Patent ID: 8627665

Claim:
An installation for storing and returning electrical energy, wherein the installation comprises: first and second enclosures containing a gas and first and second porous refractory materials capable of transferring heat by contact between said porous refractory materials and a gas flowing through said enclosures; a closed circuit of pipes enabling a gas to pass successively through each of the two enclosures from one end to the other; a compressor and an expander for compressing and expanding, respectively, the gas flowing in said pipes between each of the ends of an enclosure connected to an end of the other enclosure, said compressor comprises a first gas compressor and a second gas compressor, and said expander comprises a first gas expander and a second gas expander; a first gas heater suitable for heating the gas flowing in said second enclosure; and a cooler for cooling the gas flowing between one of the ends of the first enclosure and said compressor and expander, capable of cooling the gas leaving said first enclosure at said end prior to being expanded in said expander, or respectively the gas entering into said first enclosure after being compressed by said compressor.