Abstract
In recent times, renewable energy has become increasingly important. However, power from renewable sources is not on-demand - production fluctuates independently from energy demand. Energy storage is the solution to the increase in usage of renewable energy. Compressed air energy storage (CAES) is a promising form of energy storage, but at a small scale, it only has 11-17% efficiency as well as low energy density. In some studies, energy efficiency and density have been improved through dynamic-volume chambers, but this improvement is not significant enough to surpass other forms of energy storage. Despite their benefits of safety, low material cost, and longevity, small-scale compressed air energy storage systems do not compare to systems such as batteries in round-trip efficiency and energy density. The goal of this project is to construct a compressed air energy storage system that uses mechanical springs in a dynamic-volume chamber to increase these energy storage capabilities. Using purchased and machined parts, a physical dynamic-volume CAES model was constructed to compare its overall energy release and efficiency with and without a spring. On average, the spring-based model had a higher overall energy release than the springless system. Energy efficiency was also improved. These data show that springs can improve the viability of CAES in comparison with other methods of energy storage. Future works could use springs in more effective interfaces with CAES, resulting in improved storage densities. Keywords: Compressed Air energy storage, renewable energy
