Design Study for the European Underground Research Infrastructure related to Advanced Adiabatic Compressed Air Energy Storage

Research areas

The planned “Underground Research Infrastructure for Advanced Adiabatic Compressed Air Energy Storage” will provide unique research opportunities for universities and companies to encourage research on the following issues:

  • Research regarding the thermal interaction between the surrounding rock or soil, the lining materials behaviour and the pressure of the stored compressed air.
  • Research on completely new resource-efficient environmental friendly excavation and cutting technologies for rock and soil, to be able to build large underground storage caverns even close to highly populated areas without producing noise and vibration.
  • Research on dimensioning large underground storage caverns in various ground types using powerful 3D-numerical simulation tools which will be evaluated with underground 1:1 scale tests.
  • Research on new economical advanced materials resistant to the extraordinary high pressure conditions up to 50 bar and high temperature of up to 800°C.
  • Research regarding new principles for equalization of working pressures during compression and expansion of gases for substantially increased efficiency of air storage cycles.
  • Research regarding operational safety aspects for high-pressure storage of inert gases in underground structures.
  • Research on Modelling of compressed air flows.
  • Research on System Integration.

 

 

RICAS