I-Corps: Assessing the Challenges of Energy Systems and Evaluating the Suitability of Mobile Energy Storage Transmission

这个i-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是改善岛屿社区的电力供应，并使沿海能源系统能够在自然灾害后以符合成本效益的方式恢复。与大陆地区相比，电网薄弱地区和岛屿社区通常很难获得负担得起、有弹性和清洁的能源解决方案。自然灾害的频率和严重程度正在增加；弹性和灵活的电力供应系统比以往任何时候都更加重要，特别是对岛屿社区而言。制定有效的恢复决策涉及能源系统备灾的不同战略，并可极大地改善由此产生的经济和社区影响。该项目将通过一种新技术--移动储能传输(MEST)，向岛屿社区高效传输能源。近年来，储能技术在成本、尺寸和性能方面的改进使这项创新技术具有技术经济可行性。实施MEST将改善岛屿社区的长期能源获取，并为短期危机提供可快速部署、灵活、负担得起和有弹性的电力输送系统。能源部的出现恰逢岛屿能源系统的重要性与日俱增；随着海平面上升，岛屿国家继续发展，并强调发展可持续能源系统，这一市场将在未来几十年实现高速增长。这一i-Corps项目的调查结果表明，在解决基础设施系统之间的相互依存方面存在重大挑战，特别是在能源系统在其他基础设施和社区的灾后恢复进程中发挥作用方面。拟议的调查解决了基础设施网络的复原力和多行业影响之间缺失的联系，以更有效地指导备灾和恢复决策。该项目将评估岛屿社区特定情况下MEST的应用情况，以补充传统电缆传输的缺点。陆上电缆输电是一种高效、低成本的电力传输方式，而海底电缆输电成本较高，往往导致电力供应冗余度较低。这一新型输电模型由商业上可用的组件组成，使用电池和传统货运将电力从一个市场输送到另一个市场；提供与海底电缆互连相称的服务，但增加了灵活性、弹性和传统电网级储能系统的许多优点。MEST建立在成熟的经济理论、储能技术和各种市场数据的基础上。研究表明，MEST在长期岛屿电力供应和短期救灾方面都具有潜力。这些发现的结合表明，在I-Corps项目之后，MEST的影响和商业化前景光明。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is to improve electricity access for island communities and enable cost-effective restoration of coastal energy systems following natural disasters. Grid-weak regions and island communities typically have poor access to affordable, resilient, and clean energy solutions compared to their mainland counterparts. The frequency and severity of natural disasters is increasing; resilient and flexible electricity supply systems are more critical than ever, especially for island communities. Making effective recovery decisions addresses the different strategies of preparedness for energy systems and can drastically improve resulting economic and community impacts. This project will enable the efficient transmission of energy to island communities through a new technology, mobile energy storage transmission (MEST). The recent improvements of energy storage technology cost, size, and performance have resulted in technoeconomic feasibility of this innovative technology. Implementation of MEST will both improve long-term energy access for island communities and provide rapidly-deployable, flexible, affordable, and resilient electricity delivery systems for short-term crises. The advent of MEST coincides with the increasing importance of island energy systems; a market earmarked for high-growth over coming decades as sea levels rise, island nations continue to develop, and emphasis is put on development of sustainable energy systems.This I-Corps project is based on findings which identified a significant challenge in addressing the interdependency between infrastructure systems, in particular, pertaining to the role that energy systems play in the disaster recovery process of other infrastructures and communities. The proposed investigation addresses a missing link between resilience of infrastructure networks and multi-industry impacts to more effectively guide preparedness and recovery decisions. This project will evaluate scenario-specific applications of MEST for island communities; complementing the shortcomings of conventional cabled transmission. While on-shore cabled transmission is an efficient and low-cost mode of transporting electricity, subsea cabled transmission is costly and often results in poor redundancy of electricity supply. This novel transmission model, comprised of commercially available components, uses batteries and conventional freight transportation to move electricity from one market to another; providing service commensurate to a subsea cabled interconnector, but with added flexibility, resilience, and many benefits of traditional grid-level energy storage systems. MEST is founded on established economic theory, energy storage technology, and various market data. Research indicates potential for MEST in both long-term island power provision and short-term disaster relief. The combination of these findings indicates a promising future for impact and commercialization of MEST following this I-Corps project.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.