In this paper, an ocean compressed air energy storage (OCAES) system is introduced as a utility-scale energy storage option for electricity generated by wind, ocean currents, tides, and waves off the coast of North Carolina. Geographically, a location from 40 to 70 km off the coast of Cape Hatteras is shown to be a good location for an OCAES system. Building upon existing compressed air energy storage (CAES) system designs, a conceptual design of an OCAES system with thermal energy storage (TES) is presented. A simple thermodynamic analysis is presented for an adiabatic CAES system which shows that the overall efficiency is 66%. In addition, finite element simulations are presented, which show the flow induced loads that will be experienced by OCAES air containers on the ocean floor. We discuss the fact that the combination of the buoyancy force and flow-induced lift forces (due to ocean currents) generates a periodic loading on the storage container and seabed, and how this presents engineering challenges related to the development of methods for reliably resisting these loads for decades in a corrosive environment. We also present a system, based on hydrolysis, which can be used for storing energy (in the form of oxygen and hydrogen gas) in containers on the ocean floor.

An investigation of noncontact manipulation techniques based on acoustic levitation was undertaken in air. The standing wave acoustic levitation (SWAL) was observed when standing waves trap small objects at pressure nodes. In this paper, two ultrasonic bolt-clamped Langevin type transducers (BLTs) generating traveling waves by modulating parameters of the two traveling waves were used to manipulate a trapped object. Frequency, amplitude, and phase modulations of the two actuators were exploited. From simulation and experiments, the phase modulation was prominent among other methods due to its long range and smooth operation. It is also found that angles between two actuators affect the trajectory of the trapped object during the parameter modulations. Sinusoidal and elliptic paths of the object were observed experimentally through a combination of parameters at certain tilt angles.

Previous work concerning ocean compressed air energy storage (OCAES) systems has revealed the need for an efficient means for compressing air that minimizes the energy lost to heat during the compression process. In this paper, we present analysis, simulation, and testing of a tabletop proof-of-concept experiment of a liquid piston compression system coupled with a simulated OCAES system, with special attention given to heat transfer issues. An experimental model of a liquid piston system was built and tested with two different materials, polycarbonate and aluminum alloy, used for the compression chamber. This tabletop liquid piston system was tested in conjunction with a simulated OCAES system, which consisted of a hydrostatic tank connected to a compressed-air source from the wall to mimic the constant hydrostatic pressure at ocean depth experienced by the air stored in an actual OCAES system. Good agreement was found between the experimental and numerical studies and demonstrated that the heat transfer characteristics of a liquid piston compression process are effective in reducing the increase in air temperature that occurs during the compression process. The results also suggest that it may be possible to achieve a near-isothermal process with a fully optimized liquid piston compression system.

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