Comments on: A Simple Solution for Wind Power Storage

By: Jeff

Jeff — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 21:29:55 +0000

This sounds amazing. It seems that one of the main concerns with wind energy is what to do about the times when there is not enough wind blowing to sustain the power needed.

This, on the surface, appears to solve that problem which would be a huge step forward for wind energy!

By: JonnyUtaw

JonnyUtaw — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 19:04:50 +0000

I also have heard of the salt dome idea. And also curious about how and where this storage ‘tank’ would be. putting large amounts of pressure underground in places that aren’t used to high pressure sounds like a bad idea. But I’m an engineer not a geologist. I think flywheel energy storage has more potential.

By: Mathew Markey

Mathew Markey — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 18:26:46 +0000

Is this idea similar to air pressure accumulators?

By: Susan Levitt

Susan Levitt — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:32:48 +0000

I think that liquids under pressure create hydraulic forces capable of displacing other liquids (and solids with low friction coefficient). Gasses under pressure generally do exert enough force to move liquids. Instead the gas atoms get forced into the liquid matrix. Then you get stuff like carbonated water, so Evian and Perrier would be happy to support CAES!

By: Mark

Mark — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 02:15:44 +0000

In the article, it is stated that the compressed air is stored in the same type of geological feature used to store natural gas. This sounds like the “salt domes” described in several compressed air energy storage (CAES) papers I have read, a very large, underground, airtight cavern that is made during the solution mining of salt. Although a very good candidate for CAES, salt domes only occur in certain parts of the country, and can often be a long ways from where the wind energy is generated. Because of this, proponents of CAES are also looking at storing compressed air in aquifirs, a geological feature that is much more widespread. When I emailed/asked one of the authors of the papers if the cyclic displacement and pressurization of the water would hasten the depletion of the aquifirs via existing wells (e.g. irrigation), I got no response. Does anyone else have this concern, or can explain why this wouldn’t be a problem?