NL2031827B1

NL2031827B1 - Method for generating and storing energy.

Info

Publication number: NL2031827B1
Application number: NL2031827A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Slingerland Hendrik
Original assignee: Slingerland Hendrik
Priority date: 2022-05-11
Filing date: 2022-05-11
Publication date: 2023-11-17

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for generating and storing energy, the method comprising: o generating electricity by an energy farm, the energy farm comprising wind turbines and/or solar panels and/or wave power generators, the energy farm located at sea, and o transferring the energy of the generated electricity to an energy carrier, characterized in that o transferring the energy to the energy carriers occurs at sea, and 0 the energy carrier is transported to a port by boat. The invention eliminates the need for electric cables for transporting energy. This might, depending on distance, lower costs. Also, problems relating to territorial rights may be eliminated. The energy carrier may for example be a battery, chemicals for a flow battery, or hydrogen.

Description

Method for generating and storing energy.

Technical field of the invention.

[0001] The invention relates to a method for generating and storing energy, the method comprising e generating electricity by an energy farm, the energy farm comprising wind turbines and/or solar panels and/or wave power generators, the energy farm located at sea, and e transferring the energy of the generated electricity to an energy carrier.

Background of the invention.

[0002] Electricity is nowadays often generated (produced) by windmills and/or solar panels, either land based, or sea based. Also wave power generators, that convert the energy of waves to electricity, are known to be used.

[0003]A multitude of windmills and/or solar panels and/or wave power generators are here apart and in combination referred to as energy farms.

[0004] Locating an energy farm at land often results in discomfort or even illness of people living in the neighborhood. Also, land may be excessively costly and other uses may be preferred of, such as agriculture, tourism, natural parks, and urban development.

[0005] Locating an energy farm at sea typically takes place near the coasts, as the electric power generated must be transferred to the coast (to land) using costly electric cables. The position near coasts may also results in so-called horizon pollution, and blocks shipping routes. Also ships adrift, due to a storm or damage to motor or rudder, can result in damage to the energy farm.

[0006] A problem of electricity is that the demand for electricity and the generation of electricity do not necessarily synchronize. Electricity is a form of energy and without energy carrier it cannot be stored. In other words, some form of storage medium should be used to make it available for later use. From the green energy carriers (so: excluding fossil fuels) most well-known are batteries {for example

Lead-acid, Li-ion and manganese based cells) and hydrogen.

[0007] Using the electricity to hydrolyse water, so that the energy generated can be stored to be transformed to electricity at a later moment, is from an efficiency point of view not favorable: the efficiency to go from electricity to hydrogen and back to electricity is less than 50%, see https://c2e2.unepdtu.org/wp- content/uploads/sites/3/2019/09/analysis-of-hydrogen-fuel-cell-and-battery. pdf, page 4, where for a vehicle using green electricity an efficiency of 23% is mentioned compared to a 76% efficiency for Li-ion batteries. However, for certain uses hydrogen may be preferable, for example in airplanes. Also, some industrial processes can use hydrogen without the transfer from hydrogen to electricity, improving the efficiency to approximately 60%. This concerns mainly processes where elevated temperatures are used and hydrogen is used for the rise of temperature. Examples are metal industry, glass industry, etc. Another use may be in turbines for airplanes.

[0008] The invention intends to provide a solution for generating energy and transferring the energy of the generated electricity to an energy carrier without the use of costly electricity cables.

Summary of the invention.

[0009] To that end the method according to the invention is characterized in that e transferring the energy to an energy carrier occurs at sea, and e the energy carrier is transported to a port by boat.

[0010] By transferring the energy to an energy carrier at sea there is no need to transfer the energy from the energy farm to the coast by electric cables. This enables the use of energy farms far removed from a coast and instead transport the energy carrier by boat to a port.

[0011] In an embodiment the energy farm is in high seas (Latin: mare liberum).

[0012] Locating the energy farm in high seas implies that no state/country can claim jurisdiction to e.g. fishing rights, mineral rights, shipping lanes, and right to generate energy.

[0013] In an embodiment the energy farm comprises floating wind turbines and/or floating solar panels and/or floating wave power generators.

[0014] Often the sea or ocean at high seas are quite deep. This makes foundation in the seabed expensive. A cheaper solution is to make the wind turbines and/or solar panels and/or wave power generators floating.

[0015] In a further embodiment the wind turbines and/or solar panels are connected to the seabed by tethers to avoid drifting.

[0016] Even in deep waters floating wind turbines and/or solar panels and/or wind turbines and/or wave energy generators can be connected to the seabed and be kept stationary by tethers.

[0017] In another embodiment the energy carrier is a rechargeable battery.

[0018] Storing energy in a rechargeable battery is a well-known method with efficiencies of up to 90% or higher. Many types of rechargeable batteries are known, as discussed in Wikipedia under “Rechargeable battery” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rechargeable battery). Each type has its own benefits, in terms of energy density per unit of weight or volume, number of charge/recharge cycles, energy loss per cycle, self-discharge per month, cost per unit of energy etc. Furthermore, there is a fast development in battery technology.

The battery of choice is chosen as a result to an optimization of these factors.

[9019]In a further embodiment the battery is permanently located in or on the boat.

[0020] A battery can be permanently mounted in or on a boat. Either the battery is then charged directly from the windmills and/or solar panels and/or wave energy generators forming the energy park, or the energy of the energy park can first be stored in a temporary store in the park (for example in a local battery) and then transferred to the battery in the boat.

[0021] In yet another embodiment the battery delivers, after the boat docks in the port, energy to the grid.

[0022] When the boat docks at port, the energy can be transferred to a local energy battery, but the boat can also be kept in harbour for a time and coupled to the grid.

It is noted that the port can be a port at sea, but also a port inland, for example along a river. In this way transport losses via landlines are minimized.

[0023] In still another embodiment the energy carrier comprises one or more electrolytes for a flow battery.

[0024] Flow batteries, also known as redox flow batteries, use chemicals dissolved in liquid. For more information see https: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow battery.

Depending on the type of flow battery one or more chemicals must be transported.

[0025] In still another embodiment the energy carrier is hydrogen, the hydrogen generated by hydrolysis at sea, the hydrogen transferred to a portside hydrogen storage facility or to a hydrogen transport network.

[0026] Although the efficiency of an electricity — hydrogen - electricity cycle is low, as earlier discussed, a cycle that ends with hydrogen (together with atmospheric oxygen) may be a good solution for certain purposes where high temperatures are required. The hydrogen may be transported while cooled to a temperature where it is liquid, see https: //www.Ir.org/en/insights/articles/, or at a high pressure of e.g. 900 bar.

[0027] In yet another embodiment the energy carrier is a superconductor.

[0028] Energy can also be stored in a superconductor. This is also known as

Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage. The energy is stored in the magnetic field created by the direct current in a superconductor.

Brief description of the drawings.

[0029] The invention is now elucidated using figures, in which identical reference signs indicate corresponding features. To that end:

Figure 1 schematically shows a flowchart of a method according to the invention.

Detailed description of the invention.

[0030] Figure 1 schematically shows a flowchart of a method according to the invention.

[0031]In a first step 102 energy is generated by the energy farm. The energy can be generated using windmills and/or solar panels and/or wave energy generators.

The energy capacity of the components of the energy farm can be low or high.

[0032] In a second step 104 the energy generated by the energy farm is stored in 5 an energy carrier. The energy carrier can be a battery, the chemicals of a flow battery, hydrogen (while the oxygen is released in the air), or the magnetic field of a superconductor. The energy can be stored in a storage unit that has a fixed position at sea (is an integral part of the energy farm), or it can be stored in a boat docked at the energy farm. Another possibility is that it is stored in an energy carrier that is placed onboard the boat.

If the energy is stored in an energy carrier before transferring it to a boat, a change of energy carrier may be needed, in which the energy is first stored in, for example, a Li-ion battery, and then (at the boat) for example in the magnetic field of a superconductor.

[0033]In a third step 206 the energy stored in the energy carrier at the boat is transported over sea to a port. The port is located at sea or inland.

[0034] In a fourth step 208 the energy carrier is unloaded from the boat. If the energy carrier is hydrogen, the hydrogen can be stored at the port, or it can be transported via a hydrogen transport network.

[0035] Alternatively, the energy carrier stays at the boat, but for example via cables, energy is transported from the energy carrier at the boat the shore. There a connection to the grid is made, or to still another energy carrier at the port.

[0036] Yet another alternative is to locate the port at sea, integrated with an energy farm that is coupled to the coast and the grid with electric cables. This has as an advantage that the connection to the grid can be made at a location where no other boats/ships are to be expected.

[0037] It is noted that the boat may use energy from the energy carrier for propulsion, thereby minimizing pollution.

[0038] It is further noted that step 102, step 104 and part of step 106 take place at sea, while another part of step 106 and step 108 take place at a port.

Claims

Conclusions.

1. Method for generating and storing energy, the method comprising: e generation of electricity by an energy park, the energy park consisting of wind turbines and/or solar panels and/or wave generators, the energy park located at sea, and e the transmission of the energy of the generated electricity to an energy carrier, characterized by e the transfer of the energy to an energy carrier takes place at sea, and e the energy carrier is transported by ship to a port.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the energy park is located in international waters.

3. Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the energy park comprises floating wind turbines and/or floating solar panels and/or floating wave power generators.

A method according to claim 3, wherein the wind turbines and/or solar panels and/or wave current generators are connected to the seabed by means of tethers to prevent drifting.

5. Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the energy carrier is a rechargeable battery.

6. Method according to claim 5, wherein the battery is permanently placed in the ship.

7. Method according to any of the claims 5 - 6, wherein, after the ship has moored in the port, the battery supplies energy to the grid.

8. Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the energy carrier is one or more electrolytes for a flow battery.

A method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the energy carrier is hydrogen, the hydrogen generated by hydrolysis at sea, the hydrogen transferred to a hydrogen storage facility on the port side or to a hydrogen transport network.

10. Method according to any of claims 1 - 4, wherein the energy carrier is a superconductor.