The invention relates to methods and systems for the storage and recovery of energy using open-air hydraulic-pneumatic accumulator and intensifier arrangements that combine at least one accumulator and at least one intensifier in communication with a high-pressure gas storage reservoir on a gas-side of the circuits and a combination fluid motor/pump, coupled to a combination electric generator/motor on the fluid side of the circuits.

Systems and methods for energy storage and recovery using compressed gas

The invention relates to systems and methods for rapidly and isothermally expanding and compressing gas in energy storage and recovery systems that use open-air hydraulic-pneumatic cylinder assemblies, such as an accumulator and an intensifier in communication with a high-pressure gas storage reservoir on a gas-side of the circuits and a combination fluid motor/pump, coupled to a combination electric generator/motor on the fluid side of the circuits. The systems use heat transfer subsystems in communication with at least one of the cylinder assemblies or reservoir to thermally condition the gas being expanded or compressed.

Systems and methods for energy storage and recovery using rapid isothermal gas expansion and compression

Systems and methods for operating a hydraulically actuated device/system are described herein For example, systems and methods for the compression and/or expansion of gas can include at least one pressure vessel defining an interior region for retaining at least one of a volume of liquid or a volume of gas and an actuator coupled to and in fluid communication with the pressure vessel The actuator can have a first mode of operation in which a volume of liquid disposed within the pressure vessel is moved to compress and move gas out of the pressure vessel The actuator can have a second mode of operation in which a volume of liquid disposed within the pressure vessel is moved by an expanding gas entering the pressure vessel The system can further include a heat transfer device configured to transfer heat to or from the at least one of a volume of liquid or a volume of gas retained by the pressure vessel

Compressor and/or expander device

The invention relates to systems and methods including an energy conversion system for storage and recovery of energy using compressed gas, a source of recovered thermal energy, and a heat-exchange subsystem in fluid communication with the energy conversion system and the source of recovered thermal energy.

Systems and methods for combined thermal and compressed gas energy conversion systems

The invention relates to systems and methods for rapidly and isothermally expanding gas in a cylinder. The cylinder is used in a staged hydraulic-pneumatic energy conversion system and includes a gas chamber (pneumatic side) and a fluid chamber (hydraulic side) and a piston or other mechanism that separates the gas chamber and fluid chamber while allowing the transfer of force/pressure between each opposing chamber. The gas chamber of the cylinder includes ports that are coupled to a heat transfer subassembly that circulates gas from the pneumatic side and exchanges its heat with a counter flow of ambient temperature fluid from a reservoir or other source.

System and method for rapid isothermal gas expansion and compression for energy storage

The Present system provides for expanding high pressure gases from the chambers of a moving rotor and reentering said gases into the chambers of said moving rotor in such a way that the gases in the chambers of said moving rotor have been subjected to more expansions than the gases reentering the chambers and therefore are at a lower pressure than the gases reentering said chambers.

Staged expansion system as employed with an integral turbo-compressor wave engine

The present engine includes a heating chamber to produce relatively high temperature, high pressure gases; an intake chamber to provide relatively low temperature, low pressure gases which initially act as scavenging gases; an exhaust chamber into which the spent hot gases are expelled by the scavenging gases; a compressed cool gas chamber into which the compressed cool gases flow with partial expansion; and at least one hot gas expansion outlet or duct into which the high pressure hot gases expand. In addition the present engine includes a compressor-expander rotor having a plurality of rotor chambers, with each of said rotor chambers having an inlet opening and a nozzle with an outlet opening. The compressor-expander rotor is disposed to rotate adjacent to said intake chamber and said heating chamber, to accept into said rotor chambers, cool gases from the former followed by hot gases from the latter. Termination of the flow of cool intake gases from each rotor chamber nozzle outlet initiates a shock wave at the rotor chamber nozzle outlet. A second, normally stronger, shock wave is initiated at the inlet of each rotor chamber as it is exposed to the hot gases flowing from the heating chamber. Each rotor chamber is designed so that before this second shock wave (which is set up by the hot gases entering a rotor chamber already filled with cool gas) reaches the end of its excursion toward the rotor chamber outlet, the shock wave encounters the constricted area, or nozzle, of the rotor chamber. As a result this second shock wave is reflected from the rotor chamber nozzle toward the inlet of the rotor chamber. As a result of this reflected shock wave, the final pressure of both the cool gases and the hot gases within the rotor chamber is very high and is substantially higher than the initial pressure of hot gases flowing from the heating chamber. The rotor housing is designed such that ideally as the reflected shock wave reaches the inlet of the rotor chamber, this inlet is sealed as a result of rotation of

Integral turbo-compressor wave engine

The present device is a rotor having a plurality of rotor chambers formed integral therewith. Each chamber has an inlet opening into a main section, whose sidewalls are substantially parallel, and further has a nozzle section whose sidewalls deviate at an angle from the main section sidewalls to create a sharp cross-sectional constriction and which nozzle section ends in an outlet opening. The present rotor is used as the single rotor of a turbine engine which has means to initiate a shock wave at the opening of the main section of each rotor chamber. The rotor chamber is formed to direct the shock wave uninhibited toward said outlet opening but said shock wave is reflected from said sharp cross-sectional constriction toward said inlet opening thereby compressing the gases in said chamber to a high pressure. In each chamber when said high pressure gases expand through said nozzle section the ensuing reaction drives said rotor.

Compressor-expander rotor as employed with an integral turbo-compressor wave engine

Integral turbo-compressor

1411123 Gas turbine plant; pressure exchanges GENERAL POWER CORP 18 Oct 1972 [21 Oct 1971] 48075/72 Headings F1G and F1N The invention relates to a gas turbine engine comprising a rotor provided with rotor chambers in which both compression and expansion occur, the compression being effected by shock waves The engine comprises a rotor 17 provided at its periphery with blades 27 which define rotor chambers 18 having divergent discharge nozzles 38 The rotor rotates within stator structure 29 which is formed to provide a series of inlet and outlet ports, viz an air inlet port 12, a combustion gas inlet port 31, a gas exhaust port 19 and a compressed air discharge port 32; the stator is also formed with a series of hot gas discharge ports 34E, 35E, 36E, 37E and with hot gas re-entry ports 34R, 35R, 36R, 37R The air inlet port 12 is provided with a series of guide vanes 13 which may be angularly adjustable Air is supplied to the inlet port by means of a blower 15 and inlet passage 11, the air being compressed in the rotor chambers 18 by a series of shock waves as indicated in Fig2 at 44, 50 and a reflected shock wave 51 The air so compressed is discharged through outlet port 32 and passes through chamber 33 and passage 55 to a combustion chamber 22 which comprises a fuel injector 24 and an igniter 25 The combustion gases so generated pass to gas inlet port 31 and so into the rotor chambers 18, the air and gas interface being as indicated at 48, Fig2 The gases discharge from the rotor chambers 18 through the nozzles 38 thereby driving the rotor The gases discharge through the ports 34E and are re-directed into the rotor chambers through re-entry ports 34R The gases finally discharge from the rotor chambers through nozzles 38 into the outlet 19 and to exhaust passage 20 The manner in which the shock compression is achieved is explained in detail The engine may be controlled by means of members 78, 79, 80, Fig4 which are disposed adjacent the trailing edge of the combustion gas inlet port 31, adjacent the trailing edge of the compressed air outlet port 32, and adjacent the leading edge of the compressed air outlet port 32, respectively, the members being movable so as to vary the areas of the ports Other arrangements of control members associated with the ports are described The compressed air passing through the passage 55 may be pre-heated in a heat exchanger 56 through which the exhaust gases are discharged as indicated in Fig4 The engine may be started by utilizing air under pressure in container 59, the air passing to combustion chamber 22; the air container is refilled by tapping air from the passage 55 through line 58 The engine may be designed to provide shaft power or so as to provide jet thrust Also any form of heating may be utilized and the cycle may be open or closed

Richard R. Coleman

Papers

Staged expansion system as employed with an integral turbo-compressor wave engine

Integral turbo-compressor wave engine

Compressor-expander rotor as employed with an integral turbo-compressor wave engine

Integral turbo-compressor

Integral turbo-compressor shock wave engine