Performance analysis of an offshore electricity, freshwater, ice, and heating-cooling polygeneration system based on underwater compressed air energy storage

doi:10.19799/j.cnki.2095-4239.2025.0168

Abstract

Abstract:

A novel integrated system based on underwater compressed air energy storage (UCAES) has been proposed to address the challenges of energy storage for offshore renewable energy and the scarcity of electricity, freshwater, ice, and thermal resources in remote marine areas. This system is designed to provide comprehensive solutions for producing electricity, freshwater, ice, cooling, and heating. Thermodynamic models were established to analyze the energy storage and release processes alongside the performance of the polygeneration system. Key findings include: Constant-pressure underwater energy storage offers significantly higher energy storage density and energy recovery efficiency compared to constant-volume storage methods. The integrated system can simultaneously produce electricity, freshwater, hot water, ice, and cooling through compressed air energy storage with interstage compression heat and expansion refrigeration. The interstage compression heat not only preheats the air entering the expander but also powers multieffect distillation desalination devices, enabling the production of 51.45 tons of freshwater per day while also supplying hot water above 60°C, using a 10000 m³ underwater air storage tank at a depth of 500 m. Intermediate-stage expanded air extraction supports ice production and refrigeration, with a daily ice output of 30.72 tons when extracting 50% of air flow rate (equivalent to 30.4 kg/s). The UCAES system effectively resolves the intermittency challenges of offshore wind and solar power, enabling the large-scale development of marine renewable energy. This technology supports the establishment of offshore energy stations that can provide comprehensive energy services for remote islands, fishing vessels, merchant ships, and floating platforms, thereby promoting high-quality growth of the marine economy.

Key words: underwater compressed air energy storage, isobaric energy storage, electricity-freshwater-ice-cooling-heating polygeneration system, cogeneration of electricity and freshwater, marine energy stations

CLC Number:

TK 123

Yi YANG, Shi LIU, Zheng HUANG, Xianbiao BU, Wei WU, Zheran WEN, Juntao XU, Shijie LI. Performance analysis of an offshore electricity, freshwater, ice, and heating-cooling polygeneration system based on underwater compressed air energy storage[J]. Energy Storage Science and Technology, 2025, 14(3): 1160-1167.

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参数名称	数值	单位
环境温度	20	℃
海水表面温度	20	℃
海水表面压力	0.1	MPa
海水密度	1050	kg/m³
压缩机等熵效率	0.88	—
膨胀机等熵效率	0.92	—
电动机效率	0.95	—
发电机效率	0.95	—
换热器效能	0.9	—
冷热水泵效率	0.87	—
水下储罐容积	10000	m³
储能时长	9	h
释能时长	3	h

引出气体质量分数	总发电功率/MW	第三级膨胀机发电功率/MW	引出气体发电功率/MW	制冰量/(t/d)	制冷量/(GJ/d)
0%	21.97	7.37	0	0	0
10%	21.75	6.63	0.52	6.14	1.32
20%	21.54	5.90	1.04	12.29	2.64
30%	21.32	5.16	1.57	18.43	3.97
40%	21.11	4.42	2.09	24.57	5.29
50%	20.89	3.69	2.61	30.72	6.61

制淡热源	总发电功率/MW	第一级膨胀机功率/MW	第二级膨胀机功率/MW	第三级膨胀机功率/MW	淡水产量/(t/d)	制热换热器热量/(GJ/d)
0	21.97	7.23	7.36	7.37	0	0
1	21.53	7.23	7.36	6.94	17.15	16.85
2	20.57	7.23	6.80	6.54	34.30	33.70
3	18.56	6.32	6.15	6.08	51.45	50.55