Renewable Energy Global Innovations features: Feasibility of a clean CAES system coupled with wind and solar energy in China

Significance Statement

Energies are the important driving force for global social, economic and technological developments. Renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, have been discussed as renewable, sustainable and environmentally friendly forms of energies. However, it is a big challenge to utilize them stably. Compressed air energy storage (CAES) is a method of energy storage which can convert the surplus power to the internal energy of compressed air, and regenerates electricity whenever power is needed. This paper proposes a clean CAES system hybrid with wind and solar energy, which uses heat storage/heat exchange devices instead of combustion chamber of traditional CAES, uses the surplus energy of the wind power plant to provide power for compressed air storage, and uses solar energy to provide heat source for heat storage/heat exchange devices, so as to solve the dependence on fossil fuels of traditional CAES systems. The operating variables of the hybrid system include heat exchanger effectiveness, ambient temperature, mass flow rate, total pressure ratio and compressor/turbine stages. The effects of those on the system performances are evaluated, including output power, overall efficiency, energy ratio (ER) and heat ratio (HR). Additionally, the parameters, delineating criteria of the potential development localities for the hybrid CAES system sites, such as solar and wind energy resources, abandoned cavities of mines resources used as compressed air containers and the distribution of cross-transmission lines in China are investigated. We find that more than 13 major zones are of the capability to support the hybrid system in China. Finally, comparing to the conventional thermal power plants, the environmental and economic benefits of this CAES system are calculated.

This paper primarily presented a clean CAES system coupled with wind and solar energy in China and analyzed the technical feasibility, potentially suitable areas, environmental and economic benefits of the system.

About The Author

Jie Chen, associate professor at Chongqing University, Chongqing, PR China. In 2012, he received his Ph.D. degree in College of Resource and Environmental Science from Chongqing University, Chongqing, China. In 2013, he stated Postdoctoral researsh at State Key Laboratory of Rock and Soil Mechanics and Engineering, Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.

He has accomplished several significant projects from National Science Foundation (NSF) and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation. His research areas include rock mechanics, damage and self-healing of rock materials, and underground energy storage. He has published more than 60 papers and served as a reviewer for many prestigious journals. (jiechen023@cqu.edu.cn)

About The Author

Deyi Jiang, professor at Chongqing University, Chongqing, PR China. He was born on June 13, 1962, in Sichuan, PR China. He finished his studies at Chongqing University in 1985 and obtained his Ph.D. degree in 2001, in China. He is now the Dean of College of Resources and Environmental Science, Chongqing University. Also, He is the Executive Deputy Director of State Key Laboratory of Coal Mine Disaster and Control from 2011 to present.

His research areas include rock mechanics, solution mining disasters control and salt cavern comprehensive utilization. He has published more than 100 articles in international periodicals, many of which in high-ranking journals, and held more than 30 lectures worldwide. Under his guidance, more than 60 master theses and the same number of Ph.D. dissertations have been done.

About The Author

Wei Liu, lecturer and researcher at Chongqing University, Chongqing, PR China. In 2015, he had received his Ph.D. degree in University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China. Thereafter, he stated Postdoctoral researsh at College of Resource and Environmental Science in Chongqing University, Chongqing, China. He is now taking charge of several funds supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation.

His research areas include rock mechanics, permeability and damage of low permeable rock materials and energy storage technologies. He has published more than 40 papers and served as a reviewer for many international journals, such as Energy, Applied Thermal Engineering, and Environmental Earth Sciences.

Journal Reference

Jie Chen ^{a, b}, Wei Liu ^{a, b, *}, Deyi Jiang ^{a, b}, Junwei Zhang ^{a, b}, Song Ren ^{a, b}, Lin Li ^{a, b}, Xiaokang Li ^{a, b}, Xilin Shi ^c. Preliminary investigation on the feasibility of a clean CAES system coupled with wind and solar energy in China. Energy, Volume 127, 15 May 2017, Pages 462-478.

Show Affiliations

^a State Key Laboratory of Coal Mine Disaster and Control, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China.

^b College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China

^c State Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, The Chinese Academy of Science, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China.

 

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