Systems and methods for providing cooling in compressed air storage power supply systems

1 . A method for cooling power electronics in an electrical generation system that generates power from stored compressed gas, said method comprising:

providing a source of compressed gas;

selectively decompressing said compressed gas, the decompression of which causes the temperature of said compressed gas to drop to a predetermined temperature; and

routing said decompressed gas to, or proximal to, power electronics to remove heat from said power electronics.

2 . The method defined in claim 1 , further comprising:

maintaining an operating temperature of said power electronics at a desired operating temperature with said decompressed gas.

3 . The method defined in claim 1 , further comprising:

maintaining an operating temperature of said power electronics at a desired operating temperature with natural convection heat sinks.

4 . The method defined in claim 1 , further comprising:

powering a turbine with said selectively decompressed gas.

5 . The method defined in claim 1 , further comprising:

routing a first portion of said cool gas to a turbine;

routing a second portion of said cool gas to, or proximal to, said power electronics; and

re-routing said second portion to said turbine after said second portion has been routed to said power electronics.

6 . The method defined in claim 5 , wherein said re-routing comprises heating said second portion prior to providing said re-routed second portion to said turbine.

7 . The method defined in claim 6 , wherein said heating comprises recovering heat from said power electronics.

8 . The method defined in claim 6 , wherein said heating is performed by an exhaustless heater.

9 . The method defined in claim 1 , further comprising:

using natural convection heat sinks to cool said power electronics when said generation system is operating in a standby mode of operation and in an active mode of operation.

10 . A method for providing backup power to a critical load in the event of a disturbance in the supply of power from a primary power source, comprising:

providing a compressed gas;

driving a turbine-generator with said compressed gas to generate power; and

cooling at least power electronics with said compressed gas.

11 . The method defined in claim 10 , wherein said cooling comprises:

decompressing said compressed gas to provide a cool gas;

routing said cool gas to said power electronics.

12 . The method defined in claim 11 , further comprising:

heating said cool gas to a predetermined temperature after said cool gas has been routed to said power electronics

13 . The method defined in claim 1 , wherein said cooling comprises maintaining said power electronics at a desired operating temperature.

14 . A method for cooling power electronics of a compressed air storage system, comprising:

providing a compressed gas;

regulating the expansion of said compressed gas, the expansion of which causes said compressed gas to cool;

routing said cool gas to through a heat-exchanger to which said power electronics are mounted; and

removing heat from said power electronics as said cool gas passes through said heat-exchanger.

15 . The method defined in claim 14 further comprising:

driving a turbine-generator with said compressed gas to provide backup power.

16 . A system for cooling power electronics, comprising:

a source of compressed gas;

a valve connected to said source and operative to decompress said compressed gas, the decompression of which causes the temperature of said compressed gas to drop to a predetermined temperature; and

a path connected to said valve that routes said decompressed gas to, or proximal to, power electronics to remove heat from said power electronics.

17 . The system defined in claim 16 , further comprising:

a turbine-generator connected to the portion of said path exiting said power electronics, said turbine-generator generates power as said decompressed gas being routed through said path drives the turbine blades of the turbine.

18 . The system defined in claim 16 , further comprising:

an exhaustless heater connected to the portion of said path exiting said power electronics, said heater heats said decompressed gas to a predetermined temperature; and

a turbine-generator connected to the output of said exhaustless heater, said turbine-generator generates power as said heated decompressed gas drives the turbine blades of the turbine.

19 . The system defined in claim 18 , wherein said exhaustless heater is a thermal storage unit.

20 . The system defined in claim 16 , further comprising:

a heat-exchanger connected to said path and to said power electronics, said heat-exchanger enables said decompressed gas to absorb heat generated by said power electronics.

21 . The system defined in claim 20 , further comprising:

at least one natural convection heat-sink coupled to said heat exchanger.

22 . The system defined in claim 16 , wherein said path is a first path, said first path routes said decompressed gas to said power electronics, a thermal storage unit, and to a turbine-generator.

23 . The system defined in claim 21 , further comprising a second path connected to said valve that routes said decompressed gas substantially directly to said turbine-generator.

24 . The system defined in claim 16 , wherein said predetermined temperature is a temperature lower than the temperature of said compressed gas stored in said air source.

25 . The system defined in claim 16 , wherein said compressed gas is compressed air.

26 . The system defined in claim 16 , wherein said valve is a pressure regulator.

27 . A system for maintaining a desired operating temperature of power electronics in an electrical generation system that uses compressed gas to generates electrical power, comprising:

a source of compressed gas;

a valve that regulates the expansion of said compressed gas, the expansion of which causes said compressed gas to cool;

a heat-exchanger having mounted thereon said power electronics and connected to receive said cool gas from said valve, said heat-exchanger constructed to enable said cool gas to remove heat from said power electronics as said cool gas passes through said heat-exchanger.

28 . The system defined in claim 27 , further comprising:

at least one natural convection heat-sink coupled to said heat-exchanger.

29 . The system defined in claim 27 , further comprising:

an exhaustless heater connected to receive said cool gas exiting said heat-exchanger, said heater heats said cool gas to a predetermined temperature.

30 . The system defined in claim 27 , further comprising control circuitry operative to control the operation of said valve.

31 . A method for operating power electronics in a saturated power density mode, said method comprising:

providing power electronics;

selectively operating said power electronics in a normal power density mode and in a saturated power density mode; and

cooling said power electronics with a cool gas when said power electronics are operating in said saturated power density mode.

32 . The method defined in claim 31 , wherein said cooling comprises:

providing a source of compressed gas;

selectively decompressing said compressed gas, the decompression of which provides said cool gas; and

routing said cool gas to, or proximal to, said power electronics.

33 . The method defined in claim 31 , wherein said normal power density mode is operative when said power electronics is in a standby mode of operation.

34 . The method defined in claim 31 , wherein said saturated power density mode is operative when said power electronics is in an active mode of operation.

35 . The method defined in claim 31 , further comprising:

preventing said power electronics from overheating when operating in said saturated power density mode.

36 . A system for operating power electronics in a saturated power density mode, said system comprising:

power electronics mounted to a heat-exchanger;

control circuitry connected to said power electronics and operative to instruct said power electronics to operate in a normal power density mode or in a saturated power density mode; and

a cool gas source connected to said heat-exchanger, said cool gas source provides cool gas to said heat-exchanger to cool said power electronics when said power electronics are operating in said saturated power density mode.

37 . The system defined in claim 36 , wherein said cool gas source comprises:

a source of compressed gas; and

a valve coupled to said source of compressed gas and operative to control the decompression of said compressed gas, the decompression of which provides said cool gas.

38 . The system defined in claim 36 , wherein said normal power density mode is operative when said power electronics is in a standby mode of operation.

39 . The method defined in claim 36 , wherein said saturated power density mode is operative when said power electronics is in an active mode of operation.

40 . The system defined in claim 36 , further comprising:

at least one natural convection heat sink connected to said heat-exchanger.

41 . A heat-exchanger, comprising:

an inlet port;

an outlet port;

a gas-cooled heat sink coupled to said inlet and outlet ports, said inlet port is connected to said outlet port via an internal channel capable of routing a gas therethrough; and

at least one natural convection heat sink coupled to said gas-cooled heat sink.

42 . The heat-exchanger defined in claim 41 , further comprising:

power electronics mounted to said gas-cooled heat sink.

43 . The heat-exchanger defined in claim 41 , further comprising:

at least one capacitor mounted to said gas-cooled heat sink.