A new application study of liquefied natural gas in assisting in the start-up of the liquid air energy storage system without sufficient cold storage energy

IF 11 1区工程技术 Q1 ENERGY & FUELS

Applied Energy Pub Date : 2025-09-23 DOI:10.1016/j.apenergy.2025.126794

Yufei Zhou , Hanfei Zhang , Shuo Liu , Jin Huang , Xingqi Ding , Liqiang Duan , Umberto Desideri

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Liquid air energy storage (LAES) is a highly promising large-scale energy storage technology, with the cold energy cycle being a key part. However, during the initial start-up of an LAES system or its restart after a prolonged maintenance, the system may face a cold storage energy deficiency, and how to establish the cold energy cycle under such conditions has not been adequately addressed in existing studies. Based on a dynamic model of an LAES system, this study first investigates the process and performance of air liquefaction without cold storage energy, relying solely on the throttling cooling effect of air. Subsequently, a novel scheme and evaluation metrics are proposed for using the additional cold energy from liquefied natural gas (LNG) to assist in the start-up of the LAES system without cold storage energy, and the performance of this process is analyzed. The results show that when cold storage energy is sufficient, the liquid air begins to form approximately 30 s after start-up. However, when cold storage energy is deficient, it takes about 844 s to generate liquid air, and the maximum liquid yield is only 2.71 %, leading to around a 30-fold increase in the time required to fill up the liquid air tank (LAT) compared to the rated charging duration. By introducing the LNG, the liquid air can be produced 92 s after start-up under optimal conditions, with a maximum liquid yield of 41.7 %. The time required to fill up the LAT is reduced to 1/15.2 of the required time of the LAES system not using external cold energy. Additionally, the lower the LNG operating pressure, the faster the air liquefaction process, and the less the total LNG consumption. The findings of this study provide a viable contingency strategy for cold storage energy deficiency in LAES systems caused by any possible factors, contributing to the development of robust start-up procedures and enhancing system reliability.

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在冷库能量不足的情况下，液化天然气在辅助液空储能系统启动中的新应用研究

液态空气储能是一种极具发展前景的大型储能技术，其中冷能循环是其中的关键环节。然而，在LAES系统初始启动或长时间维护后重新启动时，系统可能面临冷库能量不足的问题，如何在这种情况下建立冷能循环，目前的研究尚未得到充分解决。基于LAES系统的动态模型，本研究首先研究了不使用冷库能量，仅依靠空气的节流冷却效应的空气液化过程和性能。随后，提出了一种利用液化天然气（LNG）附加冷能辅助无冷库LAES系统启动的新方案和评价指标，并对该过程的性能进行了分析。结果表明：当冷库能量充足时，启动后约30 s开始形成液态空气；然而，当冷库能量不足时，产生液态空气的时间约为844 s，最大产液率仅为2.71%，导致液空罐（LAT）充满所需时间比额定充电时间增加了约30倍。通过引入LNG，在最佳条件下，启动后92 s可产液，最大产液率为41.7%。注满LAT所需的时间减少到LAES系统不使用外部冷能所需时间的1/15.2。此外，LNG操作压力越低，空气液化过程越快，LNG总消耗量越少。本研究结果为LAES系统中任何可能因素导致的冷库能量不足提供了可行的应急策略，有助于开发稳健的启动程序并提高系统可靠性。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Applied Energy 工程技术-工程：化工

CiteScore

21.20

自引率

10.70%

发文量

1830

审稿时长

41 days

期刊介绍： Applied Energy serves as a platform for sharing innovations, research, development, and demonstrations in energy conversion, conservation, and sustainable energy systems. The journal covers topics such as optimal energy resource use, environmental pollutant mitigation, and energy process analysis. It welcomes original papers, review articles, technical notes, and letters to the editor. Authors are encouraged to submit manuscripts that bridge the gap between research, development, and implementation. The journal addresses a wide spectrum of topics, including fossil and renewable energy technologies, energy economics, and environmental impacts. Applied Energy also explores modeling and forecasting, conservation strategies, and the social and economic implications of energy policies, including climate change mitigation. It is complemented by the open-access journal Advances in Applied Energy.