Wind power is an attractive renewable energy source. When the wind blows, turbines spin and generate electricity, which is then fed into the grid. However, when there's no wind, the system faces challenges. The intermittent nature of wind energy makes it difficult to integrate with traditional power grids that require a constant and reliable supply of electricity.
To address this issue, engineers have been developing various energy storage solutions to store excess electricity generated during windy periods for use when the wind dies down. These include large-scale flywheels, advanced battery systems using materials like gravel and argon, and now, a groundbreaking new concept from MIT.
Recently, Alexander Slocham, Brian Hodder, and their team at MIT introduced a novel energy storage system: a massive hollow concrete sphere built on the ocean floor. The final design will be 25 meters in diameter, capable of storing significant amounts of energy.
The idea is straightforward. When wind turbines floating on the sea generate electricity, most of it is sent to the grid. A portion is used to pump seawater out of the spherical tank. When the wind stops, the pumps shut off, and the seawater flows back in, passing through turbines to generate electricity again.
According to the researchers, a spherical tank placed at a depth of 400 meters could store up to 6 MWh of energy—enough to power a typical nuclear power plant for one hour. This system has the potential to store several hundred times more energy than conventional methods, making it a promising solution for renewable energy storage.
While building such a system would cost around $12 million—three to four times more than a standard onshore wind turbine—experts believe the cost is still under evaluation. So far, only small prototypes (less than 1 meter in diameter) have been tested. The MIT team plans to build a 3-meter model next, with future goals of testing a 10-meter version.
The research was recently published in the IEEE journal, and the team believes this technology could become a viable long-term investment. They estimate that offshore wind farms equipped with this storage system could eventually meet up to 20% or even more of global energy demand.
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