Providing a lithium energy storage system for switchgear
Power Storage Solutions delivers seven lithium-titanate energy storage systems to major petrochemical producer in Houston
Power Storage Solutions and Toshiba designed a 125 VDC system to provide a true lithium-ion option for safety critical applications in petrochemical and utility plants. The proven, 10-year-old technology uses lithium titanium oxide (LTO) in its anode to achieve excellent characteristics, including safety, long life, low-temperature performance, rapid charging, high input/output power and large effective capacity.
Petrochemical and utility companies have long depended on the proven technology of lead-acid batteries. Lead-acid has provided safe and reliable energy sources for more than 50 years, but not without drawbacks. To get the most out of a lead-acid system, the owner needs to do routine maintenance and regular testing to ensure the batteries’ long-term health and performance. There are other safety-related issues of concern, such as hydrogen off-gassing, “dead” space with separate environmental controls and acid spills, which companies have had to deal with over the life of their lead-acid batteries. However, a better solution for consistent and reliable switchgear control for DC power was not available until recently.
Over the past 10 years, there has been a lot of development in lithium-ion battery technology. The first lithium-ion power solutions introduced were not able to satisfy the petrochemical and utility industry’s requirements for safety and reliability. These early failures slowed the acceptance of using lithium batteries in safety critical environments.
“We set out to design the safest energy storage system we were confident in using for the petrochemical industry,” said Jerry Estes of Power Storage Solutions. The LTO technology eliminates the off-gassing associated with lead-acid, while the unique chemistry solves the potential thermal issues that may occur with other lithium-ion chemistries. The key is the LTO material phase-changes from conductive to insulating when exposed to a short-circuit event, protecting the battery from a thermal runaway. The chemistry of LTO itself serves as an important first line of safety protection against short circuits, augmented by the battery management system (BMS) that protects against overcharge and other hazards. This unique chemistry is what led Power Storage Solutions to choose to work with Toshiba.
“We knew the LTO battery chemistry was perfect for this application. Power Storage Solutions brought their industry knowledge — the perfect petrochemical partner — and all of our engineers worked for two years to design the best solution,” said Greg Mack, president of Toshiba. The process led to several breakthroughs, providing multiple advantages over traditional lead-acid such as increased cycling, overall footprint savings, ease of maintenance and real-time monitoring.
During the proof-of-concept testing, it was noted that only a small degree of capacity degradation occurs, even after more than 20,000 cycles of charging and discharging. Under typical load profiles, this equates to over a 25-year lifespan.
The LTO energy storage system comes in a 24-inch-wide seismic rack mount configuration. When comparing an equivalent lead-acid system, the lead-acid requires over 84 inches of wall space, along with spill containment for the acid and a ventilation system for off-gases. There is no concern of hydrogen gas emissions, eliminating the need for hydrogen monitors and ventilation systems. The system is enclosed in seismic-certified cabinets that are UL 9450 approved, providing enclosed and protected electrical connections.
The BMS augments the maintenance of the batteries. Being able to diagnose problems in real time allows for improved effectiveness of maintenance programs. The LTO is designed to be “hands-off,” requiring only minimal, yearly checks to make sure physical damage has not occurred. The BMS also optimizes the performance of the LTO energy storage system.
Power Storage Solutions is now offering a 125 V LTO energy storage system for switchgear in the petrochemical and utilities industries. If you would like to learn more about the long life, high-charge rates, smaller footprint, lower maintenance and environmentally friendly solution, contact Power Storage Solutions.
For more information, visit https://pwrstoragesolutions.com or call (346) 299-2124.
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