Tag Archives: compressedair

First grid-scale compressed air battery now operational

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SustainX activates first megawattscale air battery

Compressed air batteries have long promised truly clean energy storage, but they haven't scaled large enough in recent years to be viable companions to renewable power sources. That changes now that SustainX has switched on the first modern air battery large enough to join an electrical grid. The company's new ICAES (Isothermal Compressed Air Energy Storage) system in Seabrook, New Hampshire can hold 1.5 megawatts of power versus the kilowatt-level capacities of its rivals. Despite its size, ICAES is sustainable; it doesn't require 'dirty' energy for either compression or releasing air to its generator, and the supply won't degrade like that of a chemical battery. The New Hampshire system is just a demonstrator to attract interest, but SustainX expects to have its first commercial battery running in China next year. If ICAES (and technology like it) proves successful, we could see more solar and wind farms that keep delivering electricity when they're otherwise idle.

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Via: GigaOM

Source: SustainX

Peugeot promises fuel-saving Hybrid Air system in cars by 2016

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Puegeot promises fuelsaving Hybrid Air system in cars by 2016

It's far from the first automaker to attempt a car that runs on compressed air, but Peugeot Citroen is now touting a new system that it says could be available in at least some of its small cars by 2016. As suggested by the "Hybrid Air" moniker, this system doesn't run solely on air -- it also incorporates a traditional gasoline engine that Peugeot promises will combine for a 90 percent increase in vehicle range in urban driving, or offer up to 50 minutes of driving without using any gas. The gas engine would kick in more often during highway driving, putting the overall fuel savings at around 35 percent. As Peugeot notes, this system is just one step towards its goal of a car that gets 2L/100KM (or 117 miles per gallon), which it hopes to achieve by 2020. You can get a quick overview of the Hybrid Air system in the video after the break.

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Via: The Huffington Post

Source: Peugeot Citroen