Fu Yang, Chen Shiwan, Zheng Kexun, Zhang Yunlong
The College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China.
Key Laboratory of Karst Georesources and Environment, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China.
ACS Omega. 2025 Aug 30;10(36):40930-40941. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.5c02143. eCollection 2025 Sep 16.
The compressed air energy storage (CAES) in the underground lined rock cavern is a promising long-term energy storage technology, while the mechanical and temperature responses during the cyclic process of gas charging and discharging are highly complicated. Current research on the mechanical and thermodynamic properties of CAES caverns primarily relies on field tests and numerical simulations. However, field tests are prohibitively expensive and difficult to replicate, while the reliability of numerical simulations remains questionable. To address these limitations, this study presents a novel laboratory simulation device, which is capable of replicating the coupled thermo-mechanical (T-M) conditions of underground CAES caverns, including geostresses up to 100 MPa, temperatures up to 300 °C, and cyclic gas pressures of 0-70 MPa. The integrated system combines a geological environment simulation system, a gas pressure control system, and a measurement system. Experimental validation using a 300 mm × 300 mm × 300 mm lined rock cavern sample (butyl rubber sealing and C40 concrete lining) under 8 MPa geo-stress and cyclic pressure (1.5-7.1 MPa) revealed three key findings: (1) creep behavior and irreversible strain accumulation in the sealing layer, (2) strong relationship between internal pressure and gas leakage rates, and (3) quantified temperature gradient evolution in sealing and lining layers ( = 0.997 for thermal decay profiles). Meanwhile, results showed that all three systems worked smoothly. The device provides a unique platform for investigating multifield coupling effects in CAES, offering critical insights for design optimization and reliability enhancement in renewable energy storage systems.
地下衬砌岩洞中的压缩空气储能（CAES）是一种很有前景的长期储能技术，而气体充放循环过程中的力学和温度响应非常复杂。目前关于CAES洞穴力学和热力学性质的研究主要依赖现场试验和数值模拟。然而，现场试验成本过高且难以重复，而数值模拟的可靠性仍值得怀疑。为了解决这些局限性，本研究提出了一种新型实验室模拟装置，该装置能够模拟地下CAES洞穴的热-机械（T-M）耦合条件，包括高达100 MPa的地应力、高达300°C的温度以及0-70 MPa的循环气体压力。该集成系统结合了地质环境模拟系统、气体压力控制系统和测量系统。使用300 mm×300 mm×300 mm衬砌岩洞样本（丁基橡胶密封和C40混凝土衬砌）在8 MPa地应力和循环压力（1.5-7.1 MPa）下进行的实验验证揭示了三个关键发现：（1）密封层中的蠕变行为和不可逆应变积累；（2）内部压力与气体泄漏率之间的强关系；（3）密封层和衬砌层中温度梯度演变的量化（热衰减曲线的R² = 0.997）。同时，结果表明这三个系统均运行平稳。该装置为研究CAES中的多场耦合效应提供了一个独特的平台，为可再生能源存储系统的设计优化和可靠性提升提供了关键见解。
