Isothermal Compressed Air Energy Storage Project Advances

Researchers are developing isothermal compressed air energy storage to improve large-scale energy storage sustainability. The AIR4NRG project aims to keep air temperature constant during storage. This process reduces energy loss and increases efficiency during compression and expansion cycles. A liquid piston enables reversible compression and expansion, boosting round-trip efficiency. The project moved from conceptual modeling to prototype development and experimental validation. Collaboration between academic and industrial partners accelerated the translation of research into practical improvements. The team successfully ran the initial test bench, providing a platform to study air and liquid interaction. Researchers can now measure temperature and pressure variations. Next, the project will produce a second-generation prototype. This prototype will demonstrate a scalable, industrial version of the system. The ultimate goal is a 200 kW energy storage product for the energy storage market. The project anticipates a round-trip efficiency of 70%.