ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 23 -- United States Patent no. 12,366,231, issued on July 22, was assigned to BLACK & VEATCH Corp. (Overland Park, Kan.).
"Buoyant compressed air energy storage" was invented by Mason Charles Mechler (Lawrence, Kan.).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "An energy storage system includes a pneumatic vessel, a cable system attached to the vessel, a compressor for pressurizing the vessel, a generator attached to the cable system, a turboexpander generator for receiving compressed air from the vessel, and a control system. The system deflates and allows the vessel to sink in a body of water, inflates the vessel to store energy when an abundance of it exists, and allows the inflated...