OQAPA - Pressure Energy Storage

Alternative energy sources are on a lot of people's minds these days.
The idea of storing energy by compressing air may sound like science fiction, but it is already being done in Germany in 1978 and the United States in 1991.
To storge very large amounts of energy most plants store this pressure energy in underground mines at very high pressures (more than 1,000 PSI).

On nights and weekends air is pumped underground and compressed using low-cost electricity.
During the day (at peak times), the air is released and heated using a small amount of natural gas.
The heated air flows through a turbine generator to produce electricity.

There are other compnies working on Air Cars, like MDI (www.theaircar.com).

Other technologies rely on very high pressures (up to 300 Bar)