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Storage Gravitational Energy for Small Scale Industrial and Residential Applications inventions Article Storage Gravitational Energy for Small Scale Industrial and Residential Applications Ana Cristina Ruoso 1, Nattan Roberto Caetano 1 and Luiz Alberto Oliveira Rocha 2,* 1 Department of Production Engineering, Technology Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, Av. Roraima 1000, 97105-900 Santa Maria, Brazil; [email protected] (A.C.R.); [email protected] (N.R.C.) 2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Polytechnic School, University of Vale do Rio dos Sinos, Av. Unisinos 950, 93020-190 São Leopoldo, Brazil * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 27 August 2019; Accepted: 17 October 2019; Published: 31 October 2019 Abstract: Photovoltaic cells produce electric energy in a short interval during a period of low demand and show high levels of intermittency. One of the well-known solutions is to store the energy and convert it into a more stable form, to transform again into electricity during periods of high demand, in which the energy has a higher value. This process provides economic viability for most energy-storage projects, even for the least efficient and most common, such as batteries. Therefore, this paper aims to propose a storage system that operates with gravitational potential energy, considering a small-scale use. The development of this methodology presents the mathematical modeling of the system and compares the main characteristics with other systems. The dimensions of the considered system are 12-m shaft, 5-m piston height, and 4 m of diameter; it presented an energy storage of 11 kWh. Also, it has an efficiency of about 90%, a lifetime of 50 years, and higher storage densities compared to other systems. Keywords: solar energy; gravitational energy; storage system 1. Introduction The production of electricity from renewable sources has grown due to the clean energy policies in many countries [1,2]. The increased demand for energy, without increasing CO2 emissions and exclusive reliance on finite resources, such as fossil fuels, has made necessary the development of advanced renewable energy technologies [3,4]. Many authors have been conducting research to find solutions for the optimal and quality generation, distribution and use of renewable sources [5–14]. Developments in photovoltaic energy technology lead to lower manufacturing costs, which allows solar energy to increase its percentage of electricity in the generation matrix [15,16]. Thus, photovoltaic electricity is one of the best options in comparison to other renewable sources [17,18]. However, solar power is a variable, intermittent, and generally dispersed source when compared to large-scale power plants such as hydroelectric and thermoelectric plants [19,20]. Energy storage systems are applied in response to intermittence and to use the solar source in suitable periods [21]. The use of energy storage systems increases energy reliability and security, supports greater integration of renewable energy, compensates for the levels of intermittency and can lead to a more efficient use of renewable energy sources, avoiding the interruption of the system due to intermittency [22–24]. This system operates at the peak of generation, around midday, transferring the excess generation to a peak of demand. Thus, the energy generated by photovoltaic solar installations during the hours of low demand can be stored and deployed in the early night, when the demand for energy is high, and the cost of electricity is higher, as shown in Figure1. This procedure is particularly Inventions 2019, 4, 64; doi:10.3390/inventions4040064 www.mdpi.com/journal/inventions Inventions 2019, 4, 64 2 of 13 Inventions 2019, 4, x 2 of 13 relevantprocedure for is the particularly service sector relevant and residentialfor the service users, sector for which and demandresidential shows users, considerable for which demand changes duringshows considerable the day [25,26 changes]. during the day [25,26]. Figure 1. Energy generation to meet the demand [[27].27]. The potential benefits benefits of integrated network stor storageage technologies include reducing the need for new transmission and generation ca capacity,pacity, improving load, providing a spinning reserve, correcting frequency, voltagevoltage andand powerpower factors,factors, asas wellwell asas indirectindirect environmentalenvironmental advantagesadvantages [[28,29].28,29]. The energyenergy storage storage is classified is classified as mechanical, as mechan electrochemical,ical, electrochemical, or hydrogen [or30 ].hydrogen Electrochemical [30]. systems,Electrochemical especially systems, acid batteries,especially are acid the batteries, most widely are the used most accumulators widely used accumulators for storing photovoltaic for storing energyphotovoltaic [31,32 ].energy Most research[31,32]. Most on solar research energy on storage solar energy aims to storage find an eaimsfficient to find way an to storeefficient energy, way but to onlystore considersenergy, but conventional only considers battery conventional storage. However, battery storage. battery Howeve usage requiresr, battery a high usage initial requires cost, a is high not cost-einitial ffcost,ective, is not does cost-effective, not support does high not cycling support rates, high and cycling does rates, not store and largedoes amountsnot store large of energy amounts in a smallof energy volume in a [small33,34]. volume Besides, [33,34]. there isBesides, the impact there of is metal the impact depletion of metal during depletion battery during production, battery as wellproduction, as fossil as energy well as consumption fossil energy and consumption consequent and pollution consequent with thepollution use of batterieswith the [use35,36 of]. batteries [35,36].Each energy storage system has specific characteristics of time response, the limit of stored energyEach quantity, energy energy storage level, system charge has and specific discharge characte cycles,ristics energy of time density, response, useful the lifetime, limit eofffi ciency,stored environmentalenergy quantity, impact, energy cost,level, technological charge and discharge maturity, cycles, etc. These energy characteristics density, useful are lifetime, considered efficiency, in all energyenvironmental applications impact, [37 ,38cost,]. technological maturity, etc. These characteristics are considered in all energyThis applications work applies [37,38]. the principle of gravitational energy for energy storage dedicated exclusively for theThis storage work ofapplies photovoltaic the principle solar of energy gravitationa and sizedl energy for small for energy industries storage or residences.dedicated exclusively Therefore, thefor the mechanism storage of is photovol the sametaic as insolar other energy inventions. and sized However, for small the industries applications or residences. shown in Therefore, this study considerthe mechanism require is novel the same features as in that other the inventions. proposed systemHowever, has, the as wasapplications detail explicitly shown in in this the paper.study Therefore,consider require this work novel describes features a that new the gravitational proposed potentialsystem has, energy as was storage detail system explicitly based in onthe existing paper. energyTherefore, storage this work principles describes for a a small new scale.gravitational A review potential of some energy mechanical storage storage system methods, based on especially existing thoseenergy using storage the principles gravitational for potentiala small scale. energy A review principle, of some is performed mechanical in Section storage2, methods, with a comparison especially inthose terms using of power, the gravitational energy rating, potential and round-trip energy principle, efficiency. is performed Section3 presents in Section the 2, sizing, with anda comparison Section4 presentsin terms of the power, dimensions energy and rating, some and characteristics round-trip ef officiency. the proposed Section storage3 presents system. the sizing, Finally, and Section Section5 presents4 presents the the conclusions dimensions drawn and some from characteristics the paper. of the proposed storage system. Finally, Section 5 presents the conclusions drawn from the paper. 2. Background 2. BackgroundStorage system analysis requires assessing several characteristics, as different renewable resources have unique integration requirements and network services, depending on various details, such as the Storage system analysis requires assessing several characteristics, as different renewable type and location of the renewable source. This section introduces some mechanical energy storage resources have unique integration requirements and network services, depending on various details, technologies. However, it mainly addresses one subcategory, the gravitational storage of energy. such as the type and location of the renewable source. This section introduces some mechanical Thus, it discusses the working principle of these technologies, the limitations, their fundamental energy storage technologies. However, it mainly addresses one subcategory, the gravitational storage characteristics, and the existent literature. of energy. Thus, it discusses the working principle of these technologies, the limitations, their fundamental characteristics, and the existent literature. Inventions 2019, 4, 64 3 of 13 Table1 presents storage technologies, flywheel (FES), compressed air energy storage (CAES), pumped hydroelectric energy storage (PHES), underwater ocean storage systems
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