Open Access

ARTICLE

AN ULTIMATE SOLUTION TO PHASING OUT FOSSIL FUELS - PART I: UTILITY-SCALE UNDERGROUND HOT-WATER STORAGE (USUHWS) FOR POWER PRODUCTION AND HEAT SUPPLY

Yiding Cao

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33174, USA

Frontiers in Heat and Mass Transfer 2022, 19, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.5098/hmt.19.1

Abstract

This paper introduces utility-scale underground hot water storage (USUHWS) systems and evaluates their performance to enable renewable energy sources to produce dispatchable utility-scale power or supply heat with minimized interruption and impact by weather conditions. The USUHWS systems could retain the thermal energy content of the stored hot water for years so that renewable energy can be extracted and stored at any time year-round and be used whenever needed. Another major objective of this paper is to introduce hot-water power and heat internets to interconnect storage systems, power plants, energy sources, and various water and heat users to efficiently manage the demands and supplies of power, heat, and water. Also, the USUHWS can be used to collect, store, and supply fresh water for communities. For more efficient construction of USUHWS systems, tunnel boring machines (TBMs) may be employed. In combination with renewable-energy-based thermal power plants using hot water as the heat-supply fluid, the USUHWS systems could have the potential to phase out most fossil fuels used today through renewable power production and heat supplies to combat global warming.

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Keywords

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