Assignment – Week 10

Questions 1-7 have 1 mark each (choose closest numerical answer)

1. What is the main objective of energy storage?

a. Offset adverse effect of fluctuating demand
b. Assure steady output from existing plants
c. Meet peak demand on short notice
d. All of the above

Answer: d

Self-explanatory

2. How much energy can be stored by 500 kg of water raised by 100-m in a pumped hydro
installation? Assume no pumping losses, density of water to be 1000 kg/m3 and g = 9.81 m/s2
a. 0.25 kW-h
b. 0.15 kW-h
c. 0.98 MJ
d. 0.5 MJ

Answer: b & d

Energy stored = mgh = 500-kg x 9.81-m/s2 x 100-m = 0.4905 MJ = 0.136 kW-h

3. If pumped hydro system which is not a source of loss

a. Leakage of fluid from pipes and equipment
b. Water addition due to rain
c. Evaporation during storage
d. Turbine losses

Answer: b

Water addition cannot result in losses. In some cases, it may even help in the storage reservoir by
compensating for losses due to evaporation, seepage and leakage.

4. Why is the compressed air in a storage system cooled before storage?

a. Prevent heat loss during storage
b. Improve turn around efficiency
c. Reduces storage volume
d. Help in a hybrid system

Answer: c

At a constant pressure, if a gas is cooled its density increases. Thus the same mass of air can be
stored in a smaller volume.

5. In an SMES
 a. Magnetic energy is converted to electrical energy
b. Magnetic Energy can be stored indefinitely
c. Electrical resistance of the coil drops to zero
d. All of the above

Answer: d

SMES occurs by storage of energy in a magnetic field using superconducting materials whose
electrical resistance falls to zero below a threshold temperature. The energy can be stored
indefinitely and the current does not decay unless it is discharged by connecting a resistance (load)
to the circuit.

6. A flywheel’s energy storage can be increased by

a. Locating more mass at the circumference
b. Reducing frictional losses
c. Choosing material with high tensile strength
d. All of the above

Answer: d

Locating more mass at the circumference increases moment of inertia while reducing frinction
reduces energy losses. Materials with high tensile strength can enable the flywheel to rotate at
higher RPM and withstand higher centripetal forces.

7. What is the primary reason for the Alabama CAES installation more energy efficient than Huntorf
installation?
a. Recuperator uses waste heat from turbine
b. Newer plant with better equipment
c. Hybrid system with adiabatic storage
d. Uses intercooler between compression stages

Answer: a

The Alabama plant is equippes with a recuperator that uses the waste exhaust gas from the turbine
to pre-heat the air from the cavern.

Questions 8-11 have 2 marks each (choose closest numerical answer)

8. In a CAES plant, air is compressed from 1 bar, 25⁰C to 50 bar. Calculate the compressed air
temperature. Assuming, Cp/Cv of air to be 1.4.
a. 560 ⁰C
b. 780 ⁰C
 c. 910 ⁰C
d. 640 ⁰C

Answer: d
𝛾−1
𝑇2 𝑝2 𝛾
Using =( ) , one can get T2 = 911K = 638⁰C.
𝑇1 𝑝1

9. In problem 8, if the compressor efficiency is 85%, what should be the compressed air
temperature?
a. 800 ⁰C
b. 750 ⁰C
c. 650 ⁰C
d. Insufficient data

Ans: b
𝑇2𝑠 −𝑇1
Using = 0.85 and T2S = 638 ⁰C , we get T2’ = 746.18 ⁰C
𝑇2′ −𝑇1

10. A flywheel in the form of a disc 5-m in diameter and 2-m thick rotates at N = 3000 rpm. It is made
of a material with a uniform density of 2000 kg/m3. Calculate the energy stored in the flywheel.
a. 12 MJ
b. 12 GJ
c. 12 kW-h
d. 24 MJ

Ans: b

Using E = ½ I2, I = ½ mr2 and  = 2πN/60, for a solid disc, one can calculate E = 12111.8 MJ

11. If the flywheel in Q.10 is slowed down to 1500 rpm, how much energy can be recovered?
a. 12 MJ
b. 3 GJ
c. 6 MJ
d. 9 GJ

Ans: d

Energy recovered = ½ I (f2 - i2)= 9083 MJ