A team of researchers headed up by Dr. Chang-Hsien Tai, the president of National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST), is working on a “compressed-air energy storage electric generator” which is catching considerable attention. To handle the various technical challenges, including energy conversion, thermal energy storage, and micro-grid design, Professor Uzu-Kuei Hsu from the College of Professional Studies, Professor Yao-Nan Wang and Professor Chin-Lung Chang from the Department of Vehicle Engineering, and Professor Ming-sen Hu from the Air Force Institute of Technology were called on to serve as integral members of the team. Their invention was presented at the 2021 Da Vinci Invention Exhibition (USA) earlier in the year, where it won the gold medal prize. The innovative technology was also shortlisted for the upcoming Ministry of Science and Technology “Future Tech Awards”, which will be held at the Taipei World Trade Center from October 14th to 23rd.
Unlike with traditional green energy technology, the concept behind the newly designed system looked to replaces electricity with air as the energy storage medium. Lithium batteries are expensive and have a short lifespan. Compressed air, if applied successfully, could greatly reduce costs and increase the lifespan of the storage device. With the new design, wind energy, solar energy, biomass energy or other forms of energy can be converted and stored in the form of high pressure gas. Then, using seismic resonance the compressed air can be used to generate high-energy momentum or electricity. While the technology is still in the prototyping and testing stage, it has already become a serious candidate in the impending Future Tech Awards. Meanwhile, Phihong Technology Co., one of the world’s top companies for rapid EV charging technology, is joining up with the team to take part in subsequent R&D— and together they will gradually work to commercialize the technology and make some major breakthroughs for renewable energy storage.
