Sodium Nickel-Chloride
Sodium Nickel-Chloride |
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Widespread penetration of renewable energy and increasing demands on reliability/security of the electrical grid require extensive advances in energy storage technologies that are modular and scalable (kW-MW). EaglePicher Technologies, Inc. (EPT), a leading battery developer, is teaming with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), a world leader in research and development in solid state electrochemistry and energy conversion technologies. The new generation Na-beta batteries will be developed utilizing EPT’s formidable expertise in systems design and manufacture, and PNNL’s extensive capability and experience in the development of planar solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). The program will leverage the experience from both the successful demonstration of a planar design cell. |
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Critical Need Our national electric grid needs to significantly improve its capacity for storing electricity. The grid regularly generates surplus electricity to ensure that demand can constantly be met. This surplus of electricity is wasted because the grid has little capacity to store it. While current practices serve to keep the lights on, renewable energy sources are disadvantaged because they only provide electricity when weather conditions are optimal. Flexible, large-scale batteries would create a stronger and more reliable storage network for the electric grid and enable renewable energy sources to contribute to baseload power generation. |
Distributed Energy Storage
Distributed Energy StorageIn the quickly emerging Grid Energy Storage Market, we are hard at work meeting consumer demands for an energy storage solution that can reliably control even power distribution for alternative energies, such as wind, solar, and grid power. Our national electric grid regularly generates surplus electricity to ensure that energy demands can constantly be met; however, the grid has little capacity to store this surplus energy and that is precious energy and money wasted! Introducing the PowerPyramid™ — EPT's Approach to Grid Energy Support PowerPyramid™ - a multi-tiered battery system to control and regulate supply and demand of wind, solar and grid power.
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Our Goal While current practices serve to keep the lights on, renewable energy sources are disadvantaged because they only provide electricity when weather conditions are optimal. Our goal is to provide flexible, large-scale batteries creating a stronger and more reliable storage network for the electric grid and enabling renewable energy sources eliminating energy waste and saving money! |
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Peak Shaver Project
Peak Shaver Demonstration
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EaglePicher has met the challenge of alternative energy storage solutions with the PowerPyramid.™ Our patent pending approach applies our rich heritage and technology leadership to support alternative energy commercialization with hybrid storage solutions for wind farms—allowing wind energy to be stored when energy production is high but demand is low and utilized when demand is at its peak. As power suppliers and providers move towards a “greener grid,” the importance of energy storage systems is critical. Reconciling supply and demand is a major challenge which is exacerbated by the addition of alternative energy generation sources. Your custom-designed EaglePicher Power Pyramid™ solution |
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Grid Demonstration Project |
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Battery Management System (BMS)
Battery Management Systems (BMS) |
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| EaglePicher’s Power Pyramid™ employs EaglePicher’s proprietary Battery Management System (BMS) for control of battery functions and communications. Battery management is the process to ensure that a series cell battery string receives an optimum charge without damage to the battery string. A problem with large series battery strings is maintaining cell balance. For various reasons including variations in manufacture, thermal gradients across the cell modules, replacement of a used cell with a new one, etc, cells may differ in capacity, impedance, or state of charge. If cells are out of balance, system capacity is lost because the battery can only be charged until the highest cell reaches its maximum voltage or discharged until the lowest cell reaches its minimum voltage. Worse, because a cell, which is low for any of the above reasons, will have a higher terminal voltage during charge and will self-heat more during discharge, any imbalance within the pack tends to become worse with every cycle. The battery management process includes battery string charge control and cell fault protection. Safety is a major concern when charging Lithium Ion cells. Providing proper charge control for the battery system will mitigate safety concerns and extend battery life. | |
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EaglePicher’s Power Pyramid™ BMS is able to transfer charge between cells. It allows essentially all of the capacity of the battery to be utilized. By transferring energy out of lower capacity cells during charge, the State of Charge (SOC) of the entire pack can be brought to 100% without wasting energy. Likewise, by preferentially transferring energy out of higher capacity cells during discharge, the entire pack can be discharged to the target minimum SOC. The extra energy in higher-capacity cells is made available to the application. |
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Master Control System The architecture of the system uses one small module attached to each cell and a central controller for the battery. Each module has a local processor, DC-to-DC converter, and A/D and D/A converters for measurement and control. The central controller includes a current sensor, which must be installed in one of the battery leads. Each controller supports a single series string of cells. Voltage parameters are sensed via analog signal conditioning circuits. These circuits provide the necessary signal attenuation or gain and filtering. The outputs of the analog conditioning circuits are calibrated to individual cell/battery parameters. This provides the necessary levels for sensing via analog to digital converters within the battery’s management system. Temperature and current parameters are sensed via analog signal conditioning circuits. These circuits provide the necessary signal attenuation or gain and filtering. The output of the analog conditioning circuits are calibrated to the cell/battery temperature and current parameters. This provides the necessary levels for sensing via analog to digital converters within the battery’s management system. Protection during a fault condition (including over and under voltage/temperature, overload current and time) are provided by isolating the battery from the charging source or load. This is accomplished by using solid state disconnects. Fault indication is accomplished by communicating fault conditions via SCADA/DMS interface. Either analog or digital outputs from the master controller can be made available. Fault detection uses information obtained during battery management system monitoring. Fault conditions are determined by coded parameter limits established by set points between communications. |
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