Fall 2008 to present
Mechanical Engineering, Cockrell School of Engineering
Research Topic: Integrating Thermal and Compressed Air Energy Storage for a Dispatchable Wind and Solar Powered System
As concerns about global warming, carbon costs, and energy independence are growing, utilities are seeking to implement more carbon-free, renewable energy systems. However, the intermittency of wind and solar power is a major obstacle that energy producers and suppliers are currently burdened with. The additional risks of unexpected interruptions and mismatch with demand have hindered the expansion of these two primary renewable resources. The goal of this research is to design a storage method that combines excess night-time wind capacity with peak day-time solar output in a way that would make both wind and solar sources dispatchable during peak demand. The proposed system utilizes compressed air energy storage (CAES) that is driven from wind energy and thermal storage supplied by concentrated solar power in order to achieve this desired dispatchability.
