Sector
Manufacturing
SOLUTION
TECHNOLOGY
Battery Energy Storage
Energy Management Software
Modelling & Simulation
Challenge
Demand from customers for high performance Electric Vehicle (EV) engines meant that rigorous new R&D facilities would be required for electric vehicle powertrain.
An application to their Distribution Network Operator (DNO), however, was blocked on the basis of it exceeding their parameters of allowable network fault current, which would cause problems for the DNO’s ability to supply the area with reliable power.
Solution
The DNO ruling meant that while the client could go ahead with their new R&D cell, it could not be connected to the grid during operation. To overcome this hurdle, Powerstar first produced a comprehensive ‘Digital Twin’ model of the site, allowing a range of possible scenarios to be simulated and assessed in real-time.
On completion of the modelling, the client was granted DNO approval to run the R&D cell in island mode, independent of the grid, drawing power from two 500kW Powerstar VIRTUE batteries while in operation instead. While one battery powers the R&D cell, the other recharges from the grid, switching instantaneously when required. The solution was part funded by South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP).
Result
Powerstar’s technical expertise and ability to model energy systems in real-time allowed the client to implement a vital testing capability that would otherwise have been extremely difficult.
With the process of switching batteries fully automated by Powerstar’s Microgrid Control technology, the battery energy storage system can run in island mode indefinitely without ever directly connecting to the grid.
Grid Constraints
Analysis
The graphic below shows how, using a two-battery storage system, the client are able to run their EV powertrain R&D cell without ever connecting it directly to the grid.
The client is also now implementing an innovative recharge strategy based on predicted CO2 from the electricity grid. This will provide automated selective charging to charge the battery system at the optimal time to reduce the site’s carbon footprint.
