Liquid air energy storage

In the last couple of chapters, various configurations of compressed air energy stor­age (CAES) systems were introduced and discussed from various perspectives. In this chapter, the technology of liquid air energy storage system (LAES), which works almost based on the same principle as CAES systems, but at higher pressure and lower temperature levels to liquefy the air for the sake of higher storage density and easier storage, is introduced and discussed. Like other chapters, this chapter also starts with a section diving into the general principles of how an LAES system works, its development history, various processes and configurations of that from various points of view, and further crucial fundamentals of the system. In the next stage, the state of the art and practice of the technology are elaborated upon. Next, detailed thermodynamic and economic models of the system are presented, which is followed by a comprehensive technoeconomic assessment of a case study includ­ing an LAES unit. The results presented in the case study section of this chapter provide a clear picture of the operational details of the technology, its important design criteria, and set point parameters. Finally, the chapter closes with discussions on how we see the future of LAES among all the other energy storage solutions and the technological advances we expect to see toward the broad commercialization and mass implementation of LAES.