Compressed air and hydrogen storage experimental facilities for sustainable energy storage technologies at Yunlong Lake Laboratory (CAPABLE)

Abstract

In March 2022, construction was started at Yunlong Lake Laboratory of Deep Underground Science and Engineering, China, on an underground gas storage experimental facility with the capacity to achieve composite structure design and material development. Underground gas storage can provide a solution to address the intermittency of renewable energy supply. Currently, lined rock caverns (LRCs) are regarded as the best option for compressed air and hydrogen storage, since they have excellent sealing properties and minimum environmental impacts. However, the load transfer, damage, and failure mechanisms of LRCs are not clear. This prevents the design and selection of mechanical structures. Particularly, the gas sealing capacity in specific gas conditions (e.g., stored hydrogen-induced chemical reaction) remains poorly understood, and advanced materials to adapt the storage conditions of different gases should be developed. This experimental facility aims at providing a solution to these technical issues. This facility has several different types of LRCs, and study of the mechanical behavior of various structures and evaluation of the gas-tight performance of the sealing material can be carried out using a distributed fiberoptic sensing approach. The focus of this study is on the challenges in sealing material development and structure design. This facility facilitates large-scale and long-term energy storage for stable and continuous energy supply, and enables repurposing of underground space and acceleration of the realization of green energy ambitions in the context of Paris Agreement and China's carbon neutralization plan.

Keywords

compressed air energy storage / experimental platform / hydrogen storage / lined rock cavern

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2025 The Author(s). Deep Underground Science and Engineering published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of China University of Mining and Technology.