Air Storage Requirements for a 220 Mwe CAES Plant as a Function of Turbomachinery Selection and Operation

This paper examines the effects of compressor train selection, turbine operation and the generation/compression cycle for a 220 MWe CAES plant which operates with a HP turbine inlet pressure of 44 bar (638 psia). The required air storage mass for a particular CAES generation/compression cycle is a function of both the total air mass withdrawn (during generation) and the total air mass added (during compression). Thus, the air storage mass is dependent upon both the air mass flow rates and daily operating times for the individual turbine and compressor selected.