Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) in underground caverns can be used to generate electrical power during peak demand periods. The excess power generation capacity, which is available when demand is low, is used to store energy in the form of compressed air. This energy is then retrieved during peak demand periods. The structural features and leakage stabilities of the air storage site determines the efficiencies of energy conversions and corresponding economics. The objectives of this paper is to formulate advanced criteria for design of CAES systems in hard rock in Israel, and to examine specific designs performance through predictions available from numerical models. Underground space provides opportunities for safe storage and conservation of energy. This concerns enhanced protection and security as well as lower response to external thermal and mechanical influences (impact and vibrations) that characterize highly controlled environments. Design examples of CAES system are presented and their geomechanical and thermal responses to compression and air release cycles are considered. Comparison is made between different configurations of CAES systems with respect to their expected technical and economical performance. Finally, a new CAES system, that incorporates a vortex tube for enhanced thermal efficiency, is described.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
ArkinY. and GavishA., (1995) “Tunnels of Mount Gilo from geological viewpoint”, Proc. of the 10-th Conference of The Israel Civil Engineering Association, Tel-Aviv, pp. 187–191. (In Hebrew).
2.
BartonN.LienR. and LundeJ., (1974) “Engineering classification of rock masses for design of tunnel support”, Rock Mechanics, Vol. 6, No. 4, pp. 189–239.
3.
BartonN., (1989) “Cavern design for Hong Kong” (eds. MaloneA. W. and WhitesideP. G. D.), London, Inst. of Mining and Metallurgy, pp. 179–202.
4.
BieniawskiZ. T., (1989) “Engineering rock mass classification”, New York, Willy, 1 edition, 272 p.
5.
BieniawskiZ. T., (1974) “Geomechanics classification of rock masses and its application in tunneling”. Proc. of the Third Int. Congress on Rock Mechanics, Denver, Vol. 2A, pp. 27–32. ISRM: Lisbon.
6.
BrownE. T., and HoekE., (1978) “Trends in relationships between measured rock in situ stresses and depth”. Int. J. Rock Mech. Min. Sci. & Geomech. Abstr., Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 23–34.
7.
BrunoM.DusseaultM.BalaaT., and BarreraJ., (1998) “Geomechanical analysis of pressure limits for gas storage reservoirs”, Proc. of North American Rock Mechanics Symposium.
8.
Development of subterranean space uses in Israel. Background, potential and strategy, (1997), The Israel Land Authority, Ministry of National Infrastructures, 57 p.
9.
DubinaM.M. and KrasovitskiB.A., (1983) “Heat Transfer and Mechanics of Interaction of Pipelines and Wells With Ground”. Publ. House “Nauka” Siberian Branch, Novosibirsk, 134. (in Russian).
10.
GrimstadE., and BartonN., (1993) “Updating the Q-system for NMT”. Proc. International Symp. On sprayed concrete-modern use of wet mix sprayed concrete for underground support, Fagernes, (eds KompenOpsahl and Berg). Oslo: Norwegien Concrete Assn.
11.
GavishE.ArkinY., and HatzorY., (1995) “Problematics in rockmass classification for underground openings in the lower part of Amminadav formation; Lessons from the Gilo long tunnel, Jerusalem”, Proc. Of Isr. Geol. Soc. Ann. Meet., Zikhron-Yakov, Israel, 37.
12.
HergetG., (1988) Stresses in rock. Rotterdam: Balkema, 179 p.
13.
HoekE., and BrownE., (1997) “Practical estimates of rock mass strength”, Intnl. J. Rock Mech. & Mining Sci. & Geomechanical Abstracts, Vol. 34, No. 8, pp. 1165–1186.
HoldrenJ. P., (1999) “Energy Supply Technologies”, Chapter 5 in Powerfull Partnerships: The Federal Role in International Cooperation on Energy Innovation, Washington, Office of Science and Technology Policy. Executive Office of the President of the United States, BCSIA Publications, homepage: http:/ksgnotes1.harvard.edu/BCSIA/Library.nsf/pubs/pwrprt6
16.
HomerJ.HorvatE. and UnsworthJ., (1989) “Laboratory experiments for unlined cryogenic cavern storage”, Proc. Of Int. Conf. On Storage of Gases in Rock Caverns, Trondheim, Norway, pp. 213–219.
17.
FossumA. P., (1985) “Effective elastic properties for a randomly jointed rock mass”, J. Rock Mech. Min. Sci. and Geomech. Abstr., Vol. 22, No. 6, pp. 467–470.
18.
FranzenT., and EmmelinA., (1999) “Some current examples of rock engineering in Sweden”, International Society for Rock Mechanics. News Journal, Vol. 5, No. 3, pp. 36–39.
19.
FultonC. D. (1950) “Ranque's tube”. Refrigeration Engineering5, pp. 473–479.
20.
IshihataT., (1997) “Underground compressed air storage facility for CAES-G/T power plant utilizing an airtight lining”, News Journal, International Society for Rock Mechanics, Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 17–21.
21.
Itaska, (1996) FLAC – Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua, Version 3.3, ITASCA Consulting Group, INC, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
22.
KirzhnerF., and KomornikA., (1997) “Numerical analyses of the failure development around rock salt cavern”, Proc. of Int. Symp. on Deformation and Progressive Failure in Geomechanics, Nagoya, Japan, pp. 655–658.
23.
KovariK., (1993) “Basic consideration on storage of compressed natural gas in rock chambers”. Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, Vol. 26, No. 1, pp. 1–27.
24.
PolishookB., and FlexerA., (1995) “The relationship between texture properties and the strength properties of the chalk rock”, Proc. Of Isr. Geol. Soc. Ann. Meet., Zikhron-Yakov, Israel, 89.
25.
RozenA., (1995) “Carmel tunnels project. Geological problems”, Proc. of the 10-th Conference of The Israel Civil Engineering Association, Tel-Aviv, pp. 58–47. (In Hebrew).
26.
SheoryP.R., (1994) “A theory for in situ stresses in isotropic and transversely isotropic rock”, Int. J. Rock Mech. Min. Sci. & Geomech. Abstr. 15, pp. 211–215.
27.
StilleH.JohanssonJ., and SturkR., (1994) “High pressure storage of gas in lined shallow rock caverns – Results from field tests”, Proc. Eurock 94, Balkema, Rotterdam, pp. 689–696.
28.
Tunnel Engineering Handbook, (1996) Ed. by BickelRuesel and King, 2 nd ed., Int. Thomson Publishing Comp., Chapman and Hall, 544 p.
29.
VadaszP., and WeinerD., (1988) “Compressed Air Energy Storage Becomes More Attractive”, Modern Powe Systems, Vol. 3, No. 12, pp. 45–49.
30.
VadaszP.PugatschY. and WeinerD., (1989) “A Performance Analysis of a Compressed Air Energy Storage System in Aquifer”, Israel Journal of Technology, Vol. 25, pp. 13–21.
31.
VadaszP., (1989) “A Second-Order Marginal Costs Approximation for Energy Storage Charging and Discharging Price Function”, ASME Journal of Energy Resources Technology, Vol. 111, pp. 154–159.
32.
VadaszP., (1999) “Compressed Air Energy Storage: Optimal Performance and Techno-Economical Indices”, Int. J. Applied Thermodynamics, No. 2, pp. 69–80.
33.
Vered-WeissJ.FlexerA.AisensteinB., and TabaryJ., (1980) “A new approach for LPG (propane butane) underground storage in lined caverns above the water table (Mesilat Zion, Israel)”, Proc. of the Int. Symp. Subsurface space, Rockstore-80, Pergamon Press Ltd., Vol. 2, pp. 415–421.
34.
ZhoW., and WangP., (1993) “Finite element analysis of joined rock masses and engineering application”, Int. J. Rock Mech. Sci and Geomech Abstr., Vol. 30, No 5, pp. 537–544.
