In the near future, the world’s transportation system should be powered by less-pollutant or completely non-pollutant energy sources. The rationale behind these systems is the protection of the planet and all forms of lives. The transportation sector produces 15 to 20 % of greenhouse gas emissions. Many renewable energy sources are being explored for the transportation sector. But the technologies are less popular because of their infancy stages, as well as the cost associated with their use. Solar energy, compressed air, hydrogen, electric battery etc. are few examples of the clean and renewable energy sources which are prominent for powering the transportation of the future. Compressed air is one of the plausible solutions to solving the energy problem, considering the fact that air is readily available. But the problem in the usage of the compressed air energy has been the storage system. In this paper, the performance of two distinct compressed air reservoirs for energy storage in small scale systems was investigated. Physical experiments were conducted, and simulations were performed. The analysis performed in this work was focusing on the results trends. Two air compressors were utilized for the experiment and they were both of reciprocating type. The first air compressor was driven by an internal combustion engine (ICE) and the second was driven by an electric motor. The decision regarding which results to consider was made based on the data collected. The experimental results were used to provide a frame of reference for the computer (MATLAB) simulation. Additionnaly, the performance of the dynamic reservoir was analysed for three spring stiffnesses. In summary, this study shows that the maximum pressure that can be stored in any dynamic reservoir depends largely on the capacity of the compressor. The quick rise in pressure during the charging process and the quicker exit during the discharging period clearly indicated that something unusual took place. It appears that the spring has a beneficial impact on the working of compressed air reservoir. The piston and the spring represent the heart of the dynamic reservoir. During charging they convert the pressure to force and the force to strain energy respectively. During discharge, they reverse the charging process by converting the strain energy to force and the force to pressure. Thus, ensuring a consistent performance of the dynamic reservoir. The dynamic reservoir offers the capacity to store a high quantity of compressed air in a relatively small volume. It offers a better mass flow rate during discharge, because the spring pushes the gas out of the reservoir, making a steady flow possible. The rapid pressure rise inside the dynamic reservoir and the constant pressure supply during discharge will improve the performance of compressed air powered applications and will help those to become more reliable.


Development and Performance Evaluation of a Dynamic Compressed Air Energy Storage System

Division / Sponsors: 
Aerospace, Bioengineering, Applied Mechanics, Design Engineering Division, Advanced Energy Systems, Manufacturing Engineering Division, Noise Control and Acoustics, Nondestructive Evaluation, Diagnosis, and Prognosis (NDPD), Nuclear Engineering Division, Process Industries Division, Fluids Engineering, Heat Transfer, Materials, Microelectromechanical Systems, Safety Engineering and Risk Analysis, Computers & Information in Engineering


Paper Proceedings: https://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/IMECE/IMECE2020/volume/84478

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