How Heated Water and Compressed Air Generate Electricity
This patent describes a system that stores energy as compressed air and generates electricity by injecting that air into heated water, creating an upward flow that drives a hydro-electric turbine.
Original patent title: “System for energy storage and electrical power generation”
This patent describes a system that stores energy as compressed air and generates electricity by injecting that air into heated water, creating an upward flow that drives a hydro-electric turbine. Granted to Augwind in 2022 with 17 claims and 3 forward citations, and it is expected to expire in 2041.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
The system stores energy by compressing air. To generate electricity, this compressed air is injected into a "riser tube" submerged in a "water collecting tank" (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1). The air forms bubbles, which makes the water less dense and causes an "upward flow" of water and bubbles (Claim 1). This moving water then drives a "hydro-electric power system" to produce electricity (Claim 1). A key feature is a "water heating system" that warms the water in the tank to a temperature higher than the surrounding air, which helps make the process more efficient (Claim 1). For example, solar panels can be used to heat the water (Claim 3).
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Systems that generate electricity from compressed air without using an airlift pumping mechanism.
- Airlift pumping systems that do not include a water heating system to warm the collecting water to a temperature above ambient air.
- Energy storage systems that use a gas other than compressed air to drive the electricity generation process.
- Electricity generation from compressed air where the compressed air is not utilized at a temperature greater than ambient air.
- Hydro-electric systems not specifically driven by the upward flow of water mixed with injected air bubbles.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The noveltynoveltyThe requirement that an invention be different from anything publicly known before its priority date.Read more → lies in combining compressed air energy storage with an airlift pumping system where the collecting water is actively heated. Heating the water increases the efficiency of the airlift pump, allowing more electricity to be generated from the same amount of compressed air than if cold water were used.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Large-scale grid energy storage facilities
Renewable energy integration projects
Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) plants
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This technology addresses the challenge of storing energy from intermittent sources like solar and wind power. By storing energy as compressed air and then efficiently converting it back to electricity, it can help stabilize power grids. Systems like this are important for ensuring a reliable supply of clean energy when renewable sources are not actively generating.
Filed
July 21, 2021
Granted
December 20, 2022
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Augwind Ltd., the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, is actively developing and deploying compressed air energy storage solutions. Other companies in the broader energy storage sector, such as Siemens Energy and Hydrostor, are also working on various forms of compressed air energy storage.
Market impact
This type of energy storage system helps address the intermittency of renewable energy sources, allowing excess power generated during peak production times (e.g., sunny afternoons for solar) to be stored and released when demand is high or generation is low. It contributes to the growth of grid-scale energy storage, a critical component for transitioning to a decarbonized energy system.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
The system stores energy by compressing air. To generate electricity, this compressed air is injected into a "riser tube" submerged in a "water collecting tank" (Claim 1). The air forms bubbles, which makes the water less dense and causes an "upward flow" of water and bubbles (Claim 1). This moving water then drives a "hydro-electric power system" to produce electricity (Claim 1). A key feature is a "water heating system" that warms the water in the tank to a temperature higher than the surrounding air, which helps make the process more efficient (Claim 1). For example, solar panels can be used to heat the water (Claim 3).
The clever bit
The novelty lies in combining compressed air energy storage with an airlift pumping system where the collecting water is actively heated. Heating the water increases the efficiency of the airlift pump, allowing more electricity to be generated from the same amount of compressed air than if cold water were used.
What it does not cover
- Systems that generate electricity from compressed air without using an airlift pumping mechanism.
- Airlift pumping systems that do not include a water heating system to warm the collecting water to a temperature above ambient air.
- Energy storage systems that use a gas other than compressed air to drive the electricity generation process.
- Electricity generation from compressed air where the compressed air is not utilized at a temperature greater than ambient air.
- Hydro-electric systems not specifically driven by the upward flow of water mixed with injected air bubbles.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Moderate
Citation count
12/40
Early citations
Claim breadth
11/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
20/20
Granted within 5 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$47K – $150K
Midpoint $94K · 14.8 yr remaining · industry baseline
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
The original legal language
Original claims
17 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Yogev, O. (2022). How Heated Water and Compressed Air Generate Electricity (U.S. Patent No. 11,532,949). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11532949/system-for-energy-storage-and-electrical-power-generation
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Heated Water and Compressed Air Generate Electricity cover?
This patent describes a system that stores energy as compressed air and generates electricity by injecting that air into heated water, creating an upward flow that drives a hydro-electric turbine.
Who owns patent US 11532949?
Augwind owns this patent, granted in 2022.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on July 21, 2041, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 11532949 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 3 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This technology addresses the challenge of storing energy from intermittent sources like solar and wind power. By storing energy as compressed air and then efficiently converting it back to electricity, it can help stabilize power grids. Systems like this are important for ensuring a reliable supply of clean energy when renewable sources are not actively generating.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Systems that generate electricity from compressed air without using an airlift pumping mechanism.
Patent monitoring