OSTI ID:2454967

Schmitt, Joshua ^[1]; Collado, Noemi ^[2]; Swanger, Adam ^[3]; Otto, Marcel ^[4]; Kapat, Jayanta ^[4]

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1. Southwest Research Institute , San Antonio, Texas, United States; Southwest Research Institute
2. Air Liquide , Newark, Delaware, United States
3. NASA Kennedy Space Center , Merritt Island, Florida, United States
4. University of Central Florida , Orlando, Florida, United States

Abstract The Cryogenic Flux Capacitor (CFC) is a cold, dense fluid storage core with integrated design features that afford the designer flexibility and provide new possibilities for the storage and discharge of energy. The stored energy, in this case, is represented by hydrogen physically bonded within the nanoscale pores within the aerogel composite blanket material, and the process of bonding or debonding is governed by principles of physical adsorption (physisorption) and thermodynamics. The large surface area afforded by the nanoporous aerogel (∼1,000 m2/g) allows for storage densities close to, or in some cases exceeding, that of normal boiling point liquids. Its performance easily exceeds what can be achieved via ambient temperature, high-pressure gas storage for an equivalent volume. CFC storage is predicted to be easily scalable, is constructed from readily available commercial materials, lends itself to a range of pressure applications, and is geometry insensitive. The high energy density of CFC-stored hydrogen allows long durations of storage, such as daily to monthly cycling, which corresponds to approximately 10 to 100 hours of duration, respectively. The techno-economic analysis examines different types of hydrogen storage for commercial viability. The assessment includes the use of hydrogen blended with natural gas in a combined cycle gas turbine. The study provides results for a range of blends from 100% natural gas to 100% hydrogen. The required fuel usages are estimated for the intended application in a grid scenario that features large amounts of renewable penetration, 10 hours, and as a baseload, 100 hours. The study presents preliminary estimates of the capital cost of storage and operating cost of storage. In addition, the cost of firing natural gas and capturing the carbon dioxide (CO2) in a carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) system is assessed. Based on the study, it is shown that CFC can competitively meet performance and cost needs for grid-based energy storage.

• Research Organization: Southwest Research Institute
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM)
• DOE Contract Number: FE0032003
• OSTI ID: 2454967
• Report Number(s): DOE-SWRI-FE32003-3
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Volume 4: Cycle Innovations; Cycle Innovations: Energy Storage
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

08 HYDROGEN
25 ENERGY STORAGE
cryogenic flux capacitor
electrolysis
energy storage
gaseous hydrogen
green hydrogen
hydrogen storage