Hear Tom Mason, power generation expert and CEO of Gravity Power, LLC, provide an update on his company's evolving technology and most recent project development activities and plans. Be sure to attend this webinar so you can participate in the live Question & Answer session that will followTom's presentation.
A little background: Gravity Power, LLC's "Gravity Power Module" (GPM) hydraulically lifts a massive piston inside a deep vertical shaft to store energy and releases the piston on demand to force water through a hydro turbine. Early units will supply 40-300 MW for 4 hours or more. The company plans to sell turnkey plants plus offer the technology in strategic markets through joint ventures or licensing. Gravity Power is working with developers in Germany, South Africa, France, the United Kingdom, the Middle East, India, China, Turkey, and California to develop commercial installations with the first projected to be started next year.
In late 2011, Tom presented a very popular webinar (you should click here to access the webinar recording) introducing Gravity Power's energy storage power plants in comparison to combustion turbine plants and other storage for peaking and ancillary services power.
Powerpoint exploring the locations used in television show Time Clash
Renewable Energy Storage at Massive Scale: Gravity Power’s Design Change and Progress Update
1. Gravity Power's Design Change
and Technology Update
Tom Mason
CEO, Gravity Power
June 6, 2013
2. Thomas R. Mason, CEO
Mr. Tom Mason is a recognized expert in power generation and in gas
turbine technology. He was Executive Vice President of Calpine and
President of Calpine Power Company, responsible for the largest fleet
of gas-fired power plants in the world and the world's largest
geothermal facility. While at Calpine he managed the simultaneous
construction of 30 power plants, each of 500 MW or above.
Prior to that, Tom was President and COO of CalEnergy (now
MidAmerican Energy) and was with Solar Gas Turbines and
Commonwealth Edison.
Tom has extensive experience in power grid deregulation and
restructuring, acquired in both the United States and the UK. He is an
engineering graduate of Purdue University and holds an MBA from
the University of Chicago.
Speaker Biography
22
3. Competition
Gravity Power Module Technology, Construction Plan
and Products
Seal Demonstration Plan
Markets
Schedule
Team
Q&A
Agenda
33
4. LCOE ($/MWh)*
*Credit Suisse Model -- Assumes $40/MWh off-peak power & $3.50 or $15/MMBtu Gas
Competition
44
LCOE ($/MWh)*
5. Energy Storage
LCOEs
55
EPRI: Electricity Energy Storage Technology Options
1020676 Final Report, December 2010
Two bulk storage candidates : Pumped Hydro & CAES (below ground)
Costs much higher ($2-3000/kW) than early estimates ($1000/kW)
Seneca CAES Final Report, 4x higher than estimate
Siting even more difficult than expected
Seneca CAES salt cavern issues (project cancelled)
Iowa CAES aquifer issues (project cancelled)
Worldwide market for additional
storage plants by 2020 at 56 billion
Euros.
GPM at $0.076/kWh
6. 66
water
flow
Storing Energy
The Gravity Power
Module (GPM)deep
storage
shaft
pump
-turbine
penstock
piston
Stores energy by hydraulically lifting
a huge “single” piston
Uses conventional components
Has very low technical risk
Provides cost, siting, implementation
and technical advantages over PSH
7. 77
water
flow
Generating Power
piston
The Gravity Power
Module (GPM)
penstock
Stores energy by hydraulically lifting
a huge “single” piston
Uses conventional components
Has very low technical risk
Provides cost, siting, implementation
and technical advantages over PSH
pump
-turbine
deep
storage
shaft
8. 88
Lower cost/kW than PSH
High round-trip efficiency (80%+)
Plentiful materials (cement, steel)
Flexible siting
Very little land use
No ongoing water consumption
Quiet & invisible
Fast permitting
Rapid construction (2- 3 years)
Excellent dynamic response
Patented
GPM Features
9. Construction Plan
(NEW)
Conventional excavation
Piston cut from rock
250m piston in 500m shaft
500m piston in 1000m shaft
Steel-lined piston
Reinforced piston baseplate
Steel-lined penstock
Fast excavation
Scalable to enormous sizes
Potential for very low cost
99
11. 1111
Very little land use
Control room at ground level
Power equipment 40m below ground
Provides proper inlet pressure for pump
operation
Easy access for maintenance
Quiet & invisible
GPM Power House
12. Power Output vs Piston Diameter & Shaft
Depth
1212(Note: Many bigger and deeper shafts already exist)
Depth
13. GPM Price vs Scale
• Detailed analysis of German construction costs performed by Babendererde Engineers
• Includes power equipment, contingency and fees
• Does not include grid interconnect 1313
• De
pth
14. Lab Seal Tester
● ~2 meter diameter
● Will test seal materials at
high pressure and full
speed
● Will allow extensive scale
tests before first GPM is
built
•top
view
•side view
1414
15. Large Scale Seal Tester
top view
30 meter diameter
Constructed in a trench
Actual GPM seal design
Full size seal assembly
Full operating pressure
Full operating speed
Steel piston surface
Hydraulically actuated
Proves seal
performance at full
scale pressure and
piston speed
1515
17. Recent Developments
1717
The Neckar-Alb Regional Government Association of the state of Baden-
Württemberg in southern Germany released their 2013 draft plan in which
the Gravity Power Module (GPM) is one of three alternatives planned for
large scale energy storage
University of Stuttgart June, 2012 Energy Storage Workshop
Dr. Ulrich Fahl Efficiency
Storage Cost
(cents per kWh)
Long-term storage
volume/TWh (D)
Pumped storage 80 3.3 0.07
Gravity Power Module (GPM) 80 ~3 ?
Diabatic CAES 55 5.2 27
Adiabatic CAES 70 4.1 27
Electrolysis and fuel cell 45 ~12 150
Electrolysis and CCGT 55 ? 150
Power-to-Gas 28 ~15 790
Ultra-capacitor 80 15-20 0.3 (car battery)
Dr. Fahl’s ranking of alternatives for the electricity market considering
economics and energy efficiency:
1. Gravity Power Module (GPM)
2. CAES
3. Electromobility (electric vehicle-to-grid)
18. Milestones
18
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Start-up
GPM System Design
B-Round Financing Goal
Seal Test
Commercial Demo
19. Gravity Power Team
Tom Mason, CEO
Former EVP of Calpine, Responsible for 92 power plants
Jim Fiske, Founder and CTO
Serial Entrepreneur, R&D Engineer
Chris Grieco, Executive VP
Extensive experience in Renewable Energy
Horatio von John, Gravity Power GmbH, Managing Director
Former senior banker, expert for financial structuring
Dr. Jingchun Wu, Chief Scientist
PhD specialist in pump-turbine hydraulics
1919
21. Tom Mason, CEO
Gravity Power
(925) 785-8825
tmason@gravitypower.net
www. gravitypower.net
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