Safety risks of compressed air energy storage

What are the risks of introducing compressed air?

Introducing compressed air presents the risk of ignition and explosion, both underground and during discharge . Also, the high-pressure storage of hydrogen imposes potential safety hazards . High-pressure CAES systems in cavities face challenges, e.g., uplift failure or gas enrichment and ignition of residual hydrocarbons .

What are the advantages of a compressed air energy storage system?

Among them, compressed air energy storage (CAES) systems have advantages in high power and energy capacity, long lifetime, fast response, etc. . CAES system has two separate processes in terms of time, namely the charging and discharging process.

Is compressed air dangerous?

However, despite its usefulness, compressed air can pose significant risks and dangers if not handled properly. Compressed air is utilized in diverse industrial applications, from powering pneumatic tools and machinery to cleaning operations and conveying materials.

What's new in energy storage safety?

Since the publication of the first Energy Storage Safety Strategic Plan in 2014, there have been introductions of new technologies, new use cases, and new codes, standards, regulations, and testing methods. Additionally, failures in deployed energy storage systems (ESS) have led to new emergency response best practices.

What happens if an energy storage system fails?

Any failure of an energy storage system poses the potential for significant financial loss. At the utility scale, ESSs are most often multi-megawatt-sized systems that consist of thousands or millions of individual Li-ion battery cells.

What is compressed air energy storage (CAES)?

Energy storage technologies, e.g., Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES), are promising solutions to increase the renewable energy penetration. However, the CAES system is a multi-component structure with multiple energy forms involved in the process subject to high temperature and high-pressure working conditions.