According to Ingeniøren, a local Danish newspaper specializing in engineering, a group of Danish engineers have managed to devise a small-scale system (several kilowatts) using large reinforced plastic bags, with a view to developing future applications for the large-scale storage of wind power. The same source reports that the degree of efficiency during testing reached figures in excess of 97%.
The experiment was based on previous systems that also use compressed air. This time, however, instead of using large underground caverns to store the compressed air, it is injected into large synthetic bags that are inflated using electric compressors activated by wind energy.
In initial testing, researchers measured an efficiency rate of about 97%, which rose to 99.5% in subsequent tests. The project will soon scale up to larger bags, about 50 metres by 50 metres in a flat/deflated state, designed to store the energy produced by a 34-kW wind turbine.
The researchers explained to Ingeniøren that one of the challenges has been to ensure that the bags can withstand repeated inflation and deflation. Researcher, Ole Hededal, explains that the synthetic material has overcome this challenge, ensuring that the bag can be stretched to a tension of 14%, while the tests have only required a tension of 0.5%. [Inset: A & J Development / Ingeniøren].
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