Collaborative Research: High-Density, Cost-Effective Electrochemical Power Management with Real-Time Diagnostics

以中小型电池单元大阵列的形式进行的电化学储能，通过增强电网的能力和提高广泛的电力运输的可行性和接受度，有可能提高美国的能源独立性、效率和安全性。随着电网的不断分散和低碳但间歇性可再生能源的日益普及，电化学储存可能在维持电网稳定方面发挥关键作用，同时帮助管理发电和终端负荷之间的能量流动。然而，现代电池系统是复杂的，具有广泛的电化学过程，这些过程是电池电压和电流的简单指标的基础。当前电池管理系统(BMS)的局限性导致系统过度设计和运行，远远低于最大能量和功率能力，从而将灾难性故障的风险降至最低，并实现操作目标。显然需要在能量存储管理技术方面进行转型创新，特别是在分布式电力电子体系结构、控制系统和诊断的交叉点。该项目将支持跨越这些关键领域的合作努力，同时通过参与本科教学、K-12学生和普通公众来支持一系列更广泛的影响活动。在这个合作项目中，达特茅斯大学的研究人员将开发一种新的高度集成的电力电子产品，用于管理大阵列中的单个电池，这将受益于低成本的半导体批量制造、摩尔定律缩放以及在效率与功率密度方面的前所未有的性能。达特茅斯团队还将开发一种多目标控制系统，该系统在电力电子平台上实施，以提供基于电化学阻抗谱(EIS)的实时诊断。普林斯顿大学的研究人员将在嵌入式系统和软件层面支持该平台的建设，并将开发用于实时测量单个电池的充电状态(SOC)、健康状态(SOH)和待定故障模式的诊断工具集。为了表征该系统并研究EIS故障模式特征，普林斯顿大学的团队将设计一系列具有已知特征和缺陷的电池。这将在健康状态诊断中开辟新的维度，并提供跨多个时间常数的重要物理现象指纹的能力。通过提供经济高效、高度精细的管理和诊断的现实路线图，协作有可能提高安全性、性能和生命周期，同时支持减少组件过度制造和总体成本。

Electrochemical energy storage in the form of large arrays of small to medium sized battery cells has the potential to improve U.S. energy independence, efficiency, and security by enhancing the capabilities of the electrical grid and increasing the viability and acceptance of widespread electric transportation. With the ongoing decentralization of the electrical grid and the growing penetration of low-carbon, but intermittent, renewable energy sources, electrochemical storage may play a critical role in maintaining grid stability while helping to manage energy flow between generation and end-load. However, modern battery systems are complex with a wide range electrochemical processes that underlie the simple metrics of cell voltage and current. Limitations of current battery management systems (BMS) result in system overdesign and operation well below maximum energy and power capabilities to minimize risk of catastrophic failure and meet operational targets. There is a clear need for transformational innovation in energy storage management technology, especially at the intersection of distributed power electronics architectures, control systems, and diagnostics. This project will support a collaborative effort that spans these areas of critical importance, while also supporting a range of broader impact activities through engagement in undergraduate teaching, K-12 students, and the general public.In the collaborative project, researchers at Dartmouth will develop a new class of highly-integrated power electronics, used to manage individual cells in a large array, which will benefit from low-cost semiconductor batch fabrication, Moore's law scaling, and unprecedented performance in terms of efficiency versus power density. The Dartmouth team will also develop a multi-objective control system, implemented on top of the power electronics platform, to provide real-time diagnostics based on electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Researchers at Princeton will support construction of the platform at the embedded systems and software level and will develop the diagnostic toolset used to measure the state-of-charge (SOC), state-of-health (SOH), and pending failure modes of individual cells in real-time. To characterize the system and study EIS failure mode signatures, the Princeton team will design a series of batteries with known characteristics and flaws. This will open new dimensions in state-of-health diagnosis and provide the ability to fingerprint important physical phenomena across multiple time-constant regimes. By providing a realistic roadmap to cost-effective, highly-granular management and diagnostics, the collaboration has the potential to improve safety, performance, and cycle life while supporting reductions in pack overbuild and overall cost.