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University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Assessment of compressed air energy storage system (CAES)

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

The compressed air energy storage system (CAES) and the pumped hydroelectric storage systems (PHES) are the two matured technologies for storing utility-scale bulk energy. This thesis presents the thermal model for the CAES with energy recovery system, which include the results of the exergy analysis for the components of the system and its performance and related economic issues compared to that of the PHES. The results show that CAES with energy recovery unit can provide roundtrip efficiency close to 71 percent compared to the 80 percent for PHES. The exergy destroyed in turbo-machinery contributes to 79 percent, and the remaining due to heat loss from cavern, oil tanks and energy lost in exhaust air. Based on the current data on the capital and energy storage costs that accounts for the round trip efficiencies, it is estimated that the simple payback for CAES is significantly (5 to 25 years) lower than the PHES (11 to 53 years). Direct use of the power from the wind turbine fed to the compressors can raise the roundtrip efficiencies close to 82 percent for CAES.

Degree

thesis:*
Grantor dc:publisher
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Johnson, Patrick M.
Contributors dc:contributor
  • Dhamshala, Prakash
  • Kazemersky, Phil; Margraves, Charles
  • College of Engineering and Computer Science

Subjects

dc:subject × 4

Rights

dc:rights
Language dc:language
English, eng

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Repository record dc:identifier
https://scholar.utc.edu/theses/130
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:scholar.utc.edu:theses-1130

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
University of Tennessee - Chattanooga
Base URL
scholar.utc.edu/do/oai/
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Johnson, Patrick M.. Assessment of compressed air energy storage system (CAES). University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, https://scholar.utc.edu/theses/130