Optimal energy management of an underwater compressed air energy storage station using pumping systems

Abstract The paper is part of the development of a novel underwater isothermal Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) system. Compared to conventional CAES plant, the performances of this system only depend on the electrical energy required for a round-trip cycle; performances of each sub-system of the power conversion process takes part of the overall efficiency. Consequently, this work is focused on an optimal energy management of the electrical power conversion system driving the isothermal hydro-pneumatic mechanism enabling the air compression/expansion. After examining inherent characteristics of conversion components challenging the overall conversion efficiency, we propose an efficient platform layout based on the segmentation of the energy conversion multiplying power conversion systems with different power ranges. Then, we establish control laws required by the electrical multi-machines system in order to drive pumping systems closed to their best efficiency points. However, these laws subject the conversion platform to a transient and variable operating needing the design of robust controller structures. Finally, we develop a dynamic reversible modelling of the multi-physic conversion platform along with the control scheme. The layout is modelled on Matlab® Simulink® environment and the paper closes with simulation results. We evaluate the dynamic performances of the compressed air storage system in both storage and production mode. Moreover, the effectiveness of power segmentation for the grid integration of the proposed system is discussed.