Power Grid Integration and Use-Case Study of Acid-Base Flow Battery Technology

Jesús Muñoz-Cruzado-Alba,Javier Ballestín-Fuertes,David Miguel Rivas-Ascaso,José F Sanz-Osorio,Angelo Catania,Rossano Musca,Michael P Jones,Emil Goosen

doi:10.3390/su13116089

Abstract

There are many different types of energy storage systems (ESS) available and the functionality that they can provide is extensive. However, each of these solutions come with their own set of drawbacks. The acid-base flow battery (ABFB) technology aims to provide a route to a cheap, clean and safe ESS by means of providing a new kind of energy storage technology based on reversible dissociation of water via bipolar electrodialysis. First, the main characteristics of the ABFB technology are described briefly to highlight its main advantages and drawbacks and define the most-competitive use-case scenarios in which the technology could be applied, as well as analyze the particular characteristics which must be considered in the process of designing the power converter to be used for the interface with the electrical network. As a result, based on the use-cases defined, the ESS main specifications are going to be identified, pointing out the best power converter configuration alternatives. Finally, an application example is presented, showing an installation in the electrical network of Pantelleria (Italy) where a real pilot-scale prototype has been installed.

Highlights

As the gravity of the climate crisis exerts ever increasing pressure on governments and industries alike, the already rapid acceleration of renewable energy procurement will continue to increase at pace
An isolated DC/DC design is recommended for two reasons: first, because doing so, a low frequency power transformer is not needed in the AC output, saving volume and weight of the unit; and secondly, thanks to this feature, a series association is possible to perform the reset operation, as explained below
The power conversion system which should serve as interface of the battery pack to the AC network is properly designed for application to the acid-base flow battery (ABFB) technology: sizing and specifications are derived according to the particular constraints and requirements related to the ABFB

Summary

Introduction

As the gravity of the climate crisis exerts ever increasing pressure on governments and industries alike, the already rapid acceleration of renewable energy procurement will continue to increase at pace. A large proportion of power was generated by the burning of fossils fuels. This method of power generation is highly controllable, making it possible to match supply with demand and to respond to any imbalance in the grid. Given the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources (RES), matching supply with demand becomes a much greater task when renewables make up a significant proportion of the energy mix; energy storage systems (ESS) can be used to alleviate some of these problems. It is an unfortunate fact that currently, much of the energy generated by renewables must be discarded due to it being generated at a time when demand is low.

Objectives

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion