Gravity Energy Storage: Alternative to batteries for grid storage

Re:Gravity Energy Storage: Alternative to batteries for grid... by mikewarot on Tuesday January 05, 2021 @09:20PM (#25654031)

I think putting tanks in the bottom of abandoned mineshafts, and filling them through positive displacement pump/motors is the way to go. You get energy as the water goes down, and use it to pump the water back up. The costs are the mine, and the maintenance required to keep the lift working, and the whole thing from collapsing... and two tanks / pools.. one at the bottom, one at the top, piping between the two, and a positive displacement pump, with a motor/generator.

All known technologies.

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Re:Gravity Energy Storage: Alternative to batteries for grid... by grizzles on Tuesday January 05, 2021 @09:23PM (#25654051)

This won't work because of erosion.

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Re:Gravity Energy Storage: Alternative to batteries for grid... by lxmorj on Wednesday January 06, 2021 @03:04AM (#25655594)

Nah man you make tanks down there

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Re:Gravity Energy Storage: Alternative to batteries for grid... by grizzles on Wednesday January 06, 2021 @03:30AM (#25655751)

There is a reason no one has tried it. What you are proposing would be very expensive. You have to transport the water to them. The large tanks (eg. 10M litres) require ongoing maintenance. You must make sure they don't leak, evaporate too much, make sure the ground in both places won't settle, worry about seismology, etc.

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Re:Gravity Energy Storage: Alternative to batteries for grid... by mikewarot on Wednesday January 06, 2021 @12:10AM (#25654834)

Erosion of the pump?

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