Jakob Rud: System Analysis of Compressed Air Energy Storage, Master's thesis. DTU, Technical University of Denmark, 2008.

Abstract

In the future the production of energy will mainly come from renewable energy compared to fossil fuels. Most of the renewable energy production in Denmark comes from wind turbines. The fluctuating power generation from the wind turbines leads to a large trading in electricity with the neighbouring countries. An increase in installed wind power in Denmark will increase the electricity trade and thus increase the bottleneck problems. Bottleneck problems will necessitate regulation of the production from the traditional power producers in order to avoid electric overflow. A solution to these problems is electricity storage. This project is a system analysis of a compressed air energy storage (caes) facility with focus on production and economy. Several types of caes-plants are defined, simulated and optimized in DNA. These results are used in a model by the Nordic energy market, Balmorel. By implementing various caes-plants in the model a study of the plants’ affect of the Danish energy market is made. This is then used to study how the plants are being used and how different parameters affect the operation. The operation of the plant is used to determine if the plant is cost-effective. On that basis it is decided if the plant is profitable just from energy trading and thus may serve as commercial facilities. Otherwise it may be that the implementation of the plant can reduce the socio-economic cost and hereby use the reduction as a contribution. In that case, it can be used as regulating power, and thus stabilize electricity production.

Available at http://etd.dtu.dk/thesis/252033/Speciale.pdf (Danish)