A modular battery energy storage converter for integration with renewable generation

全球从传统的基于化石燃料的电能网络的转移导致了可再生能源部门的爆炸性增长。然而，许多可再生能源，如太阳能和风能，只能产生间歇性的电力输出。因此，为了向消费者提供连续、可靠的电力，这些能源主要通过基于燃烧的发电厂或核电站来支持。展望未来，并网储能有望大幅减少社会对传统发电厂的依赖。市场研究表明，到2017年，每年并网的储能中有60%将采用电力电子接口锂离子电池系统的形式。 在过去十年中，对锂离子电池技术的大量投资已经导致了成本的大幅降低，但在将电池连接到电网的电力电子系统中还没有看到类似的成本改善。根据美国桑迪亚国家实验室的数据，与电网连接的电池系统相关的设备成本中约有40%与电力电子接口相关。这项研究的目的是展示一种新发明的电力电子技术，使电池能源系统能够直接集成到现有和计划中的太阳能光伏发电厂中，从而使电池的电力电子接口成本降低75%。这将首先通过实施和测试拟议技术的全尺寸原型来实现。此后，该原型将被集成到现有的太阳能光伏发电厂中，从而验证组合太阳能/储能发电厂的互操作性，并确认基于小规模实验室测试系统预测的系统成本降低。

A global shift away from traditional fossil fuel based electrical energy networks has resulted in explosive growth of the renewable energy sector. However, many renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, produce only intermittent power output. Thus to provide continuous, reliable power to consumers these energy sources are predominantly back-stopped either by combustion based or nuclear power plants. Looking forward, grid connected energy storage promises to significantly reduce societies reliance on traditional power plants. Market research shows that by 2017, 60% of the annual energy storage that is being grid-connected will be in the form of power electronically interfaced lithium ion battery systems. Massive investment in lithium ion battery technology over the past decade has resulted in major cost reductions, but comparable cost improvements have not been seen in the power electronic systems that interface batteries to the grid. According to Sandia National Laboratories in the USA, approximately 40% of the equipment costs associated with grid connected battery systems is now associated with the power electronic interface. The aim of this research is to demonstrate a newly invented power electronic technology that enables battery energy systems to be directly integrated into existing and planned solar photovoltaic power plants, resulting in a 75% cost reduction in the battery's power electronic interface. This will be accomplished by, first, implementing and testing a full-scale prototype of the proposed technology. Thereafter the prototype will be integrated into an existing solar photovoltaic power plant, thus validating interoperability of the combined solar/storage power plant and confirming the system cost reductions that have been projected based on a small-scale laboratory test system.