New Startup Wants To Store Energy By Compressing Air In A Mine

in #science5 years ago

Storing energy is one of the holy grails of current technology. An interesting new approach is being attempted in Australia.

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The Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) technology is sort of a physical battery. It works by taking electricity that currently being used anywhere else to compress air. This air is then stored in a tank, balloon or an underground cave. When the electricity is needed, the compressed air is heated making it expand and it spins a turbine which then makes the electricity.

The CAES systems allow us to connect more renewable sources of energy to the electric grid as sometimes solar or wind power plants make energy at times when it's not really useful. But if these power plants are connected to the CAES systems it provides an option of how to use it at times when it's needed.

The physical battery is going to be built in an old Agnas Zinc Mine that can be found near Adelaide. The planned device will be using a water column that will keep the air from escaping. During saving of the energy, it will have the compressed air displace water into a surface tank. Then when the energy is needed the water goes back to the underground pushing the air back to the surface, where it is heated and spins a turbine that produces electricity for the grid.

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This is absolutely fascinating mate, thank you for bringing this to my attention. I’m wondering how many abandoned mines there are in the world that could feasibly be converted into battery facilities!? I wonder what the safety concerns are for a facility like this, you’d certainly be detailing with huge pressure changes and steam!

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