Compressed air energy storage generator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11319948-B2
Application number	US-201816603528-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2018
Priority date	Apr 26, 2017
Publication date	May 3, 2022
Grant date	May 3, 2022

Abstract

A CAES generator includes a plurality of motors, a plurality of compressors, a pressure accumulator, an expander, a generator, an electric-motor inverter that changes a rotation speed of each of the motors, a feed command receiver that receives input power as a feed command value before feeding the input power, and a controller. The controller includes a compressor number calculation unit that calculates a maximum number of motors that are allowed to be driven at a rating based on the feed command value, and a compressor drive control unit that drives at the rating, the motors, the number of which is the maximum number calculated by the compressor number calculation unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A compressed air energy storage generator comprising:
a plurality of electric motors configured to be driven with input power that fluctuates;
a plurality of compressors configured to be driven by the electric motors to compress air;
a pressure accumulator configured to hold the compressed air discharged from the compressors;
an expander configured to be driven with the compressed air supplied from the pressure accumulator;
a generator configured to be driven by the expander to supply output power to a consumer facility;
an electric-motor inverter configured to change a rotation speed of each of the electric motors;
a feed command receiver configured to receive the input power as a feed command value before feeding the input power; and
a controller including a compressor number calculation unit and a compressor drive control unit, the compressor number calculation unit being configured to calculate a maximum number of electric motors that are allowed to be driven at a rating based on the feed command value, the compressor drive control unit being configured to drive the electric motors at the rating, wherein a number of the electric motors driven at the rating is the maximum number calculated by the compressor number calculation unit.

2. The compressed air energy storage generator according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller further includes a remaining input power calculation unit and a feed control unit, the remaining input power calculation unit being configured to subtract power required to drive the electric motors, the number of which is the maximum number, from the input power indicated by the feed command value to obtain remaining input power, the feed control unit being configured to allocate, when the remaining input power is smaller than power corresponding to a minimum rotation speed of one of the electric motors, some of the input power to be supplied to another one of the electric motors to be driven at the rating to the remaining input power to drive the one of the electric motors at the minimum rotation speed or higher.

3. The compressed air energy storage generator according to claim 2 , wherein
the feed control unit allocates, to the remaining input power, some of the input power to be supplied to the other one of the electric motors to be driven at the rating so as to make the remaining input power larger by predetermined power than the power corresponding to the minimum rotation speed of the one of the electric motors.

4. The compressed air energy storage generator according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller further includes a control unit for leveling compression configured to control the electric-motor inverter to level off drive times of the plurality of electric motors.

5. The compressed air energy storage generator according to claim 2 , wherein
the controller further includes a control unit for leveling compression configured to control the electric-motor inverter to level off drive times of the plurality of electric motors.

6. The compressed air energy storage generator according to claim 3 , wherein
the controller further includes a control unit for leveling compression configured to control the electric-motor inverter to level off drive times of the plurality of electric motors.

7. A compressed air energy storage generator comprising:
an electric motor configured to be driven with input power;
a compressor configured to be driven by the electric motor to compress air;
a pressure accumulator configured to hold the compressed air discharged from the compressor;
a plurality of expanders configured to be driven with the compressed air supplied from the pressure accumulator;
a plurality of generators configured to be driven by the expanders to supply, to a consumer facility, output power that fluctuates;
a generator inverter configured to change a rotation speed of each of the generators;
a discharge command receiver configured to receive, from the consumer facility, demand power as a discharge command value before outputting the output power; and
a controller including an expander number calculation unit and an expander drive control unit, the expander number calculation unit being configured to calculate a maximum number of generators that are allowed to be driven at a rating based on the discharge command value, the expander drive control unit being configured to drive the generators at the rating, wherein a number of the generators driven at the rating is the maximum number calculated by the expander number calculation unit.

8. The compressed air energy storage generator according to claim 7 , wherein
the controller further includes a remaining demand power calculation unit and a discharge control unit, the remaining demand power calculation unit being configured to subtract output power obtained by driving the generators, the number of which is the maximum number, from the demand power indicated by the demand command value to obtain remaining demand power, the discharge control unit being configured to allocate, when the remaining demand power is smaller than power corresponding to a minimum rotation speed of one of the generators, some of the demand power to be output by another one of the generators to be driven at the rating to the remaining demand power to drive the one of the generators at the minimum rotation speed or higher.

9. The compressed air energy storage generator according to claim 8 , wherein
the discharge control unit allocates, to the remaining demand power, some of the demand power to be output by the other one of the generators to be driven at the rating so as to make the remaining demand power larger by predetermined power than the power corresponding to the minimum rotation speed of the one of the generators.

10. The compressed air energy storage generator according to claim 7 , wherein
the controller further includes an control unit for leveling expansion configured to control the generator inverter to level off drive times of the plurality of generators.

11. The compressed air energy storage generator according to claim 8 , wherein
the controller further includes an control unit for leveling expansion configured to control the generator inverter to level off drive times of the plurality of generators.

12. The compressed air energy storage generator according to claim 9 , wherein
the controller further includes an control unit for leveling expansion configured to control the generator inverter to level off drive times of the plurality of generators.

Assignees

• Kobe Steel Ltd

Inventors

• Sato Takashi
• Nakamichi Ryo
• Matsukuma Masaki
• Saruta Hiroki

Classifications

• H02J15/20

  using storage of pneumatic energy, e.g. compressed air energy storage [CAES] · CPC title

• F04B49/065 Primary

  and making use of computers · CPC title

• F04B49/06 Primary

  Control using electricity (regulating by means of floats actuating electric switches F04B49/04) · CPC title

• H02J3/28

  Arrangements for balancing of the load in networks by storage of energy · CPC title

• H02P27/06

  using DC to AC converters or inverters (H02P27/05 takes precedence) · CPC title