Liquid air 'offers energy storage hope'

bbc.co.uk

9 pointsZenst3 comments

Surely you would need energy to chilled the Air to Liquid?

Important to note, which the article does not, that substances which are gaseous at room temperature are chilled to liquid using excess energy (i.e., energy produced at night). These liquids are stored chilled in vacuum-insulated canisters. These liquids are then brought up to room temperature when needed, and their expansion into gas drives a turbine. Presumably, no external power sources (or only waste heat) is used to warm the gases.

I dunno I thought there outline covered that:

" The process follows a number of stages:

1."Wrong-time electricity" is used to take in air, remove the CO2 and water vapour (these would freeze otherwise) 2.the remaining air, mostly nitrogen, is chilled to -190C (-310F) and turns to liquid (changing the state of the air from gas to liquid is what stores the energy) 3.the liquid air is held in a giant vacuum flask until it is needed 4.when demand for power rises, the liquid is warmed to ambient temperature. As it vaporizes, it drives a turbine to produce electricity - no combustion is involved "

There is even a mention of using waste heat from other sources to expand the gas further.

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