Iran Sole Producer of Ice Energy Storage System in Middle East
“Ice energy storage system saves thermal energy in the ice form and then cools the incoming air,” said Ali Behrouzifar, the managing director of one of country’s Technology companies, adding, “By installing this device in the gas turbines, electrical energy can be used to produce ice during low demand hours. The produced ice gradually melts during peak hours and cools the air entering the gas turbine through a heat exchanger. This will increase the production capacity of the gas turbine by at least 15 percent.”
It should be mentioned that an ice storage system uses a chiller to make ice during off-peak night time hours when energy is cheaper and then melts the ice for peak period cooling needs, effectively shifting the electric load and avoiding higher price energy and demand charges during the day.
He further said that the mentioned mechanism is used worldwide in order to increase gas turbines’ power, adding, “Unfortunately this technology had not previously been localized in the country, but our researchers manage to design and build the device without any assistance by the foreign experts. Building the device was very important for our researchers because over 64 percent of power generating in Iran is carried out by natural gas or compound-cycle power plants, so utilizing the mention mechanism could increase the country’s power output as much as 15 percent.”
“This system can work without water which can be considered as one of the most important advantages of this mechanism especially nowadays that the country is facing water shortage. In the meantime, this system can be operated with high efficiency in hot and humidity weather including in the Southern part of Iran,” Behrouzifar said, adding, “This locally-made system can be utilized in whole oilfields and gas boosting pressure stations in order to increase transfer and extraction capacities.”
“This system is essential in various industries including oil, gas, petrochemical, pressure boosting lines, and generally wherever a gas turbine is needed,” he went on to say, adding, “This system can work without problem in summer time’s hot weather.”
4155
