Patent ID: 8453444

Claim:
A power plant for storing energy in the form of compressed air or liquefied air and for selectively releasing the stored energy when desired by an energy user comprising: an electrical plant; a mechanical plant operatively connected to the electrical plant; a pneumatic plant operatively connected to the mechanical plant, the power plant executing a process by which a working fluid comprising either a gas or a liquid which converts to gas undergoes a volumetric expansion or compression, a synergist fluid comprising an incompressible fluid which is added to the working fluid during a volumetric change in the working fluid, the synergist fluid being thoroughly mixed with the working fluid for the process to be a substantially isothermal process; the pneumatic plant including at least one heat exchanger for maintaining the temperature of the synergist fluid and at least one tank containing the working fluid and at least one tank containing the synergist fluid; the pneumatic plant further including a cylinder and a piston reciprocally movable through the cylinder, maximum volume within the cylinder being attained when the piston is at a top dead center position and the minimum volume occurring when the piston is at its bottom dead center position, the cylinder and piston being operated as an air compressor during which operation the pneumatic plant maintains a near constant temperature for pressurization of the working fluid so to minimize work input and facilitate conversion of compressed gas to its liquid state; and, the synergist fluid being a liquid having a thermal mass greater than the thermal mass of the working fluid, the synergist fluid remaining in its liquid state liquid throughout the range of temperatures and pressures encountered during the process, the working fluid expanding during a power stroke portion of the process with a concomitant decrease in the temperature of the working fluid, the synergist liquid being added to the working fluid at this time so to raise the temperature of the working fluid so to improve the efficiency of the power plant when it operates as an engine.