energy, power latent heat - data analysis - power storage systems
1. One possible design for a storage power station is to use off-peak energy to compress air into a sealed underground canve and then, during periods of high demand, to reverse the system so that the air can drive a generator.
one system of this type compresses air from the atmospheric pressure (10^5 Pa) to 7 MPa in an underground cave of volume 3 x 10^5 m3.
a) calculate the volume of this air before compression
b) sketch a graph of pressure against volume for the air, assuming that the temperature is constant... (I ASSUME THAT THIS WOULD BE A CURVED GRAPH, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO DOUBLE CHECK).
c) the area under the curve is given by the formula:
area = P1 V1 In (P2/P1), where P1, V1 are the pressure and volume respectively before the compression and P2 is the pressure after the compression.
use the formula to estimate the stored energy in the air.
2. batteries of storage cells could also be used. Lead-acid batteries can store about 50 W-h kg-1 of their mass and generate a pek power of 70 W kg-1.
a) claculate the energy stored per kilogram mass of the battery.
3. a third type of storage system pumps water at periods of low demand from an underground reservoir to a lake high in the mountains. At peak demand times the water is allowed to flow back down to the reservoir through a turbine and generating system. The stored water (density kg m-3) drops through a vertical distance of 370m as it does so.
a) estimate the volume of water that is required to flow in order that this station will equal the energy storage capacity of the air system described in question 1.
b) the pipe down which the water flows is 1.6m in diameter. Estimate the speed of the water flow.