TY - CONF

T1 - Conceptual physical modelling of a subsurface geomembrane energy storage system

AU - Sørensen, Kenny Kataoka

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - This paper focuses on physical modelling of a novel Underground Pumped Hydro-electric Storage (UPHS) system forstoring energy. Potential energy is stored by pumping water into a shallow buried reservoir enclosed by a water-tight flexiblegeomembrane. An updated reservoir geometry design is used to overcome previously seen issues with overstressing of the membraneand at the same time to increase the storage capacity per unit area. A 2.5m diameter small-scale (1:100) 1g physical model of thesystem was created using sand as overburden, and the laboratory test setup was used to demonstrate the conceptual behaviour and toinvestigate energy loss characteristics of the system under repeated inflation-deflation cycles of the membrane reservoir. In addition,interface testing has been carried out to investigate the interface shearing behavior between two different membrane types and sandto further understand the interface shearing mechanisms and membrane wear occurring at full scale pressures. The physical smallscaleand lab tests will help to identify areas which need further attention.

AB - This paper focuses on physical modelling of a novel Underground Pumped Hydro-electric Storage (UPHS) system forstoring energy. Potential energy is stored by pumping water into a shallow buried reservoir enclosed by a water-tight flexiblegeomembrane. An updated reservoir geometry design is used to overcome previously seen issues with overstressing of the membraneand at the same time to increase the storage capacity per unit area. A 2.5m diameter small-scale (1:100) 1g physical model of thesystem was created using sand as overburden, and the laboratory test setup was used to demonstrate the conceptual behaviour and toinvestigate energy loss characteristics of the system under repeated inflation-deflation cycles of the membrane reservoir. In addition,interface testing has been carried out to investigate the interface shearing behavior between two different membrane types and sandto further understand the interface shearing mechanisms and membrane wear occurring at full scale pressures. The physical smallscaleand lab tests will help to identify areas which need further attention.

KW - Pumped hydro storage

KW - Sand

KW - Physical modelling

KW - Energy Storage

M3 - Paper

T2 - 20th International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering

Y2 - 1 May 2021 through 5 May 2021

ER -