Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) systems encounter several main energy losses that affect their efficiency. Here are the key areas where energy is lost:
- Heat Dissipation During Compression:
- When air is compressed, it heats up, a process known as adiabatic compression. In diabatic CAES systems, this heat is dissipated into the atmosphere using intercoolers, which reduces the energy density of the compressed air.
- This loss necessitates reheating the air during expansion to prevent freezing, often using fossil fuels like natural gas, which reduces efficiency and increases emissions.
- Reheating and Energy Conversion Losses:
- During the expansion phase, the compressed air needs to be reheated to maintain a suitable temperature for efficient energy recovery in the turbine. This requires additional energy, often from fossil fuels, which adds cost and environmental impact.
- Each stage of energy conversion (from mechanical to electrical and back) incurs efficiency losses due to friction, heat, and electrical conversion inefficiencies.
- Mechanical and Electrical System Losses:
- CAES systems suffer from mechanical losses due to compressor and expander inefficiencies, piping friction, air leakage, and pressure regulation.
- Electrical system inefficiencies occur during both the charging and discharging phases, affecting overall system efficiency.
- Overall System Efficiency:
- When considering all stages (generation, transmission, storage, and recovery), the overall efficiency of CAES systems can be significantly lower than the efficiency of the air compression and expansion components alone. This comprehensive efficiency can drop below 20% when all conversion steps are included.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/what-are-the-main-energy-losses-in-caes-systems/
