Airtightness evaluation of lined caverns for compressed air energy storage under thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) coupling

Jiangyu Fang, Hongling Ma, Chunhe Yang, Hang Li, Shijie Zhu, Xiaoli Nong and Zhenhui Bi

Energy, 2024, vol. 308, issue C

Abstract: Large-scale compressed air energy storage (CAES) technology can effectively facilitate the integration of renewable energy sources into the power grid. The airtightness of caverns is crucial for the economic viability and efficiency of CAES systems. This paper presents a new thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) model for investigating the effects of complex thermodynamic changes on air leakage in concrete-lined rock caverns. The model is validated using field measurement data, numerical simulations, and analytical solutions. Subsequent simulations were conducted to analyze air leakage, pore pressure, and leakage range under various operating conditions. Finally, the impacts of different parameters on air tightness were assessed. The results indicate that the daily air leakage mass percentage (TDALMP) in the concrete-lined CAES cavern is 0.60 % under the operating pressure of 4.5–10 MPa, which meets the tightness requirement. The permeability of the lining is a key parameter for airtightness, in this case, the permeability of the concrete lining cannot exceed 1 × 10−19 m2. The daily air leakage rate can be reduced by modestly increasing the cavern radius, lowering the temperature of the injected air, and decreasing the maximum operating pressure. These results can provide a reference for the study and construction of CAES caverns in similar projects.

Keywords: Compressed air energy storage (CAES); Lined rock cavern (LRC); Airtightness evaluation; Thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:308:y:2024:i:c:s0360544224027701

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2024.132996

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