화학공학소재연구정보센터
Applied Energy, Vol.231, 1159-1178, 2018
Hydro-pneumatic storage for wind-diesel electricity generation in remote sites
Unlike the majority of Canadian population, which benefits from reliable, guaranteed and affordable electricity, most Canadian remote communities do not have these benefits because they rely on locally generated electricity. Diesel generators are the main sources of electrical energy that supply most of these remote isolated areas. The operation and transportation cost of diesel fuel in addition to its price have led to the procurement of a more efficient and environmentally greener supply methods. Therefore, the combination of these generators with renewable sources, such as wind energy, in a wind-diesel hybrid system with compressed air energy storage can reduce these deficits by reducing the fossil fuel consumption, operating time of diesel engines, operation costs and environmental harm. Many recent studies have shown that the optimal management of the stored air reserve is to overcharge an existing diesel engine with compressed air. Based on this concept, a novel wind-diesel hybrid system with adiabatic air compression and storage at constant pressure is proposed. This concept combines adiabatic compressed air energy storage and hydro pneumatic energy storage technologies with a wind-diesel system. Based on a real wind speed and temperature data from the village of Tuktoyaktuk in Northern Canada, a study case was achieved. Simulation results show that the annual fuel savings can reaches 60% for the diesel consumption. This results in a significant decrease of electricity production cost and diesel engine gas pollution reduction. In addition, this system made it possible to maximize the benefits of available wind energy. Indeed, the results show that 70% of electrical energy is produced from renewable sources. Furthermore, this system prevents diesel generators from running on low loads and enable the diesel engine to be switched off in several situation while maintaining a reliable electric power supply. This was not possible in the previously proposed systems. Furthermore, the storage volume required for optimum operation in this system is relatively small compared with a large storage volume that has been already proposed in other systems. Finally, a cost study and a sensitivity analysis have demonstrated the feasibility of this system.