MXPA05013456A

MXPA05013456A - A method of coordinating and stabilizing the delivery of wind generated energy.

Info

Publication number: MXPA05013456A
Application number: MXPA05013456A
Authority: MX
Inventors: Paul Lieberman; Ben M Enis
Original assignee: Ben M Enis
Priority date: 2003-06-13
Filing date: 2004-06-14
Publication date: 2007-01-30
Also published as: CN1860485A; AU2004250158B2; CA2527597A1; BRPI0411368A; NZ544679A; EP1636729A2; WO2004113720A2; JP2007500823A; AU2004250158A1; CN100468426C; WO2004113720A3; EP1636729A4; ZA200600051B

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of coordinating and stabilizing the delivery of wind generated power, such as to a power grid, so as to avoid sudden surges and spikes, despite wind speed fluctuations and oscillations. The method preferably uses a plurality of windmill stations, including a number of immediate use stations, energy storage stations, and hybrid stations, wherein energy can be used directly by the power grid, and stored for later use when demand is high or wind availability is low. The method contemplates forming an energy delivery schedule, to coordinate the use of direct energy and energy from storage, based on daily wind speed forecasts, which help to predict the resulting wind power availability levels for the upcoming day. The schedule preferably sects a reduced number of constant power output periods during the day, during which time energy delivery levels remain substantially constant, despite fluctuations and oscillations in wind speed and wind power availability levels.

Description

METHOD FOR COORDINATING AND STABILIZING THE ENERGY FEED GENERATED BY THE WIND FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention is concerned with energy systems generated by the wind and in particular with a method to coordinate and stabilize the power supply generated by the wind, such as to an energy grid.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The generation of energy from natural sources, such as sun and wind, has been an important objective in this country in the last several decades. Attempts to reduce dependence on oil, such as from foreign sources, have become an important national issue. Energy experts fear that some of these resources, which include oil, gas and coal, may one day be depleted. Because of these concerns, many projects have been initiated in an attempt to harness the energy derived from what are called natural "alternative" sources. While solar energy may be the most widely known alternative source, there is also the potential to take advantage of tremendous wind energy. Wind farms, for example, have been integrated into many areas of the country where the wind blows naturally. In many of these applications, a large number of windmills are built and "pointed" into the wind. As the wind blows against the windmills, rotational energy is created which is then used to drive generators which in turn can generate electricity. This energy is frequently used to supplement the energy produced by electric power generating plants and distributed by national electric power grids. Wind farms are put into operation better when wind conditions are relatively constant and predictable. Such conditions allow a consistent and predictable amount of energy to be generated and supplied, thereby avoiding pulsations and oscillations that could adversely affect the system. However, the difficulty is that the wind by its very nature is unpredictable and uncertain. In most cases, the wind speeds, frequencies and durations vary considerably, that is, the wind never blows at the same speed over an extended period of time and the wind speeds themselves can vary significantly from time to time. other. In addition, because the amount of energy generated by the wind is mathematically a function of the wind speed cube, even the slightest fluctuation or oscillation in wind speed can result in a disproportionate change in the energy generated by the wind . For example, a triplicate change in wind speed (increase or decrease) can result in a 27-fold change in the energy generated by the wind, that is, 3 to the cube is equal to 27. This is particularly significant in the context of a wind farm that feeds energy into a national electric power grid, which is a giant network made up of a multitude of smaller networks. These sudden pulsations in an area can alter other areas and can even paralyze the entire system in some cases. Due to these problems, in current systems, it is difficult to deal with the energy outputs of the wind farm and can cause problems for the entire system. Another problem associated with fluctuations and oscillations of the wind is relative to the peak energy sensitivity of the remission lines in the national power grid. When fluctuations in wind speed are significant and fluctuations in wind energy output occur, the system must be designed to take these variations into account, so that the system will have sufficient line capacity to withstand the fluctuations and oscillations of the wind. Energy. At the same time, if too much consideration is given to these peak energy outputs, the system may end up being overdesigned (that is, if the system is designed to withstand pulsations for a small percentage of the time, the capacity of the national power grid for the greater percentage of time may not be used efficiently and effectively.) Another problem related is the temporary loss of wind energy associated with absence of wind or very low wind speed in some circumstances.When this occurs, there may be a space in the wind power supply, which may be detrimental to the energy output of the wind. This is especially important when large wind farms are used, where there is greater dependence on the energy generated by the wind, to displace the periods of peak demand Because of these problems, attempts have been made in the past to store the energy produced by the wind, in such a way that the energy generated by the wind can be used during ryodos of peak demand and / or periods when little or no wind is available, that is, change of time of the energy when it is more available to when it is most needed. However, these systems of the past have failed to be implemented reliably and consistently. The attempts of the past have not been able to reduce the inefficiencies and difficulties, as well as the fluctuation and oscillation problems discussed above, inherent in using the wind as an energy source for an extended period of time. Despite these problems, because wind is a significant natural resource that will never run out and is often abundant in many locations around the world, there is a desire to develop a method to harness the energy generated by the wind, to provide electrical energy in a way that allows not only energy to be stored, but allows the energy of the national power grid to be coordinated, managed and stabilized, to uniform fluctuations and oscillations of wind energy, while at the same time At the same time, the wind energy spaces are filled before the power supply, in such a way that the oscillations and pulses of energy that can adversely affect the national energy network, can be eliminated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention is concerned with a method for using and storing the energy generated by the wind and effectively coordinating, managing and stabilizing the administration of that energy in a manner that allows the fluctuations and oscillations of the wind energy to be Reduced or avoided, by standardizing and stabilizing the power supply to the national grid, and avoiding sudden pulsations and oscillations that can adversely affect the power supply system. The present method comprises a process that uses daily forecasts and wind projections to anticipate the wind conditions and characteristics of the coming day and then use those data to plan and effectively develop a feeding schedule, in order to allow the system to proportions. the longest possible periods of time in which the levels of energy output generated by the wind to the national power grid can remain constant for the coming 24-hour period. In this regard, the present system contemplates the use of several types of power generation systems, which include those that can store energy for later use and a control system that can determine how much energy is stored and how much is used from storage in any given time. In one aspect, the present system comprises windmill stations that are dedicated to various uses to determine how much wind energy is generated. The first of these stations, is dedicated to creating energy for direct and immediate use by the national energy network or community (hereinafter referred to as "stations of immediate use." The second of these windmill stations it is dedicated to energy storage using a compressed air power system (hereinafter referred to as "energy storage stations"). The third of these windmill stations can be switched between the two ( hereinafter referred to herein as "hybrid stations".) The system is preferably designed with a predetermined number and proportion of each type of windmill station to allow the system to be both economical and energy efficient in the Proper generation of energy for both immediate use and storage at any given time. in communities where there is a need for a large number of windmill stations, that is, a wind farm and / or access to an existing national power grid, so that the energy of the system can be used to supplement the conventional energy sources. Each station of immediate use preferably has a horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT) and an electrical generator located in the windmill nacelle, in such a way that the rotational movement caused by the wind is converted directly to electrical energy via the generator . This can be done, for example, by directly connecting the electric generator to the rotational shaft of the wind turbine, so that the mechanical energy derived from the wind can directly drive the generator. By locating the generator downstream of the gearbox on the windmill shaft, and by using the mechanical energy of the windmill directly, the energy losses commonly attributed to other types of arrangements can be avoided. The energy storage stations are more complex in terms of bringing the mechanical rotational energy from the nacelle, above the ground to the level of the floor as rotational mechanical energy. Also, each energy storage station is connected to a compressor in a way that converts wind energy to compressed air energy directly. The horizontally oriented wind turbine of each energy storage station preferably has a horizontal shaft connected to a first gearbox, which is connected to a vertical shaft that extends to the windmill tower, which in turn is connected to a second gearbox connected to another horizontal tree located on the ground. Then, the lower horizontal shaft is connected to the compressor, in such a way that the mechanical energy derived from the wind can be converted directly to compressed air energy and stored. The compressed air of each energy storage station is preferably channeled to one or more high pressure storage tanks or pipe storage system, where the compressed air can be stored. The storage of compressed air allows the energy derived from the wind to be stored for an extended period of time. By storing energy in this way, compressed air can be released and expanded by turboexpans at the appropriate time, such as when little or no wind is available and / or during periods of peak demand. Then the released and expanded air can drive an electric generator, in such a way that the energy derived from the wind can be used to generate electric power in a base "as needed", that is, when the energy is really needed, which can coincide or not with when the wind really blows. The present invention contemplates that the storage tank, pipe system and / or related components and their masses, can be designed to absorb and release heat to keep the air stored at a relatively stable temperature, even during compression and expansion. For example, when using large storage tanks, the preferred embodiment comprises using a heat transfer system comprised of piping extending through the rior of each tank, wherein the heat transfer fluid (such as an antifreeze) It can be distributed through the pipeline to provide an efficient way in cost to keep the temperature in the tank relatively stable. The present system can also incorporate other heating systems, which include heating devices that can be provided with storage tanks that can help generate additional heat and pressure energy and provide means by which the expanding air freezes. Alternatively, the present invention also contemplates using a combination of solar heat, compressor waste heat, combustors and low level fossil fuel energy, etc., to provide the heat necessary to increase the temperature and pressure of the compressed air in the storage tank. The present system also contemplates that the cold air created by the expansion of the compressed air leaving the turboexpansor may be used for additional cooling purposes, that is, such as during the summer where the air conditioning services could be in demand. It can be seen that the stations of immediate use discussed above can be used to produce electricity directly from the windmill stations for immediate supply to the national electric power grid. On the other hand, it can be seen that the energy storage stations can be used to shift the time of the power supply generated by the wind, in such a way that the energy generated by the wind can be made available to the national network of energy even in times that are not coincident with when the wind really blows, that is, when no wind is blowing and / or during periods of peak demand. The coordination and use of these stations allows the current system to provide continuous and unrrupted power in a stabilized manner to the national power grid, despite fluctuations and oscillations in wind speed, by coordinating and managing the energy flow of the several stations to the national energy network. The present system preferably incorporates hybrid windmill stations that can be adapted and switched between energy for immediate use and energy for storage., that is, a switch can be used to determine the energy levels dedicated for immediate use and storage. In such a case, the ratio between the amount of energy dedicated for immediate use and that dedicated for storage can be changed additionally by making certain adjustments, that is, such as when using clutches and gears located in the hybrid station, in such a way that the Appropriate amount of energy of each kind can be provided. This allows the hybrid station to be adapted to a given application at virtually any time, to allow the system to provide the appropriate amount of energy for immediate use and energy storage, depending on wind availability and energy demand at any given time . By using these three types of windmill stations, the present system is best suited to assign the energy generated by the wind either for immediate power to the national grid of energy or storage and energy use, depending on wind conditions and need for the national energy network. That is, the hybrid stations can be used in conjunction with the stations of immediate use and energy storage to provide the appropriate proportion of energy the lime would allow large wind farms to be designed in a more flexible and adapted, for example, cloth so that the appropriate amount of energy can be fed to the national power grid at the appropriate time, to meet the particular demands of the system. In short, the use of a combination of the three types of windmill stations allows a system to be more specifically adapted and adapted in such a way that a constant power supply can be provided for longer periods of time. Wind patterns at any particular location can change from one time to another, that is, from one season to another, from one month to another and more importantly from one day to another, from one hour to another and from minute to minute. Thus, these fluctuations and oscillations must be treated in conjunction with energy storage so that the system provides continuous power at a more constant rate or rate. The present invention contemplates that forecasts of the daily time can be obtained for the particular area where the wind farm is located, to project the conditions and characteristics of the wind for each coming day. These weather forecasts are designed to be based on the latest weather forecasting technologies available to approximate as closely as possible to the actual expected wind conditions over the course of the forthcoming 24-hour period. While these forecasts may not be completely accurate, they can provide a very close approximation of the expected wind conditions, sufficient for purposes of planning and developing the wind supply schedules, which will allow the system to operate continuously. Once each daily forecast is obtained, the present method contemplates using the data to formulate the energy feeding schedule for the coming day, based on the forecast, with the objective of creating the longest possible periods of time during which the The level of energy output generated by the wind to the national power grid can remain constant. For example, in the preferred embodiment, it is desirable to have more than about 3 periods of constant energy output during any given day, such that there will be less than three changes to the energy output speed, which is supplied to the national network of energy on which day (although as many as seven or more constant periods of energy can be provided if necessary). By allowing the system to provide longer periods when the output of energy generated by the wind is constant, the present system allows pulsations and oscillations of energy, such as those caused by fluctuations and oscillations of wind speed, to be reduced and some cases completely eliminated. The way in which daily programs are planned and carried out uses the windmill stations discussed above, also as a valve control system to control the amount of energy that is stored and used from storage. The system contemplates having the ability to control the amount of energy output levels generated by the wind at any given time by implementing an appropriate number of storage stations for immediate use and storage of energy to generate power and converting the appropriate number • of hybrid stations and then control how much energy is supplied directly to the national energy grid and how much is provided via energy storage, using expanders and compressors, at any given moment in time. The controls are also necessary to maintain the appropriate energy levels in storage, based on continuously updating wind forecasts, so that the system never runs out of stored energy. Based on wind forecasts, it is possible during any given day to anticipate the need for additional storage energy (such as when the power required is expected to exceed the power delivered during the 24-hour period) and when it is not necessary (such as when it is expected that there will be enough wind to provide direct energy during the next 24 hour period).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES The Figure shows a flow chart of a horizontal axis wind turbine system dedicated to generating energy for immediate use; Figure Ib shows a flow chart of a modified horizontal axis wind turbine system dedicated to storing energy in a compressed air power system; Figure 2a shows a flow diagram of a hybrid horizontal axis wind turbine system to generate electricity between immediate use and energy storage; Figure 2b shows an example of a pressure release valve system; Figure 3 shows a wind histogram for a location in Kansas during the month of November 1996; Figure 4 shows six daily wind stories for the period between November 1 and November 6, 1996 at the same site in Kansas; Figure 5 shows a comparison between the Nordex N50 / 800 and a computer model.

Figure 6 contains two graphs showing two potential feeding schedules for November 1, 1996; Figure 7a contains two graphs showing an 87/13 ratio between immediate use and energy storage, the upper graph compares the constant output periods with the wind curve / energy availability and the background graph compares the constant output periods with the amount of energy supplied to storage, both for the same day November 1, 1996; Figure 7b contains two graphs, the upper graph shows the amount of energy in storage with respect to time and the graph of the bottom shows the pressure and temperature curves in storage, both for the same day November 1, 1996; Figure 8a contains two graphs for November 5, 1996, in the same place that shows a 60/40 ratio between immediate use and energy storage, the upper graph compares the constant output periods with the wind curve / availability of energy. energy and the background graph compares the periods of constant output with the amount of energy supplied to the storage; Figure 8b contains two graphs for November 5, 1996, the upper graph shows the amount of energy in storage with respect to time and the graph of the bottom shows the pressure and temperature curves in storage; Figure 9a contains two graphs for November 6, 1996 at the same site showing a 50/50 ratio between immediate use and energy storage, the upper graph comparing constant output periods with the wind curve / energy availability and the bottom chart compares the constant output periods with the amount of energy supplied to the storage; Figure 9b shows two graphs for November 6, 1996, the upper graph shows the amount of energy in storage with respect to time and the graph of the bottom shows the pressure and temperature curves in storage; Y Figure 10 is a graph that shows the daily feeding programs for the three days, indicating the number of windmills for immediate use and energy storage that were optional, based on the adjustments of the hybrid stations and the number of tanks used storage and the cost of generating energy every day.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The apparatus portion of the present invention comprises three different types of wind mill stations, in which a first type having a horizontal axis wind turbine that converts rotational mechanical energy to electrical energy is included. using an electric generator and providing energy for immediate use (hereinafter referred to as "immediate use stations"), a second type having a horizontal axis wind turbine that converts mechanical rotational energy to air energy compressed for energy storage (hereinafter referred to as "energy storage stations" and a third type that combines the characteristics of the first two in a single windmill station that has the ability to share energy mechanical rotational to electrical energy for immediate use and / or energy storage (hereinafter referred to as "hybrid stations"). The present system is designed to use and coordinate the three types of windmill stations described above, such that a predetermined portion of the energy generated by the wind can be dedicated to energy for immediate use and a predetermined portion of energy can be used. be dedicated to energy storage. The following discussion describes each of the three types of windmill stations, followed by a description of how to coordinate the windmill stations for any given application: A. Immediate use stations: The Figure shows a schematic flow diagram of an immediate use station. The diagram shows how the mechanical rotational energy generated by a windmill is converted to electrical energy and supplied as electric power for immediate use. The energy derived from the wind can be converted to electrical energy more efficiently when the conversion is direct, for example the efficiency of the energy systems generated by the wind can be improved by taking direct advantage of the mechanical rotational movement caused by the wind as it blows. on the blades of the windmill to directly generate electricity. Like the conventional windmill devices used to create electric power, the present invention contemplates that each station for immediate use will comprise a windmill tower with a horizontal axis wind turbine located thereon. The tower is preferably erected to position the wind turbine at a predetermined height and each wind turbine is preferably "pointed" toward the wind to maximize the intercept area with the wind, as well as the wind energy conversion efficiency of the station. . A wind turbine, such as those manufactured by several standard manufacturers, can be installed at the top of the tower, with blades or blades of the windmill positioned around a rotational tree oriented horizontally. In this embodiment, a gearbox and an electric generator are preferably located in the windmill nacelle, such that the mechanical rotational energy of the shaft can directly drive the generator to produce electrical energy. By locating the electric generator directly on the shaft via a gearbox, the mechanical energy can be converted more efficiently to electrical energy. Then the electrical energy can be transmitted to the tower via a power line, which can be connected to other lines or cables that feed power from the station of immediate use to the national power grid or another user. The present invention contemplates that the stations of immediate use will be used in connection with other wind mill stations that are apt to store wind energy for later use as described in more detail below. This is because, as discussed above, the wind is generally unreliable and unpredictable and therefore, having only immediate use stations to supply power for immediate use will not allow the system to be used to provide an energy outlet. at a constant rate or rate. Thus, the present invention contemplates that in wind farm applications where multiple windmill stations are installed, additional energy storage stations would also be installed and used.

B. Energy Storage Stations Figure Ib shows a schematic flow diagram of a windmill station for energy storage. This station preferably comprises a conventional windmill tower and horizontal axis wind turbine as discussed above in relation to the stations of immediate use. Likewise, the wind turbine is preferably located in the upper part of the windmill tower and is apt to be pointed towards the wind as in the previous design. A rotational tree is also extended from the wind turbine to transport energy. However, unlike the previous design, in this embodiment, the energy derived from the wind is preferably extracted at the base of the windmill tower for the storage of energy. As shown in Figure Ib, a first gearbox is preferably located adjacent to the wind turbine in the windmill nacelle, which can transfer the rotational movement of the horizontal drive shaft to a vertical shaft extending through the wind turbine. windmill tower. At the base of the tower, there is preferably a second gearbox designed to transfer the rotational movement of the vertical shaft to another horizontal shaft located on the ground, which is then connected to a compressor. The mechanical rotational energy of the wind turbine on top of the towers can therefore be transferred to the towers and converted directly to compressed air energy, via the compressor located at the base of the tower or somewhere nearby. A mechanical motor in the compressor drives the compressed air energy to one or more high-pressure storage tanks or piping system located in the ground. With this arrangement, each energy storage station is able to convert the mechanical wind energy directly to compressed air energy, which can be stored for later use, such as during periods of peak demand and / or when little or no Wind is available. The energy storage portion of the present system preferably comprises means for storing compressed air energy, such as in storage tanks or a pipe system. Reference may be made to U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 10 / 263,848, filed on October 4, 2002, for additional information regarding the storage tank, heating and other apparatus and methods that are capable of being used in connection with the present invention and the provisional US patent application filed by the applicant on May 30, 2003, entitled "A Method of Storing and Transporting Wind Generated Energy Using a Pipeline System", and the related non-provisional application filed on June 1, 2004, for additional information regarding the pipe system for storing and transporting wind generated energy which may be used in connection with the present invention. The storage facility is preferably located in proximity to the energy storage stations, such that the compressed air can be transported to storage without significant pressure losses. Storage stations of various sizes can be used. The present system contemplates that the sizing of storage facilities can be based on calculations concerning a variety of factors. For example, as will be discussed, the volume size of the storage facility may depend on the number and proportion of energy storage and immediate use stations that are installed, as well as other factors, such as the size and capacity of the turbines. selected wind, the capacity of the selected compressors, wind availability, extension or energy demand, etc. Any of the many conventional means of converting the compressed air into electrical energy can be used. In the preferred mode, one or more turboexpanders are used to release compressed air from storage to create a high-speed airflow that can be used to energize a generator to create electrical power. Then this electricity can be used to supplement the energy supplied by the stations of immediate use. As long as stored wind power is needed, the system is designed to allow compressed air in storage tanks to be released through the turboexpans. As shown in Figure Ib, the turboexpanders preferably feed power to an alternator, which is connected to an AC to DC converter, followed by "a DC to AC inverter and then followed by a conditioner to match the impedances to the user circuits The present invention contemplates that storage facilities are designed to absorb and release heat to keep air stored at a relatively stable temperature, even during compression and expansion, eg, when using large storage tanks, the preferred embodiment comprises using a heat tran system composed of thin-walled tubes that extend through the interior of each tank, wherein the heat tran fluid (such as an antifreeze) can be distributed through the tube to provide an efficient way in the cost to keep the temperature in the tank relatively stable. it preferably comprises about 1% of the total area inside the tank and copper or carbon steel material. It also preferably contains an antifreeze fluid which can be distributed throughout the interior of the storage tank, where the tube acts as a heat exchanger, which is part of the thermal inertia system. The storage tanks are preferably lined with insulation to prevent heat loss from the interior. The present system can also incorporate other heating systems, in which heating devices are included that can be provided on and inside the storage tanks, which can help generate additional heat and pressure energy and provide means by which it can prevent the expanding air from freezing. In some cases, although not in the preferred system, the present invention may use a combination of solar heat, compressor waste heat, combustors, low level fossil fuel energy, etc., to provide the necessary heat to increase the temperature and pressure of the compressed air in the storage tank. The present system also contemplates that the cold air created by the expansion of the compressed air escaping from the turboexpander can be used for additional cooling purposes, that is, such as during the summer where the air conditioning services could be in demand.

C. Hybrid Stations: Figure 2a shows a hybrid station. The hybrid station is essentially a single windmill station comprising certain elements of the immediate use and energy storage stations, with a mechanical energy splitting mechanism that allows wind energy to be allocated between energy for immediate use and energy for storage, depending on the needs of the system.

Like the two stations discussed above, a conventional windmill towers is preferably erected with a conventional horizontal axis wind turbine located thereon. The wind turbine preferably comprises a horizontal rotational shaft that has the ability to transport mechanical energy directly to the converters. As the energy storage station, the hybrid station is adapted in such a way that the wind energy can be extracted at the base of the windmill tower. As shown schematically in Figure 2a, the wind turbine. it has a rotational drive shaft connected to a first gearbox located in the windmill nacelle, wherein the horizontal rotational movement of the shaft can be transferred to a vertical shaft extending to the tower. At the base of the tower there is preferably a second gearbox designed to transfer the rotational movement of the vertical shaft to another horizontal shaft located in the base. At this point, as shown in Figure 2a, a mechanical energy divider can be provided. The divider, which will be described in more detail below, is designed to divide the mechanical rotational energy of the lower horizontal shaft, such that an appropriate amount of wind energy can be transmitted to the desired downstream converter, that is, it can be adjusted to send power to an electric generator for immediate use and / or a compressor for energy storage. Downstream of the mechanical divider, the hybrid station preferably has, on the one hand, a mechanical connection to an electric generator and, on the other hand, a mechanical connection to a compressor. When the mechanical splitter is fully switched to the electrical generator, the mechanical rotational energy of the lower horizontal shaft is transmitted directly to the generator via a gear shaft. This allows the generator to efficiently and directly convert mechanical energy to electrical energy and that electrical power is transmitted to the user for immediate use. On the other hand, when the mechanical divider is fully commuted to the compressor, the mechanical rotational energy of the lower horizontal shaft is transmitted directly to a compressor, to allow the compressed air energy to be stored, such as in a high-pressure storage tank. . This portion of the hybrid station is preferably substantially similar to the components of the energy storage station, since the mechanical energy generated by the hybrid station is designed to be directly converted to compressed air energy, where the stored energy can be released at the appropriate time, via one or more turboexpansors. As the previous embodiment, a high pressure storage tank or pipe system is preferably located in close proximity to the windmill station, such that compressed air energy can be stored efficiently in the tank for later use. As will be discussed, hybrid stations are preferably incorporated into large wind farm applications and installed together with other stations for immediate use and energy storage. In such a case, the compressor in each hybrid station can be connected to centrally located storage facilities, such that a plurality of hybrid and energy storage stations can feed compressed air thereto. Indeed, the system can be designed so that all hybrid stations and energy storage stations can be connected to a single storage facility. The mechanical energy divider, which is adapted to divide the mechanical energy between the energy dedicated for immediate use and for energy storage, can comprise multiple gears and clutches, in such a way that the mechanical energy can be transported directly to the converters. In one embodiment, the mechanical splitter comprises a large gear attached to the lower horizontal drive shaft extending from the bottom of the station, in combination with additional drive gears capable of engaging and splicing with the large gear. A first clutch preferably controls each of the additional driving gears to move them from a first position that engages (and splices with) the large gear, to a second position that causes them not to engage with the large gear and vice versa. In this way, by operation of the first clutch, an appropriate number of additional driving gears can be made to engage (and engage with) the large gear, depending on the desired distribution of mechanical energy of the lower drive shaft to the converters. For example, a system can have a large gear and 5 additional drive gears, where the first shipment can be used to allow the large gear to engage, at any time, with one, two, three, four or five of the gears additional drivers. In this way, the first clutch can control how many of the additional driving gears are activated and therefore capable of being driven by the large gear (which is driven by the lower horizontal drive shaft) to determine the proportion of mechanical energy to be transported to the appropriate energy converter. That is, if all five additional drive gears are coupled with the large gear, each of the five additional drive gears will be capable of transporting one fifth or 20% of the overall mechanical energy of the energy converters. If only three of the additional drive gears are coupled with the large gear, then each additional driving gear coupled will transport one third or 33.33% of the mechanical energy generated by the windmill. If two drive gears are coupled with the large gear, each will transport half or 50% of the transmitted energy, etc. The mechanical splitter of the present invention preferably has a second clutch to allow each of the additional driving gears to be connected downstream to either an electric generator (which generates energy for immediate use) or an air compressor (which generates compressed air energy for energy storage). By adjusting the second clutch, therefore, the mechanical energy transported from the large gear to any of the additional driving gears can be directed to either the electrical generator or the compressor. This allows the mechanical energy supplied by the windmill station to be distributed and allocated between immediate use and energy storage on an individual and adjustable basis. That is, the amount of energy distributed to each type of power converter can be made dependent on the settings made by the two clutches, which determine how many additional driving gears are coupled with the large gear and which power converter each drive gear Additional coupled is connected. Those connected to the electric generator will generate energy for immediate use and those connected to the compressor will generate energy for storage. Based on the above, it can be seen that when adjusting the two clutches of the mechanical energy splitter mechanism, the extent to which the energy is dedicated for immediate use and storage of energy can be adjusted and assigned. For example, if it is desired that 40% of the mechanical energy be distributed to energy for immediate use and 60% of the mechanical energy be distributed for energy for storage, the first shipment can be used to cause all five additional driving gears are coupled with the large gear, while at the same time, the second clutch can be used to cause two of the five additional drive gears (each providing 20% of the power or 40% total) to be connected to the electrical generator and three of the five additional drive gears (each providing 20% of the power or 60% total) are connected to the compressor. In this way, the mechanical splitter can divide and distribute the mechanical energy between immediate use and storage of energy at a predetermined ratio of 40/60, respectively. In another example, using the same system, if it is desired that all mechanical energy be distributed for immediate use, the first clutch can be used to cause the large gear to engage only with one of the additional driving gears and the second clutch can be used to connect the additional drive gear to the electrical generator, that is, in such a way that all the mechanical energy generated by the windmill station will be transported for immediate use. Also, if it is desired that all mechanical energy be distributed to energy storage, the second clutch can be used to connect an additional drive gear coupled to the compressor, that is, all the mechanical energy generated by the power station. Windmill will be transported for storage. The present system contemplates that any number of additional driving gears can be provided to vary the extent to which the mechanical energy can be divided. However, it is contemplated that having five additional drive gears would likely provide sufficient flexibility to allow the hybrid station to be workable in most situations. With five additional drive gears, the following proportions can be provided: 50/50, 33.33 / 66.66, 66.66 / 33.33, 20/80, 40/60, 60/40, 80/20, 100/0 and 0/100. By using the clutches in the mechanical power divider, each hybrid station can be adjusted at different times of the day to provide a different ratio of energy between immediate use and energy storage. As will be discussed, depending on the energy demand and forecasts of wind availability, it is contemplated that different proportions may be necessary to provide a constant amount of energy to the user for extended periods of time, despite unreliable wind conditions. unpredictable. This system is designed to enable those proportions to be easily accommodated. Other systems for dividing energy are also contemplated.

D. Control Mechanism and Valve: The present system preferably comprises a system for controlling the operation of the windmill stations, the clutches in the hybrid stations, the amount of compressed air that is fed in and out of the storage, the operation of the compressors, the operation of the turboexpansors, etc. The control system is preferably suitable for adjusting the total number of wind stations that will be in operation at any given time, including how many stations of immediate use are in operation in the mode of immediate use and how many are operating in the mode of operation. Energy storage. In this way, at any given time, the total amount of energy to be supplied by the system and how much energy is allocated between immediate use and energy storage can be controlled and adjusted exactly. For example, if a system has a total of 50 windmill stations, with 20 immediate use stations, 20 energy storage stations and 10 hybrid stations, the operator can determine how many stations will be dedicated for immediate use, on the one hand and storage, on the other hand, by using the control system to determine how many of the immediate use and energy storage stations will be in operation and how many of the hybrid stations will be adjusted for either immediate use or energy storage mode. For example, if it is determined that the energy of 28 windmill stations for immediate use is necessary for a particular period, the system can put into operation all 20 stations of immediate use and convert 8 of the 10 hybrid stations as a immediate use. At the same time, if only 16 of the energy storage stations are needed during the same period, 16 of them can be put into operation and the other 4 can be turned off or the energy supplied by them can be disconnected or ventilated. The control system is also preferably designed to be able to maintain the level of compressed air energy in storage at an appropriate level by regulating the flow of compressed air in and out of storage. Compressed air is introduced into storage via compressors and released from storage via turboexpansors. At the release end, a valve system, such as that shown in Figure 2b, can be provided to allow a predetermined amount of compressed air to be released through the turboexpanders at any given time. Figure 2b shows an example of a storage tank with three couplings attached to three turboexpanders, where valves can be used to allocate an appropriate amount of air through the turboexpanders. The table shows five different valve sequences, each associated with a particular amount of pressure in the storage tank. The valve sequence A is suitable for 42.2 g / cm2 gauge (600 pounds / square inch gauge). According to this sequence, only valve numbers 3 and 5 are closed and all others are open. In this way, the air flowing through the valve 1 enters the first turboexpander and can be converted to electrical power, via the first alternator. Also, because valves 2 and 4 are open, some of the compressed air enters the second and third turboexpanders and can be converted to electrical power via the second and third alternators. Because valves 3 and 5 are closed, only the air flowing through valve 1 is used. The valve sequence B is suitable for 21 kg / cm2 gauge (300 pounds / square inch gauge). According to this sequence, only valve 3 is open and the other release valves, that is 1 and 5 are closed. In this way, the air flowing through the valve 3 enters the second turboexpansor and can be converted to electrical power via the second alternator. Also, because valve 4 is open and valve 2 is closed, some of the compressed air can enter the third turbo expander and be converted to electrical power via the third alternator. The first alternator remains unused because valves 1 and 2 are closed. The valve sequence C is suitable for 7.03 kg / cm2 gauge (100 pounds / square inch gauge). According to this sequence, only one valve, that is, number 5 is open. In this way, the air flowing through the valve 5 enters the third turbo expander and can be converted to electrical power via the third alternator. The first and second turboexpansors and alternators remain unused. When there is no pressure in the tank (see valve sequence D), the valves are closed, in which case the compressed air energy introduced into the compressor tank can accumulate over time, to help increase the pressure in the tank. the tank. Similar controls are used in relation to the compressors to allow the tank to be filled, that is, to determine the speed at which the compressed air will enter the storage via the compressors. The controls preferably allow the amount of pressure in the tank to be maintained and moderate.

The controls can also be used to operate the heat exchangers that are used to help control the temperature of the air in the tank. The controls determine which heat exchangers are to be used at any given time and how much heat they must provide to the compressed air in the storage tanks. The control system preferably has a microprocessor that is pre-programmed in such a way that the system can be put into operation automatically, based on the input data provided for the system, as will be discussed. The present invention contemplates that a global system comprising stations for immediate use, energy storage and hybrid stations, can be developed and installed, where depending on the demands that are placed in the system by the proposed area of use, a predetermined number of immediate use stations, energy storage stations and hybrid stations can be in operation at any time. This allows the present system to be designed and adapted to accommodate various wind forecasts during different times of the year, where wind conditions can vary significantly.

E. Method: The present method will now be discussed using an example, based on actual wind conditions found at a site in Kansas during November 1996 provided by Kansas Wind Power LLC. This period was selected because it contained wind stories that were varied enough to show how the present method can be applied in different circumstances. Figure 3 shows what is commonly called a wind histogram for the site. This graph represents a real wind history taken at a real location. In general, this graph shows the average number of times or occurrences that the wind reached a certain speed (when measured at intervals per hour) during the month of November 1996. The wind history is designed to allow a study of the average wind speeds in any given location, during any given time, from one season of the year to another. This information can be useful, for example, to help formulate a solution for the entire year, which can be based on the best and worst case scenarios presented by the studies. Figure 3 shows that the peak number of presences for any particular wind speed measurement was approximately 43 that occurred when the wind speed reached approximately 9 meters / second. In other words, during the month of November, when measured every hour, the wind speed was approximately 9 meters per second more frequently than it was at any other speed, that is, for an estimated time to approximately 43 hours (43 presences). multiplied by intervals of one hour equals 43 hours). Another way to interpret this is that the wind is blowing at an average of approximately 9 meters / second during an average of approximately 43 measurements taken at hourly intervals during the month. The graph also shows that the wind speed was less than 2 meters / second for only few occurrences during the month. Also, the graph shows that the wind speed was greater than 19 meters / second maybe once. In other words, what the graph shows is that the wind blew at less than 2 meters / second and more than 18 meters / second for only a few hours during the entire month of November, which is useful to determine the appropriate equipment and method to be used in relation to the site. What this also means is that depending on what kind of wind turbine are selected, the graph can predict the amount of time the wind turbines will be operational and functional during the month to produce energy.

For example, it is assumed that the wind turbines that are selected are designed to operate only when the wind speed is between 3 meters / second and 15 meters / second, due to reasons of efficiency and safety, it can be predicted that during any given day during the month of November those wind turbines would be operations for the most part if not all the time. In a real application, more than a month will have to be researched and studied. Of course, such a determination generally includes a cost-benefit analysis and an energy efficiency study, which takes into account the availability of wind during the worst and best case scenarios in the course of a whole year and the demands that are likely to be placed in the system at that location for the year. The amount of energy generated by the wind produced by the wind turbines during the period mentioned above will depend on the wind speed at any given time during the period. In general, it is assumed that the wind energy to be derived by a wind turbine follows the equation: P = Ci * 0.5 * Rho * A * U2 where: Ci = Constant (which is obtained by matching the calculated energy with the dimensions of the area of the wind turbine and performance of the wind speed) Rho = Air density A = Area swept by the turbine rotors of wind U = Wind speed. This means that the amount of wind energy generated by the wind is proportional to the cube of the wind speed. Thus, in a situation where the wind turbines are fully operational in the speed range between 2 meters / second and 18 meters / second, the total amount of wind energy that will be generated will be a direct function of the total wind speed between those intervals. On the other hand, several wind turbines are designed in such a way that the wind power output remains relatively constant during certain intervals of high wind speed. This can result from windmill blades that change the angle of incidence at speeds greater than a certain maximum. For example, certain wind turbines can operate in a manner where within a certain speed range, that is, between 30 and 20 meters / second, the generated wind energy remains constant despite changes in wind speed. Thus, in the previous example, during a period in which the wind speed is between 13 meters and 18 meters / second, the amount of wind energy generated by the wind turbine would be equal to the energy generated when the wind speed is of 13 meters / second. In addition, many wind turbines are designed in such a way that when the wind speed exceeds a maximum limit, such as 15 meters / second, the wind turbines will shut down completely, to prevent damage due to excess wind speeds. Thus, the total amount of energy that can be generated by a particular windmill must take these factors into consideration. Figure 3 also compares the actual number of presences with the averages determined by the Weibull distribution over a period of time. In this regard, it should be noted that wind histograms for wind speeds are commonly described statistically by the Weibull distribution. Wind turbine manufacturers have used the Weibull distribution association with the "width parameter" of k = 2.0, although there are sites where the width parameter has obtained a value as high as k = 2.52. While it is desirable to know how often, on average, certain wind speeds actually occur during the year, it is also important for purposes of the present invention to know when the various wind speeds will occur during the day, that is, predicted in a daily basis and the magnitude of those wind speeds, in such a way that they can be used to formulate daily energy feeding schedules, which is one of the objectives of the present invention. To develop a system that can be applied on a daily basis, it is necessary to obtain predictions and forecasts of daily wind speed in advance of the coming day, to allow a plan or schedule to be established which can be applied the next day. In this regard, Figure 4 shows daily wind histories that have occurred during a particular week in the same November time frame at the same site. Figure 4 shows a complication of measurements taken in a period extending from November 1, 1996 to November 6, 1996. This particular graph shows the wind speeds that were measured at hourly intervals on each day during that period. The line that represents November 1, for example, begins after midnight with the wind blowing slightly less than 7 meters / second and ending before midnight with the wind blowing slightly less than 8 meters / second. During the day, the wind fluctuated very little, with some of the lowest measurements, of approximately 4 meters / second, occurring in the morning hours with a peak (peak) of approximately 7 meters / second occurring at approximately 2:00 p.m. Wind speeds increased towards midnight. The line that represents November 2, on the other hand, shows that the wind will be more varied. The wind starts just after midnight slightly less than 8 meters / second and begins to descend to as low as approximately 2 meters / second at approximately 10:00 a.m. and continues at a low level. Then, starting at approximately 5:00 p.m., the wind begins to collect energy ending the day with wind speeds of about 13 meters / second at midnight. The next day, November 3, the wind continues to remain relatively high, while fluctuating up and down, reaching as low as approximately 9 meters / second at approximately 8:00 a.m. and reaching a peak of about 15 meters / second to about 1 p.m. On this day, the wind started after midnight slightly less than 13 meters / second and ended with wind speeds slightly less than 11 meters / second at midnight. On November 4, the wind continued to fluctuate, reaching a peak of approximately 13 meters / second, but begins to give way, reaching a speed of approximately 5 meters / second at midnight. On November 5, the day begins briefly after midnight with winds that reach speeds as low as 2 meters / second but then begin to increase dramatically, with winds reaching a peak of approximately 14 meters / second at approximately 4 : 00 pm The wind speed continues relatively high and reaches approximately 12 meters / second at midnight. On the next day, the wind fluctuates again, reaching another peak of approximately 14 meters / second to approximately half a day and then begins to give way, reaching even low of approximately 7 meters / second at midnight. What this chart follows are the wind speeds that actually occurred during the first week of Nov. 1996 on the site. In the present invention, however, wind speed forecasts are obtained for a particular site, such that each anticipated wind speed day is predicted at least one day in advance.

That is, while Figure 4 shows examples of wind stories, the present invention contemplates using forecasts of wind speed, which are similar in context to the stories, except that they are projections for the future, not records of the past. . Such forecasts can be developed from data obtained from climate offices and other data resources and using the latest weather forecasting technologies. The present invention contemplates that relatively accurate forecasts can be developed, particularly when they are made within 24 hours before the predicted day. Once the data is obtained, wind speed forecasts that are similar to the wind stories for the coming day are prepared, which can be used to determine the daily energy feeding schedules that must be implemented to maintain a relatively constant energy output level for the longest possible periods during the forthcoming 24-hour period. Again, the objective is to power the national power grid using a reduced number of periods of constant energy output level per day, that is, preferably 3 or less, although up to about 7 or more may be acceptable as will be discussed . This allows the number of times that the power output level will have to be changed to be minimized, thereby placing less effort and work into the switching or switching mechanism. For purposes of this example, three of the six days of November 1996, that is, November 1, 5, and 6, have been chosen for their extreme varied wind speeds, which are useful for showing various aspects of the present method. The days where wind speed variations are high require the use of stored energy to make the power supply uniform to the national power grid, while days that have less variations in wind speed do not commonly. These three days will be studied and graphed to show how the present method can be applied to determine a daily feeding schedule that can meet the proposed objectives. Before discussing the development of feeding schedules or schedules, it is pertinent to discuss the selection of wind turbines, which will determine the energy output capacity, for each windmill station and therefore, play a role in the design of daily feeding schedules. In this regard, it is important to note that the overall design of the wind farm, including the total number of windmill stations that are to be installed, may be based on the criteria that have been explained in the applicant's prior application, which has been incorporated herein by reference. In the particular example shown herein, the applicant has selected the Nordex N50 / 800 wind turbine, the performance of which is compared to a computer model in Figure 5. This product has been chosen for this example, but any Conventional wind turbine could have been used. The selected wind turbine has a diameter of 50 meters, a tower height of 50 meters and a sweeping area of 1,964 square meters. It rotates at 3 meters / second and has a design wind speed of 14 meters / second. This size was selected because the power generation capacity is appropriate for large applications, such as wind farms of 100 to 1000 mW, while at the same time, the product is small enough to be transported by change and rail. The exemplary storage facility has also been designed with 62 storage tanks, each one is 18 meters (60 feet) long and 3 meters (10 feet) in diameter, with a rating of 42.2 kg / cm2 gauge (600 pounds / square inch gauge). This allows the use of components outside the standard shelf and physical elements, which can reduce the overall installation cost. The design takes into account the worst case scenarios, that is, days where the largest number of tanks are required, to determine the total number of tanks that are necessary for the wind farm at the site under consideration. The pipe system can be similarly designed with the appropriate storage capacity, based on the size of the pipe and its length. The methodology applied to formulate a feeding schedule for each coming day involves at least the following three design considerations that relate how much energy is generated by the stations of immediate use and how much energy is generated by the energy storage stations (in the including hybrid stations that have been converted to each other): 1. The peak pressure in storage should not exceed 42.2 kg / cm2 gauge (600 pounds / square inch gauge); 2. At any time in time, the pressure in the storage should never be less than 7.03 kg / cm2 gauge (100 pounds / square inch gauge); and 3. The pressure on storage at the end of each day should equal or exceed that at the beginning of each day, if possible. Based on these considerations, an iterative process is preferably used to determine how many of each type of windmill station should be in operation at any moment in time. Using the methodologies discussed in the previous application and the concepts discussed here, the design that has been chosen for this example is as follows: 24 immediate use stations, 6 energy storage stations and 19 hybrid stations. This allows the system to be adjusted within a range of up to 43 windmills for immediate use (24 immediate use stations and 19 hybrid stations converted for immediate use) and a maximum of 25 windmills for energy storage (6 energy storage stations and 19 hybrid stations converted to energy storage). In general, more immediate use stations are used where there are fewer variations in wind speed and more energy storage stations are used when there are more variations in wind speed. The system also has the ability to shut down or otherwise vent the energy of any of the windmill stations, so that the proper ratio between immediate use and energy storage can be obtained at all times, if necessary . Figure 6 shows 2 different feeding schedules that have been followed for a period of 24 hours on November 1, 1996. Both graphs compare the constant output curve (shown by the two straight lines) with the wind availability curve / Energy. The difference between the two schedules is concerned with how many stations of immediate use and how many energy storage stations have been put into operation during the day. The first graph represents a system with an adjustment where 87% of the energy generated by the total wind is fed to the national energy network directly from the stations of immediate use and 13% of the energy is processed by means of storage. The second graph represents an adjustment where 40% of the energy generated by the wind is fed to the national power network of the stations of immediate use and 60% of the energy is processed by means of storage. In both examples, each feeding schedule has been developed to provide two periods of constant energy output, one lasting 20 hours and the other lasting 4 hours. This is based mainly on the shape of the wind speed curve on that day, which shows that the wind speed fluctuated around 5 meters / second during the first 20 hours and then jumped to fluctuate at around 7 meters / second during the last 4 hours. For this reason, the schedule was designed to provide a substantially constant energy output level of approximately 2500 kW during the first 20-hour period and a substantially constant energy output level of approximately 5000 kW during the period of the last 4 hours . The adjustment of the feeding schedule to provide relatively few periods of constant energy output level during each day allows the system to avoid pulsations and oscillations that could otherwise adversely affect the system. Having only used the stations of immediate use, as in a conventional windmill system, the amount of energy supplied to the national power grid would have followed the peaks and valleys of the wind speed curve, which had severe fluctuations and oscillations. In such a case, a severe peak or peak energy would have been fed to the national power grid at approximately 3 p.m., along with other fluctuations and oscillations, placing additional stress and effort on the energy system. By using the present invention, on the other hand, it can be seen that the amount of energy fed into the national power grid was very predictable and constant over a long period of time. It can also be seen from figure 6 that the cost of supplying energy using the first schedule was 0.033 dollars / kW-h, while the cost of energy using the second schedule was 0.051 dollars / kW-h. This is due to the inefficiencies associated with having to obtain a greater percentage of the storage energy than of the stations of immediate use. For this reason, what is shown is that it is usually desirable to use the schedule that depends on a higher percentage of the energy of the stations of immediate use than of the energy storage stations. During the time that the system is in operation, in addition to selecting a schedule that depends on how much energy of immediate use of energy storage, it is also desirable to balance the energy that is in storage, by placing a balance between the energy that is introduced to the storage with the energy that is extracted from the storage, in such a way that at the end of each day, the amount of energy in storage is not less than it was at the end of the previous day. In addition, as discussed above, another consideration is always to maintain at least 7.03 kg / cm2 gauge (100 pounds / square inches gauge) of pressure in storage, so that in the event that wind conditions do not actually occur as described in predicted in the forecasts, there will be enough desired energy that that could be depended on at a later time if necessary.

At the same time, it is also desirable to have only a predetermined amount of pressure in storage, in which case the pressure would have to be ventilated and wasted. The energy processed by means of storage involves the following three scenarios, which must be taken in body in the development of the feeding schedule. First, the system must be designed to take into account periods when the entry level to the storage is equal to the output. That is, if the level of constant power power output matches the speed at which power is supplied from a combination of immediate use stations and energy storage stations, then, theoretically, the amount of energy in storage It will remain substantially constant during these periods. Of course, this does not take into account certain inefficiencies, also like the wasted heat of the compressor and any of the heating devices discussed above. However, it is clear that there will be times when the amount in storage will remain substantially constant. This can happen, for example when storage energy is not used and all the energy is obtained from the stations of immediate use, to maintain the level of constant energy output.

Second, the system must be designed to take into account periods when the entry level to storage is less than the exit. During these periods, it can be seen that a greater percentage of energy will be extracted from storage than will be provided for storage, to maintain a constant energy output level, in which case the amount of energy in storage can be reduced with the passage weather. While this may temporarily go for a short period of time, eventually, the feeding regime would have to be adjusted in such a way that the energy in storage will be re-stored, to keep the energy level in storage at substantial equilibrium. In other words, the feeding schedule must be adapted to factor the potential with more energy that is introduced to the storage later that day, in order to take into account the storage energy at the end of each day to equal or exceed the amount in storage at the beginning of each day. Third, the system must be designed to take into account periods when the entry level to the storage is more than the exit. In this case, the energy will be introduced to the storage at a speed that is greater than the one at which it is extracted. As discussed, this is important because of the second scenario, where the energy in storage can otherwise be reduced. In this case, the feeding schedule must be adapted to take into account the possibility that during some periods a greater percentage of energy will be introduced to the storage than the one that would be extracted from storage, in such a way that the amount of energy in storage can increased with the passage of time. At the point where the pressure becomes too high, however, the pressure will have to be vented and / or the compressors will have to be turned off. The first graph in Figure 7a shows the two periods of constant energy output (one that lasts 20 hours and the other lasts 4 hours), which are compared with the amount of energy that is supplied to the storage, which is shown with the curve up and down. You can see that there are several different between these curves, which represent the second and third scenarios discussed above, this is periods where the input exceeds the output or the output exceeds the input. As shown in the second graph of Figure 7a, there are changes in the curve of "stored wind" which occur by virtue of the energy level in storage is increased in times and reduced in times, depending on which of the above scenarios is applied at any moment in time. This graph shows that less than 1000 kW of net energy was supplied to storage at any given time based on 87% of the energy that is supplied directly to the national energy grid and 13% of the energy that is processed through storage . The curvature of the "stored wind" line also shows that the amount of energy that is supplied to the storage can fluctuate with the passage of time. Figure 7b shows that the accumulated net energy to storage during the day, again based on the presence of the three scenarios discussed above. It can be seen from the upper graph in Figure 7b that the energy accumulated in the storage fluctuates during the course of the day, which is necessary for the energy output levels to remain constant. It can also be seen that in the background plot that the pressure level (shown by the upper curve) in the storage drops to almost 7.03 kg / cm2 gauge (100 psi) at approximately 1:00 p.m. and then again between 6:00 and 8:00 p.m., which is the result of a combination of the three scenarios discussed above, where the net energy that is extracted may exceed the net energy that is supplied. You can also see that the feeding schedules have been successfully plotted to ensure that the pressure never falls below 7.03 kg / cm2 gauge (100 pounds / square inch gauge) and that an equal or more amount of energy is in storage at the end of the day than at the beginning of the day. The pressure also never exceeds 42.2 kg / cm2 gauge (600 pounds / square inch gauge). In actual practice, since the feeding schedules will be based on projected wind speed forecasts, the actual planning of schedules will have to reflect a fairly conservative procedure, to take into account the possibility that real wind conditions may not be anticipated. If the schedules are not conservative, it may be possible that the pressures could fall to less than 7.03 kg / cm2 gauge (100 pounds / square inch gauge) or be completely depleted, in which case there will not be enough pressure in storage to power the national energy network. If the energy in storage is not exhausted, the system will fail to have the possibility of providing a constant energy output level during those times, that is, the fluctuations in wind speed will continue to cause fluctuations in the energy output power, since that there will be no energy in storage to displace and standardize the wind speed and power generation fluctuations of the stations of immediate use. In such a case, the feeding schedule will have to be adjusted to compensate for the loss of energy in storage during the previous periods, which the present invention contemplates may be necessary in times. On the other hand, if the schedules are too conservative, the pressure in the storage may have to be ventilated, in which case the energy may be wasted. Figures 8a and 8b and 9a and 9b show similar graphs for the 24-hour periods on November 5, 6, 1996, respectively. Figure 8a shows a feeding schedule that has been developed for the 24-hour period on November 5, 1996, based on the wind history that occurred on that day. This graph represents a feeding schedule where 60% of the energy generated by the total wind is fed to the national energy network directly from the stations of immediate use and 40% of the energy is processed by means of storage. Because the curve of wind speed on this day varied significantly, this feeding schedule was developed to provide seven different constant energy output periods, not two or three. The first period of constant level (from midnight to 3:00 a.m.) provides little if there is power to the national power grid. This is mainly due to the fact that there was little or no wind during that time.

The second constant level period of 3:00 a.m. at 9 a.m. provides approximately 4000 kW, which is due to a slight increase in wind speed starting at approximately 4:00 a.m. the third period of constant level extends only from 9:00 a.m. at 10:00 a.m. due to the sharp increase in wind speed that starts at approximately 8:00 a.m. This period is short because the increase in wind speed is so spectacular that the output had to be increased to 10,000 kW to efficiently use the energy that is supplied and generated. The fourth period of constant level extends from 10:00 a.m. at 1:00 p.m., at a level of approximately 24,000 kW, which reflects the wind speeds increased during that time. Because the wind speed is continuously increasing after 1:00 p.m., and continues to blow at very high levels, the fifth constant level period is adjusted to 35,000 kW and extends for nine hours from 1:00 p.m. at 10:00 p.m. This is the period during which the energy levels are constant for the longest period during the day, where the output levels and therefore power supply to the national power grid are predictable and stable. What happens at the end of the day, towards midnight, however, is that the wind speeds begin to fall dramatically. Thus, the two hours at the end of the day are broken into two periods of more constant energy level, beginning with a level of approximately 32,000 kW from 10:00 p.m. at 11:00 p.m. and then falling significantly to approximately 10,000 kW from 11:00 p.m. at midnight. While it is certainly more advantageous to create fewer periods of constant level during each day, when considering the fluctuations and severe oscillations that have occurred during the day, it can be seen that the system was required to be adjusted more frequently to provide the degree of predictability and stability that would be necessary to provide the advantages discussed above. By using the present invention, the amount of energy fed to the national power grid became more precedeable and constant for fixed periods during the day, although there were more of those periods on this day than on November 1. The second graph of the Figure 8a shows the net energy that is supplied to the storage during the day (shown by the gray line). This is based on having 40% of the energy of the windmill stations that is introduced to the storage, while at the same time a certain amount of energy that is extracted from the storage at a speed necessary to maintain the output levels of relatively constant global energy. Again, the amount stored is based on the accumulation of several existing conditions throughout the day, including the presence of the three scenarios discussed above. It can be seen from the second graph in Figure 8a that the energy supply to storage fluctuates in the course of the day, from a relatively sticky amount in the morning to a relatively large amount in the afternoon. Although a greater amount of energy is fed into the national energy network during the afternoon hours, the immediate use stations generate the volume of energy used. Thus, it can be seen that a significant amount of energy is supplied to the storage during the afternoon hours, although a significant amount of energy, that is, 35,000 kW, is fed into the national power grid at the same time. The upper graph in Figure 8b shows the accumulation of energy during that day, which increases substantially over time. This is due to the significant amount of energy that is introduced into the storage, as shown in the background graphic of Figure 8a. The upper graph of Figure 8b shows the curve from approximately 10,000 kWh to approximately 70,000 kWh in the course of the 24-hour period.

The background graph shows that there are contributions made to the total energy by virtue of the temperature and pressure levels that increase in storage as well. It also shows severe fluctuations in the amount of pressure in storage, which is one of the reasons that seven different periods of constant output level have been programmed on that day, to ensure that the pressure never exceeds 42.2 kg / cm2 gauge (600 pounds / square pound gauge) and never go to less than 7.03 kg / cm2 gauge (100 pounds / square inch gauge), although you can see that an excessive accumulation of pressure in storage exceeding 42.2 kg / cm2 gauge (600 pounds / square inch gauge) occurred at approximately 1:00 p.m. Figure 9a shows a feeding schedule that has been developed for the 24-hour period of November 6, 1996, based on the wind history that occurred on that day. This graph represents a feeding schedule where 50% of the energy generated by the total wind is fed to the national energy network directly from the stations of immediate use and 50% of the energy is processed by means of storage. Because the curve of the wind speed on this day varied significantly, this feeding schedule was developed to provide six different periods of constant energy output, which, as discussed below, was necessary to maintain the storage pressure between 7.03 and 42.2 kg / cm2 gauge (100 and 600 pounds / square inch gauge). On this day, the amount of remaining energy in storage from the previous day was relatively high, as discussed above and wind speeds were relatively high during the first hours of the morning and remained high throughout the morning and early in the morning. late, when it started to fall slightly. Thus, the feeding schedule shows a significant amount of energy that is fed to the national energy network during the latter part of the morning and early afternoon hours, with several periods of constant energy output that increase in an increased manner that they extend from middle. night to night before approximately 2:00 p.m. For example, three periods of constant level were implemented including one from midnight to 3:00 a.m. where the power fed was approximately 14,000 kW. In the other two periods, one that extends from 3:00 a.m. at 6:00 a.m. with approximately 27,000 kW of energy that is fed and another that extends from 6:00 a.m. at 2:00 a.m. with approximately 36,000 kW of energy that is fed during that period.

When the wind speeds begin to fall, however, the amount of energy programmed to be fed also falls. Three additional constant level periods were experienced, including one at 2:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. where the energy fed was approximately 18,000 kW, one of 3:00 p.m. at 4:00 p.m., with approximately 13,000 kW of energy that fed and the last of 4:00 p.m. at midnight, with approximately 10,000 kW of energy that is fed. During this day, while the schedule required six periods of constant output level, two of the periods lasted 8 hours each, which provided an extended period of 16 hours during which the output levels were constant for a time product. extensive. The second graph in Figure 9a shows that the net energy supplied to the storage during the day (shown with the gray line) is based on having 50% of the energy of the windmill stations introduced to storage. It can be seen that the energy supply to storage fluctuates during the course of the day, starting with a relatively high level of energy that is supplied during the morning hours when the wind speeds were high, at a relatively low level of energy that is supplied to storage during the afternoon and evening hours when wind speeds begin to dissipate. In this case, the volume of energy fed to the national power grid during the morning hours was generated by the stations of immediate use, but a substantial amount of energy was also fed through storage, as the difference between the Two curves shows in the upper graph in Figure 9a. The upper graph in Figure 9b shows the accumulation of energy in storage during the day, where the amount increases steadily over time. This is due to the significant amount of energy that is introduced into the storage, as shown in the background graphic of Figure 9a, particularly during the morning hours. The upper graph of Figure 9b shows the curve ranging from about 0 kW-h to about 90,000 kW-h over the course of the 24-hour period. The bottom chart shows that there are contributions made to the total energy of the temperature and pressure increases, which fluctuates substantially in storage as well. As you can see in the background graphs in the Figures 8a and 9a, the pressure curve fluctuated considerably during the two-day period between November 5 and 6 of 1996. These pressure curves are significant because they show how important it is to change the level of constant-level exit periods. Occasionally to ensure that pressures do not go to less than 7.03 kg / cm2 gauge (100 pounds / square inch gauge) or more than 42.2 kg / cm2 gauge (600 pounds / square inch gauge). As you can see, the curve several times, on November 6, was above the level of 42.2 kg / cm2 (600 pounds / square inch gauge). In some circumstances such as when the temperature levels are higher than 21 ° C (70 ° F), it may be permissible to increase the pressure to 56.2 kg / cm2 gauge (800 pounds / square inch gauge) although the system would have to be designed with the appropriate storage situations to ensure that the highest pressures can be handled by the system. Figure 10 shows how the feeding schedule was carried out using a predetermined number of stations for immediate use, energy storage and hybrids on any given day during the period. On each day, all windmill stations were operational, but the ratio between the types of stations that were used at any given time was adjusted to how many hybrid stations were adjusted for immediate use and energy storage. For example, on November 1, the total proportion used included 43 windmills for immediate use (which includes 24 immediate use stations and 19 hybrid stations converted to immediate use) and 6 energy storage stations. This added the 87% to 13% ratio discussed above. On November 5, the proportion included 30 windmills for immediate use (including 24 immediate use stations and 6 converted hybrid stations for immediate use and 19 wind energy storage mills (including 6 energy storage stations and 13 hybrid stations converted to energy storage) .This accounted for the 60 to 40% ratio discussed above.On November 6, the ratio included 25 immediate use windmills (including 34 immediate use stations and 11 hybrid stations). converted to immediate use) and 24 energy storage windmills (including 6 energy storage stations and 18 hybrid stations converted to energy storage) This was accounted for the 50% to 50% ratio discussed above. The graph also shows that the number of storage tanks required at any given time will depend on the number e energy storage stations that are operational. Also, the graph shows that in the course of a 20-year period, the cost of energy generated by these three different feeding schedules remained relatively constant, that is, approximately 0.033 dollars per kW-h.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A method for coordinating and stabilizing the power supply generated by the wind, characterized in that it comprises: using a wind farm having a plurality of windmill stations, wherein the wind farm comprises a predetermined number of stations of use immediate, energy storage stations and hybrid stations, to provide energy generated by the wind; forecast or obtain a forecast of wind speed conditions at the wind farm for a period of time to come; use forecasts to predict wind speed conditions and the levels of wind energy availability resulting for the time period to come; prepare an energy feeding schedule based on predictions of wind speed and wind energy availability levels for the coming period, using the energy derived from both wind mill stations for immediate use and energy storage and as necessary, hybrid stations; and using the feeding schedule to adjust a reduced number of constant energy output periods during the forthcoming period of time, during which the power supply levels can remain substantially constant, despite fluctuations and oscillations in wind speed and levels of wind energy availability.
2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the forthcoming period of time is the next 24-hour period.
3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the method comprises adjusting no more than 7 periods of constant energy output during any given 24-hour period.
The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the method comprises determining the ratio between mill stations for immediate use and energy storage that will be in operation during the coming period of time and using the hybrid stations to complement the number of such stations that will be in operation as needed.
The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the feeding radius is adjusted or designed to be adjusted based on the forecasts, in such a way that the amount of pressure in storage at any given time will not exceed 42.2 kg / cm2 manometric (600 pounds / square inch gauge) or less than 7.03 kg / cm2 gauge (100 pounds / square inch gauge).
The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the immediate use stations are adapted to supply electric power directly to a national power grid and the energy storage stations are adapted to provide compressed air energy to the storage and Hybrid stations are adapted to connect between being an immediate use station to supply electric power directly and an energy storage station to provide compressed air energy to storage.
The method according to claim 6, characterized in that the feeding time takes into account the amount of energy that can be supplied directly from the stations of immediate use and the amount of energy that can be provided from storage of the stations of use. energy storage and the amount of energy expected to be used and issued by the national energy network, to maintain a predetermined amount of energy in storage, which can help ensure that the energy generated by the wind will be available at the constant energy output, even when the levels of wind energy availability fall below the demand for energy needed by the national energy grid.
8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the feeding schedule is adjusted in such a way that the amount of compressed air energy in storage of the energy storage stations and any hybrid stations that are adjusted to the energy storage mode at the end of the coming time period is equal to or greater than the amount of compressed air energy in storage at the beginning of the forthcoming period of time.
9. The method of claim 1, characterized in that the feeding schedule takes into account when the availability of wind energy to storage is equal to the demand for energy generated by the storage wind, when the availability of wind energy to storage is greater than the demand for energy generated by wind storage and when the availability of wind energy to storage is less than the demand for energy generated by wind storage.
10. A method for coordinating and stabilizing the energy supply generated by the wind, characterized in that it comprises: predicting or obtaining a forecast of wind speed conditions for a future period of time; use the forecasts to predict the wind speed conditions and wind power availability levels resulting for the period of time to come; prepare an energy feeding schedule based on wind speed reductions and wind energy availability levels for the coming period, using energy derived from electric generators and compressed air energy in storage; and using the feeding schedule to adjust a reduced level of constant energy output periods during the coming time period, times during which the power supply levels remain substantially constant, despite fluctuations and oscillation in wind speed and levels of wind energy availability.
11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that the forthcoming period of time is the next 24 hour period.
The method according to claim 10, characterized in that the method comprises adjusting no more than 7 periods of constant energy output during any given period of 24 hours.
13. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that the method comprises providing a predetermined proportion of windmill stations for immediate use and energy storage that will be in operation during the coming period of time.
The method according to claim 13, characterized in that a predetermined number of hybrid stations capable of being connected between immediate use and energy storage are provided and used to adjust the predetermined ratio.
15. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that the feeding schedule is adjusted to take into account that the amount of pressure in storage at any given time must not exceed 42.2 kg / cm2 gauge (600 psi). ) or go less than 7.03 kg / cm2 gauge (100 pounds / square inch gauge).
The method according to claim 13, characterized in that the immediate use stations are adapted to supply electric power directly to a national power grid and the energy storage stations are adapted to provide compressed air energy to storage and the Feeding regime takes into account that the amount of energy that can be supplied directly from the stations of immediate use and the amount of energy that can be provided to the storage of the energy storage stations.
17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that the feeding time takes into account the amount of energy expected to be used and extracted by the national energy network of the stations of immediate use and energy storage to maintain a predetermined amount of energy in storage, which helps ensure that the energy generated by the wind will be available at constant energy output energy levels, even when the levels of wind energy availability fall below the required energy demand by the national energy network.
18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that the feeding time is adjusted in such a way that the amount of compressed air energy in storage at the end of the coming time period is equal to or greater than the amount of air energy. compressed storage at the beginning of the coming time period.
19. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that the feeding schedule takes into account when the availability of wind energy to storage is equal to the energy demand generated by the storage wind, when the availability of wind energy in storage it is greater than the demand for energy generated by wind from storage and when the availability of wind energy in storage is less than the demand for energy generated by wind storage. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that the predetermined ratio is determined and adjusted for the time period to come, based on whether the forecasts show that there will be less or greater variations in the wind speed during the time period in the future, where more stations of immediate use will be desirable when there are less variations in wind speed and more energy storage stations will be desirable when there are more variations in wind speed.