Using Shipping containers as compressed air 'Batteries

[docfreezzzz]

This is a great idea! In fact, compressed air storage is already performed at several large utilities but only in a slightly different manner. Excess energy is used to compress air into salt domes buried deep in the Earth during off-peak hours. When extra power generation capacity is needed, the air is released through gas turbines (which don't need a compressor section since the air is already at a higher pressure) and natural gas is injected. After burning, the mixture is routed through a power turbine section and the system from there looks very much the same as a normal gas turbine.

I think the problem with shipping containers is mainly structural. Even just a few psi spread over the large steel walls could be enough to generate failure stresses in the material. As I'm sure most are aware, blocky structures are not ideal for compressed gas storage.

 

[chetanladha]

This is a great idea! In fact, compressed air storage is already performed at several large utilities but only in a slightly different manner. Excess energy is used to compress air into salt domes buried deep in the Earth during off-peak hours. When extra power generation capacity is needed, the air is released through gas turbines (which don't need a compressor section since the air is already at a higher pressure) and natural gas is injected. After burning, the mixture is routed through a power turbine section and the system from there looks very much the same as a normal gas turbine.

Is this the way excess power is managed in plants?
I don't know what do they do, but certainly this is not a very economic option..

 

[docfreezzzz]

I would have to disagree with you. The process is just compressing the air, which would normally be done in a gas turbine cycle anyway, a priori. There are some pumping losses involved with storage but the process itself is quite efficient. The required work is just done in discrete stages. Pumped water storage is also used quite heavily, as are high temperature metallic batteries. Another option which is used to avoid power spikes in large data centers is inertial storage (flywheels). These are normally used to avoid power loss while generators come online. Fact is, this is not a new problem but new technologies are always stretching our engineering knowledge.

 

[chetanladha]

I would have to disagree with you. The process is just compressing the air, which would normally be done in a gas turbine cycle anyway, a priori. There are some pumping losses involved with storage but the process itself is quite efficient. The required work is just done in discrete stages. Pumped water storage is also used quite heavily, as are high temperature metallic batteries. Another option which is used to avoid power spikes in large data centers is inertial storage (flywheels). These are normally used to avoid power loss while generators come online. Fact is, this is not a new problem but new technologies are always stretching our engineering knowledge.

Hi..
Yaa.. i'd a thought abt it.. Wat u r saying makes sense..
using a gas turbine cycle is a good option.
wats with the 'high temperature metallic batteries', how r they being used..