Feasibility study of compressed air energy storage using steel pipe piles

Because of the intermittent nature of renewable energy such as solar and wind energy, an energy storage system is needed to maximize the utilization efficiency of renewable energy. Of the different methods for energy storage, compressed air energy storage (CAES) is a promising one for storage of renewable energy. CAES can be divided into two general categories: large scale storage and small scale storage. The large scale storage includes salt caverns, hard rock caverns and deep aquifers, which require special geological formations that may not be available at a desired location. The small scale storage includes flexible bags under water, steel tanks above or below ground surface and pipelines above or below ground surface, which are flexible and can be used at different locations. In this paper, we briefly reviewed the different methods for CAES and studied the feasibility of using steel pipe piles for small scale CAES of renewable energy. The results indicate that steel pipe piles are a viable means for small scale CAES.