SEABROOK, NH — (Marketwire) — 04/04/12 — SustainX, Inc., developer of an industry-leading, transformative technology for utility-scale bulk energy storage using compressed air, today announced that it recently received four new U.S. patents that provide additional innovations for its isothermal compressed air energy storage (ICAES) technology.
“This series of patent awards underscores our continued progress in building a broad intellectual property portfolio,” said Tom Zarrella, SustainX President and CEO. “These innovations enhance the performance advantages of our system and reinforce our industry leadership position in isothermal CAES.”
SustainX–s isothermal (constant-temperature) energy storage system removes heat from air being compressed for storage and returns heat when that air is expanded to generate electricity. This heat transfer largely eliminates the energy efficiency losses of conventional high-pressure air compression and the need to burn fossil fuel as part of the expansion process. In addition, the SustainX system uses pipe-type storage, which can be located anywhere. These innovations differentiate SustainX ICAES as the first fuel-free, site-anywhere compressed air bulk energy storage solution.
SustainX is developing its first megawatt-scale, grid-connected system, which will be demonstrated with AES Energy Storage under an award from the U.S. Department of Energy. The company–s solutions address the emerging market for utility grid-scale energy storage being driven by the rapid growth in renewable generation and the need to make conventional power plants as efficient as possible. With SustainX–s technology, variable wind and solar power can be stored for later use. The company also aims to provide a clean, cost-effective alternative to costly peaker plants that burn natural gas or other polluting fuels.
New patents awarded:
U.S. Patent No. 8,117,842 — Furthers SustainX–s coverage of methods for spray and circulation of heat-transfer liquid at high pressures for its MW-scale crankshaft-based ICAES system.
U.S. Patent No. 8,109,085 — Enhances SustainX–s patent portfolio with additional coverage of methods for crankshaft-based ICAES using a multi-stage compression and expansion process to enhance efficiency of electric-to-electric pneumatic energy storage.
U.S. Patent No. 8,122,718 — Relates to use of a thermal well (e.g., a low-temperature reservoir of water) to store thermal energy of compression from its ICAES system.
U.S. Patent No. 8,104,274 — Relates to SustainX–s unique inlet blower add-on option for boosting the compression power of its ICAES system.
More information about SustainX–s patents may be found at:
SustainX–s isothermal compressed air energy storage (ICAES) technology is a site-anywhere, zero-emissions solution that enables power- and energy-scalable compressed air storage, without the need for caverns or natural gas combustion. SustainX achieves isothermal cycling by combining patented innovations with a design centered on proven industrial principles and mature core components; i.e., a mechanical drive train based on an electric machine and crankshaft. The result is long operating life and a disruptively low levelized cost of energy (LCOE) as compared to competing storage technologies.
Gene Hunt
Director of Communications
SustainX Inc.
office: 603-601-7827
email: