220-MW compressed air storage
SOYLAND Power Cooperative, Inc., a Decatur, Illinois based co-op, could get reasonably priced baseload power from neighboring utilities, had a plant of its own planned for the near future as well as a share in another, but peaking power, generated by oil and gas, to meet surges in demand, was very costly. The co-op's solution, first in the U.S., is a 220-megawatt compressed air energy storage system (CAES), which the electric utility industry is watching with great interest. CAES splits the two basic stages of a conventional gas turbine, making the most of baseload power while using the least peaking or intermediate fuel. During off-peak periods, inexpensive baseload electricity from coal or nuclear power plants runs a combination motor-generator in motor mode which, in turn, operates a compressor. The compressed air is cooled and pumped into an underground storage reservoir hundreds of thousands of cubic yards in volume and about two thousand feet (about 610 m) below the surface. There the air remains, at pressures up to about 60 atm (6.1 MPa), until peaking or intermediate power is required. Then, the air is released into a combustor at a controlled rate, heated by oil or gas, and expanded through a turbine. The turbine drives the motor-generator in a generator mode, thereby supplying peaking or intermediate power to the grid.
- OSTI ID:
- 6148674
- Journal Information:
- Energy Eng.; (United States), Journal Name: Energy Eng.; (United States) Vol. 80:6; ISSN EENGD
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Breaking new ground with CAES
Compressed air energy storage: preliminary design and site development program in an aquifer. Final draft, Task 1: establish facility design criteria and utility benefits
Related Subjects
200107 -- Fossil-Fueled Power Plants-- Off-Peak Energy Storage-- (1980-)
25 ENERGY STORAGE
250200* -- Energy Storage-- Compressed & Liquified Gas
AIR
COMPRESSED AIR
COMPRESSED AIR ENERGY STORAGE
COMPRESSED AIR ENERGY STORAGE EQUIPMENT
COMPRESSED AIR STORAGE POWER PLANTS
COMPRESSED GASES
DESIGN
ELECTRIC GENERATORS
ELECTRIC MOTORS
ENERGY STORAGE
ENGINEERING
EQUIPMENT
FEDERAL REGION V
FLUID MECHANICS
FLUIDS
GAS TURBINES
GASES
HYDRAULICS
ILLINOIS
LOAD MANAGEMENT
MACHINERY
MANAGEMENT
MECHANICS
MOTORS
NORTH AMERICA
OPERATION
PEAKING POWER PLANTS
POWER GENERATION
POWER PLANTS
RESERVOIR ENGINEERING
STORAGE
SURFACE WATERS
TURBINES
TURBOMACHINERY
UNDERGROUND STORAGE
USA
WATER RESERVOIRS