ShirtResearchers have developed a system that uses skyscrapers to create gravity batteries, which can store renewable energy at a low cost.
Simulation of LEST energy storage system. Image: IIASA
The team’s idea at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Vienna, Austria, is based on the fact that excess renewable energy can be stored as potential energy, by lifting heavy objects. higher score. The energy can then be released through the use of gravity to run the generator. The team looked at the heights and locations of the skyscrapers and saw great potential from this energy storage system.
Lifting Energy Storage System (LEST) will use existing elevators in high-rise buildings. Many elevators are designed with regenerative braking systems that can collect energy as the elevator descends and can act as a pre-installed generator. LEST also takes advantage of the empty space in the building, near the base and roof of the building.
LEST can utilize elevator idle time to move heavy loads such as wet sand containers from the base of the building to the roof when there is excess renewable energy, and from the roof to the base of the building when that energy is needed, or returned to the power grid.
The IIASA research team proposes to build a series of automated trailer robots to collect heavy loads and pull in/out the elevator as needed. The robots can be placed along hallways or in empty offices. In addition, heavy objects must not be too bulky to avoid obstructing people from entering the elevator. The robot is also programmed to get out if guests enter and the elevator becomes overloaded. Algorithms can determine the best times to lift heavy loads and when to gather energy reserves without keeping people in the building waiting for the elevator for long.
In a study published in the journal Energy, the research team said that smart elevators using modern permanent magnet synchronous deceleration motors can operate with an efficiency of nearly 92%, under the condition that the elevator is fully loaded and descends at the optimal speed. to produce energy. If large amounts of power are needed in a short time, the lift can be set to go down faster. LEST systems can be even more efficient if cable-free magnetic elevators are used.
Many energy storage technologies are under development, but LEST has some unique characteristics that could give it an edge. First, the system is located in the middle of the city, using existing skyscrapers, helping to cut costs. The system can store energy in the summer, then gradually release the stored energy in the winter. The cost of energy storage according to LEST’s installed capacity is about 21 – 128 USD/kWh, mainly depending on the height of the building. The IIASA research team estimates that the world’s tall buildings can now store 30 to 300 gigawatt hours of electricity, enough for New York City to use for a month at current rates of electricity consumption.
An Khang (Follow New Atlas)
at Blogtuan.info – Source: vnexpress.net – Read the original article here
