High-efficiency liquid heat exchange in compressed-gas energy storage systems

1. A method for improving efficiency of a compressed-gas energy storage and recovery system, the method comprising:

within a cylinder assembly, compressing gas from a first pressure to a second pressure larger than the first pressure, thereby storing energy;

during the compression, introducing a heat-transfer fluid into the cylinder assembly to exchange heat with the gas, thereby increasing efficiency of the energy storage, a portion of the gas dissolving into the heat-transfer fluid;

exhausting from the cylinder assembly gas at the second pressure, at least a portion of the heat-transfer fluid remaining in the cylinder assembly; and

thereafter, recovering energy from gas effervescing from the heat-transfer fluid in the cylinder assembly.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein energy is recovered from effervescing gas using a regenerative stroke.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein (i) during the exhausting of gas from the cylinder assembly, a portion of the gas is trapped in dead volume in the cylinder assembly, and (ii) the regenerative stroke recovers energy from the gas disposed in the dead volume.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the cylinder assembly comprises a piston therewithin, and the energy recovered during the regenerative stroke drives at least one of (i) a mechanism mechanically coupled to the piston or (ii) a hydraulic system coupled to the cylinder assembly.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, after recovering energy, (i) introducing additional gas at the first pressure into the cylinder assembly and (ii) compressing the additional gas from the first pressure to the second pressure.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein exhausting gas from the cylinder assembly comprises transferring gas from the cylinder assembly to a compressed-gas reservoir.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein exhausting gas from the cylinder assembly comprises transferring gas from the cylinder assembly to a second cylinder assembly, and further comprising compressing gas within the second cylinder assembly from the second pressure to a third pressure larger than the second pressure.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heat-transfer fluid is introduced into the cylinder assembly at least by spraying.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising terminating energy recovery when a pressure within the cylinder assembly reaches the first pressure.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first pressure is approximately atmospheric pressure.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heat-transfer fluid is conditioned to at least one of (i) reduce a solubility of the gas in the heat-transfer fluid or (ii) reduce a rate of dissolution of the gas into the heat-transfer fluid.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein conditioning comprises heating the heat-transfer fluid to reduce a solubility of the gas therein.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the heat-transfer fluid comprises a solute therein.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the solute comprises a salt.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein energy stored during compression of the gas originates from an intermittent renewable energy source of wind or solar energy, and further comprising expanding gas within the cylinder assembly to recover energy when the intermittent renewable energy source is nonfunctional.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heat-transfer fluid comprises an additive to reduce a surface tension thereof.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the additive comprises a surfactant.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the heat-transfer fluid is introduced into the cylinder assembly as a spray, an injection velocity of the spray being less than an injection velocity required to form a spray from the heat-transfer fluid without the additive.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchange between the heat-transfer fluid and the gas renders the compression of the gas substantially isothermal.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heat-transfer fluid comprises water.