What Is Compressed Air Energy Storage?

CAES is large-scale pressurized storage tanks or underground caverns that allow you to store air that can be converted into energy. The pressurized air of this compressed air system can then be pumped into an enclosure using a compressor and stored until the energy is needed. The stored energy is retrieved when the air is allowed to expand. This pushes the high-pressure air through a turbine, which creates electricity.

The expanding air from a compressed air service cools significantly; this means it must be heated before it is passed through the turbine. Usually, this process is achieved using either diabatic or adiabatic methods.

In the diabatic method, fuel is used to heat the air before discharging it into the turbine. The adiabatic technique, on the other hand, stores heat generated during the initial compression phase. It then applies that heat to the air during the expansion.

While the adiabatic method is more energy-efficient and emission-free, it does require advanced thermal storage techniques that are not readily available to all clients and locations. But additional solutions are currently being researched to help more and more clients control the heating and cooling processes more efficiently.