Multi-fluid, earth battery energy systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020173692-A1
Application number	US-201916711288-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 11, 2019
Priority date	Mar 16, 2018
Publication date	Jun 4, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method for storing excess energy from at least one energy producing source, as thermal energy, using an existing geologic formation. First and second storage zones formed in a geologic region may be used to store high temperature and medium high temperature brine. When excess energy is available from the energy producing source, a quantity of the medium high temperature brine is withdrawn and heated using the energy supplied by the energy source to form a first new quantity of high temperature brine, which is then injected back into the first storage zone. This forces a quantity of medium high temperature brine present in the first storage zone into the second storage zone, to maintain a desired quantity of high temperature brine in the first storage zone and a desired quantity of medium high temperature brine in the second storage zone.

First claim

1 . A method for storing excess energy from at least one energy producing source, as thermal energy, using an existing geologic formation, the method comprising:
using a first storage zone formed in the geologic formation for storing high temperature brine having a temperature within a first temperature range; and using a second storage zone formed in the geologic formation adjacent the first zone for storing medium high temperature brine having a temperature within a second temperature range less than the first temperature range; when excess energy is available from the energy producing source, withdrawing a quantity of the medium high temperature brine and heating the withdrawn quantity of withdrawn medium high temperature brine using the excess energy to produce a first new quantity of high temperature brine; and injecting the first new quantity of high temperature brine back into the first storage zone; and using the injection of the first new quantity of high temperature brine to force a quantity of medium high temperature brine present in the first storage zone into the second storage zone, to maintain a desired quantity of high temperature brine in the first storage zone and a desired quantity of medium high temperature brine in the second storage zone.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising using a third storage zone formed within the geologic formation adjacent the second zone, for storing warm brine having a temperature within a third temperature range less than the second temperature range.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the warm brine is withdrawn from at least one of the third storage zone or a separate geologic formation or a separate brine reservoir (either a geologic formation or a man-made structure), and pressurized and heated using the excess energy to a second new quantity of medium high temperature brine, and then injected into the first storage zone.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein heating the warm brine comprises using at least one of a plurality of heaters arranged in series, and wherein the heaters are arranged from a lowest quality heat source to a highest quality heat source.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second storage zone at least partially circumscribes the first storage zone.

6 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the third storage zone at least partially circumscribes the second storage zone.

7 . The method of 6 , wherein the first, second and third storage zones are located at an elevationally common level with one another.

8 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising performing the withdrawal and heating of warm brine from at least one of the third storage zone, a separate geologic formation, or a separate brine reservoir in first and second distinct stages.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising using at least one of excess energy or the high temperature brine from the first storage zone to help power a first power system forming a low-pressure (LP) steam turbine system.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising using at least one of excess energy or the high temperature brine from the first storage zone to power parallel arranged first and second power generating subsystems, wherein:
the first power generating subsystem includes a low-pressure (LP) steam turbine system; and the second power generating subsystem includes a multi-stage steam turbine system comprised of at least two stages, including a low-pressure (LP) steam turbine coupled to a high-pressure (HP) steam turbine.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the excess energy is generated using a fossil fuel combustor, wherein the fossil fuel is comprised of at least one of natural gas (NG), coal, and bio-fuel.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the combustion of fossil fuel generates CO 2 , and further comprises a CO 2 -capture subsystem for capturing the CO 2 .

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the excess energy is heat obtained from a solar thermal energy (STE) system, and wherein the excess energy comprises heat obtained from at least one of directly from a solar thermal energy system or a shallow below-ground or above-ground thermal energy storage system.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the excess energy comprises heat obtained from a thermo-electric power plant, and wherein the heat is obtained from at least one of:
directly from a thermo-electric power plant, or from a shallow below-ground or above-ground thermal energy storage system.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the excess energy comprises heat obtained from at least one of:
an air compression operation; a CO 2 compression operation; directly from an air compression operation; directly from a CO 2 compression operation; or directly from a shallow-below ground or above-ground thermal energy storage system.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein injecting the first new quantity of high temperature brine comprises using at least one huff/puff well in communication with the first storage zone.

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein withdrawing a quantity of medium high temperature brine comprises using at least one huff/puff well in communication with the second storage zone.

18 . The method of claim 3 , wherein withdrawing a quantity of warm brine comprises using at least one production well in communication with the third storage zone.

19 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
withdrawing a quantity of the warm brine and feeding the withdrawn quantity of warm brine through a low temperature pre-heater to help in heating an airflow flowing through the low temperature pre-heater, which also causes cooling of the withdrawn quantity of warm brine to produce a quantity of cooled brine, and re-injecting the quantity of cooled brine into the third storage zone; and flowing the warm air towards at least one of a fossil energy combustor or a high temperature pre-heater heated with excess energy to produce a flow of hot air and a quantity of warm brine and re-injecting the quantity of warm brine into the third storage zone and then flowing the hot air towards a fossil energy combustor.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein injecting a quantity of at least one of cooled brine or warm brine comprises using at least one injection well in communication with the third storage zone.

21 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
withdrawing an additional quantity of warm brine from the third storage zone; and using the withdrawn additional quantity of warm brine to help warm a fluid flow flowing through a low temperature pre-heater toward a boiler, and to produce a quantity of cooled brine, and then injecting the quantity of cooled brine into the third storage zone.

22 . The method of claim 21 , further comprising flowing the warm fluid leaving a low temperature pre-heater towards a high temperature pre-heater heated with heat obtained from a solar thermal energy (STE) system, and wherein the heat comprises heat obtained from at least one of directly from a solar thermal energy system or a shallow below-ground or above-ground thermal energy storage system, to produce a flow of hot fluid and then flowing the hot fluid towards a boiler.

23 . A method for storing excess energy from at least one energy producing source, as thermal energy using an existing geologic formation, the method comprising:
using a first storage zone formed in the geologic formation for storing high temperature brine having a temperature within a

Assignees

• L Livermore Nat Security Llc

Inventors

• Buscheck Thomas A
• Upadhye Ravindra Shrikrishna

Classifications

• F03G7/04

  using pressure differences or thermal differences occurring in nature (F03G7/06 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F28D20/0052

  using the ground body or aquifers as heat storage medium · CPC title

• F03G7/06

  using expansion or contraction of bodies due to heating, cooling, moistening, drying or the like (using thermal expansion of non-vaporising liquids F01K) · CPC title

• F24T10/20 Primary

  using underground water as working fluid; using working fluid injected directly into the ground, e.g. using injection wells and recovery wells · CPC title

• H01M6/34

  Immersion cells, e.g. sea-water cells · CPC title