Simple technique could see excess wind energy stored as heat and converted back to electricity using a steam turbine
A new energy storage technology currently under development by Siemens is set to see excess wind energy converted to heat rocks, allowing the energy to be stored using an insulated cover.
The system consists of a fan that uses an electrically-heated air flow to heat the stones to high temperatures, with the thermal energy then converted back to electricity when needed using a steam turbine.
The simple principle of the set-up promises to deliver a low-cost way of storing energy, Siemens said, with the only limit to the concept being the space required for the rock-filled insulated container.
The project, which has received research funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, is now operating a test system named Future Energy Solution (FES) at Hamburg-Bergedorf in Germany.
While the trial is currently only testing the thermal requirements for the storage process, Siemens said its researchers plan to test the complete energy conversion in spring of 2017 and are now establishing a large scale version of the technology on the Trimet aluminum smelter site in Hamburg-Altenwerder.
This full-size FES will be able to store around 36MWh of energy in a container holding around 2,000 cubic metres of rock and be capable of generating up to 1.5MW of output for up to 24 hours a day, Siemens said. Researchers working on the pilot expect it to generate effectiveness of around 25 per cent even in this early development phase, while the concept has the potential for an effectiveness of around 50 per cent, the firm added.
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