A compressed fluid storage system includes a bi-directional compressor/expander (C/E) unit constructed to compress fluid during a first operational mode and allow expansion of fluid in a second operational mode, a fluid storage system positioned on a sea floor under a body of water, and a piping sys
A compressed fluid storage system includes a bi-directional compressor/expander (C/E) unit constructed to compress fluid during a first operational mode and allow expansion of fluid in a second operational mode, a fluid storage system positioned on a sea floor under a body of water, and a piping system positioned between the C/E unit and the fluid storage system and configured to pass fluid between the C/E unit and the fluid storage system.
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1. A compressed fluid storage system comprising: a unitary positive displacement compressor/expander (C/E) unit constructed to compress fluid during a compression mode and allow expansion of fluid in an expansion mode, the C/E unit comprising a plurality of C/E stages that pressurize fluid in the co
1. A compressed fluid storage system comprising: a unitary positive displacement compressor/expander (C/E) unit constructed to compress fluid during a compression mode and allow expansion of fluid in an expansion mode, the C/E unit comprising a plurality of C/E stages that pressurize fluid in the compression mode and expand fluid in the expansion mode;a fluid storage system positioned on a sea floor under a body of water;a piping system positioned between the C/E unit and the fluid storage system and configured to pass fluid between the C/E unit and the fluid storage system; anda heat exchanger coupled to the C/E unit to pump water thereto from the body of water during operation, wherein the heat exchanger provides interstitial cooling between each of the C/E stages while operating in the compression mode in a substantially adiabatic and isobaric fashion. 2. The system of claim 1, comprising a first operational mode and a second operational mode, wherein the first and the second operational modes include rotation of a shaft of the C/E unit that is in the same rotational direction. 3. The system of claim 1 wherein the first operational mode includes rotation of a shaft of the C/E unit that is in a first rotational direction, and the second operational mode includes rotation of the shaft of the C/E unit that is in a second rotational direction that is opposite the first rotational direction. 4. The system of claim 1 wherein the C/E unit is positioned on a platform that is located at a surface of the body of water, and attached to the sea floor. 5. The system of claim 1 wherein the fluid storage system comprises one or more flexible bags configured to receive pressurized fluid via the piping system and pressurize the flexible bag against surrounding water. 6. The system of claim 1 the C/E unit includes a rotating component configured to rotate in a first rotational direction during a first operational mode and to rotate in a second rotational direction during a second operational mode. 7. The system of claim 1 wherein the piping system comprises one of a rigid pipe, a flexible hose, and a combination thereof. 8. The system of claim 1 wherein the C/E unit is configured to operate at a pressure that corresponds to a pressure associated with a depth of the fluid storage system from sea level. 9. The system of claim 1 comprising a generator coupled to the C/E unit via a clutch, wherein the generator is configured to output electrical power to an electrical grid when the generator is coupled to the C/E unit via the clutch. 10. The system of claim 9 comprising a power source coupled to the C/E unit via the clutch. 11. The system of claim 1 wherein the heat exchanger comprises heat exchanger feed lines configured to selectively draw water from at a surface of the body of water and from at the sea floor, the heat exchanger feed lines including a first feed line having a first length and being positioned to draw the water from at the surface of the body of water and a second feed line having a second length and being positioned to draw the water from at the sea floor. 12. The system of claim 1 wherein the C/E unit is capable of generating between 0.2 MW and 3 MW of power. 13. The system of claim 1 comprising a power input device coupled to the C/E unit, the power input device configured to receive power from one of a wind generator, a Salter duck, a current power generator, and a tidal power generator. 14. The system of claim 11, wherein the water at the surface of the body of water is at a first temperature and the water at the sea floor is at a second temperature that is different from the first temperature, the lower temperature water being piped through the second feed line and used by the heat exchanger to the C/E in the first operational mode, and the higher temperature water being piped through the first feed line and used by the heat exchanger to the C/E in the second operational mode. 15. A method of using a compressed fluid storage system, the method comprising: applying rotational power to a shaft of a unitary positive displacement compressor/expander unit to compress fluid in a first flow direction through the unitary positive displacement compressor/expander unit;storing the compressed fluid in an isobaric fluid storage system that is positioned beneath a surface of a body of water; andoperating the compressed fluid storage system in adiabatic manner;passing the compressed fluid from the fluid storage system through the unitary positive displacement compressor/expander unit in a second flow direction to expand the fluid and thereby to apply rotational power to the shaft the second flow direction being opposite the first flow direction;wherein the rotational power applied to the shaft of the unitary positive displacement compressor/expander unit during compression and the rotational power applied to the shaft of the unitary positive displacement compressor/expander unit during expansion cause the shaft to rotate in the same direction. 16. The method of claim 15 comprising extracting power from the shaft by expanding the compressed fluid in the unitary positive displacement compressor/expander unit. 17. The method of claim 15 wherein conveying the compressed fluid comprises conveying the compressed fluid via one of a rigid pipe, a flexible hose, and a combination thereof. 18. The method of claim 15 comprising engaging the shaft to a generator via a clutch to extract the power therefrom as electrical power via the generator. 19. The method of claim 15 comprising positioning the fluid storage system on a sea floor and at a benthic depth within the body of water. 20. The method of claim 15 comprising generating the power that is applied to the shaft via one of a wind generator, a Salter duck, a wave generator, a current power generator, an ocean thermal energy converter, and a tidal power generator. 21. The method of claim 15 further comprising selectively controlling operation of the unitary positive displacement compressor/expander unit in a compression mode and in an expansion mode by way of a control unit operatively connected to the unitary positive displacement compressor/expander unit. 22. The method of claim 21 wherein selectively controlling operation of the unitary positive displacement compressor/expander unit in the compression mode and in the expansion mode comprises selectively controlling control valves in the unitary positive displacement compressor/expander unit, and wherein the selective controlling of the control valves enables rotation of the shaft the same direction during both compression and expansion. 23. A compressed fluid storage system comprising: a power source;a unitary positive displacement compressor/expander (C/E) device capable of both compressing and expanding fluid coupled to the power source via a shaft and comprising a plurality of compression/expansion (C/E) stages that pressurize fluid in a compression mode and expand fluid in an expansion mode;a fluid bag coupled to the plurality of compression/expansion stages of the unitary positive displacement C/E device and positioned under a body of water;a pressured-fluid conveyance system configured to pass pressurized fluid from the unitary positive displacement C/E device to the fluid bag when the unitary C/E device is in the compression mode, and configured to pass the pressurized fluid from the fluid bag to the unitary positive displacement C/E device when the unitary C/E device is in the expansion mode;a control unit configured to: invoke the compression mode in the unitary positive displacement C/E device, pressurize fluid and direct the pressurized fluid to pass from the plurality of C/E stages of the unitary positive displacement C/E device to the fluid bag when power is available from the power source; andinvoke the expansion mode in the unitary positive displacement C/E device, direct the pressurized fluid to pass from the fluid bag to the plurality of compression/expansion stages of the unitary positive displacement C/E device and expand the pressurized fluid when power is selectively desired to be drawn from the fluid bag; anda heat exchanger coupled to the unitary positive displacement C/E device and configured to: cool the fluid when the fluid is pressurized; andwarm the fluid when the pressurized fluid is expanded;wherein the heat exchanger provides interstitial cooling and warming between each of the C/E stages in a substantially adiabatic and isobaric fashion. 24. The system of claim 23 comprising a sediment ballast positioned within the fluid bag. 25. The system of claim 23 wherein the unitary positive displacement C/E device has a power capability of between 0.2 MW and 3 MW. 26. The system of claim 23 wherein the unitary positive displacement C/E device is configured to operate at a pressure ratio that corresponds to a water pressure at the depth of the fluid bag within the body of water and an ambient fluid pressure. 27. The system of claim 23 comprising: a generator to convert mechanical power to electrical power; anda clutch for coupling the unitary positive displacement C/E to the generator;wherein the control unit is configured to couple the generator to the unitary positive displacement C/E device via the clutch when the power is desired to be drawn from the fluid bag. 28. The system of claim 23 wherein the power source is one of a wind generator, a Salter duck, a wave generator, a current power generator, an ocean thermal energy converter, and a tidal power generator. 29. The system of claim 23 further comprising heat exchanger feed lines connecting the heat exchanger to the unitary positive displacement C/E device and configured to selectively draw water from at a surface of the body of water and from at the sea floor. 30. The system of claim 29, wherein the water at the surface of the body of water is at a first temperature and the water at the sea floor is at a second temperature that is different from the first temperature, the lower temperature water being used to cool the fluid in the unitary positive displacement C/E device in compression mode, and the higher temperature is used to heat the fluid in the unitary positive displacement C/E device in expansion mode. 31. The system of claim 23, wherein the compression mode comprises rotation in one direction, and the expansion mode comprises rotation in the other direction.
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