Thermodynamic Analysis on an Integrated Liquefied Air Energy Storage and Electricity Generation System

Abstract

For an integrated liquefied air energy storage and electricity generation system, mathematical models of the liquefied air energy storage and electricity generation process are established using a thermodynamic theory. The effects of the outlet pressure of the compressor unit, the outlet pressure of the cryogenic pump, the heat exchanger effectiveness, the initial air temperature and pressure before throttling on the performances of the integrated liquefied air energy storage, and the electricity generation system are investigated, using the cycle efficiency and liquid air yield ratio as the evaluation indexes. The results show that if the compressor outlet pressure is raised, both the compression work and the expansion work increase, but because the expansion work increases more slowly, the cycle efficiency of the system gradually decreases. Increasing the cryogenic pump outlet pressure and heat exchanger effectiveness can significantly increase the cycle efficiency of the system; the higher the air pressure and the lower the air temperature before throttling, the greater the liquid air yield after expansion, and the higher the cycle efficiency. The theoretical analysis models and research results can provide a reference for the development of an integrated system of liquefied air energy storage and electricity production, as well as for the development of medium-capacity energy storage technology.

Microgrid application of liquefied air energy storage (LAES) systems

“…An upgrade of the CAES technology is Liquid air energy storage (LAES). With a working principle similar to that of CAES, LAES uses liquid air as the medium for energy storage [13]. The benefits are: i) energy storage density much higher than CAES, ii) no restriction on geographical condition.…”