Modélisation et calibration d’un modèle numérique pour le stockage d’énergie par air comprimé (CAES)

Abstract

The transition to renewable energy sources requires reliable energy storage solutions to address the intermittency of solar and wind power. Among these solutions, compressed air energy storage (CAES) technology holds promise. While underground CAES systems have shown potential at the grid scale, attention to smaller aboveground installations is increasing due to their flexibility and higher energy density. However, aboveground CAES technology remains less mature and requires further investigation. This research aims to conduct a comprehensive analysis of an aboveground CAES system using both experimental data and numerical simulations. The primary objective is to identify areas for improvement and optimization, contributing to the advancement of aboveground CAES technology. A numerical model was developed, considering the real properties of air. To represent the temporal evolutions, a simplified transient approach was adopted, involving discretization of the evolutions into a series of short intervals. Experimental data were used to calibrate the model, ensuring precision with a consistently lower than 4.0% mean absolute error. Additionally, a parametric analysis was conducted to assess the impact of the system's key parameters on the round-trip efficiency. The parametric analysis revealed significant variations in round-trip efficiency, with the number of turbine stages emerging as a crucial factor. By increasing the number of stages from one to three and incorporating preheating before each stage, the system's efficiency notably improved, increasing from 4.5% to 16.0%. Further analysis affirmed the feasibility and relevance of integrating thermal energy storage (TES) into the current system, in accordance with the adiabatic CAES concept. Theoretical calculations indicate abundant thermal energy extracted from compressed air, enabling fully heated expansion with a three-stage turbine. The excess heat could be used for cogeneration purposes, such as heating a building.

Date	5 Jun 2024
Original language	French
Awarding Institution	École de technologie supérieure
Supervisor	Didier Haillot (Supervisor) & Brice Le Lostec (Co-supervisor)