Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Redox Flow Batteries For The Stable Supply
Redox Flow Batteries For The Stable Supply
Renewable energies, such as solar and wind power, are increasingly being introduced as alternative energy sources on
a global scale toward a low-carbon society. For the next generation power network, which uses a large number of these
distributed power generation sources, energy storage technologies will be indispensable. Among these technologies,
battery energy storage technology is considered to be most viable. Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. has developed a
redox flow battery system suitable for large scale energy storage, and carried out several demonstration projects on the
stabilization of renewable energy output using the redox flow battery system. This paper describes the advantages of
the redox flow battery and reviews the demonstration projects.
Keywords: redox flow battery, energy storage, renewable energy, smart grid, wind turbine, photovoltaics
to Load
end plate
PCS
terminal
i to Load
Fig. 3. Typical structure of a cell stack PCS
V
Tank
monitor
-cell
3. Advantages of a Redox Flow Battery flow of electrolyte
V=E V = E - iR Pump
(2) In the case of redox flow batteries
In a vanadium redox flow battery, the battery reaction
principle is simply the change of valence of the vanadium
ions in the electrolyte without solid phase battery reactions. Fig. 4. Schematics of SOC variability between series-connected batteries
1
35 Specification of Redox Flow Battery : 1.1kW x 1H
0
30 0.01 0.1 1 10 100 1000
Wind Farm Output (Simulated Signal)
25
Discharge Time (sec)
20
Output (MW)
0 90%
60%
-5
57msec 170msec
-10
-200 -100 0 100 200 300 400
10
with a time constant T. The output required to the redox
5
-5 Redox Flow
Output Adjustment
State of Charge (SOC) SOC Feed Back (for keeping SOC within normal range) Battery Output
Control -10
Output Adjustment 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00
Open Circuit Voltage (V)
Total Output
Output of (Wind Farm 1.39
Redox Flow + Redox Flow 1.38
+ Battery Battery)
Output of Wind Farm 1 + +
1.37
1 + Ts
Target Value − + 1.36
of Total Output
1.35
1.34
15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00
Table 1. The specification and equipment configuration of a 6 MWh Fig. 10. The layout of 6 MWh redox flow battery system
redox flow battery system
Equipment Number - + - + - + - +
G
Power Conditioner 4 1 / Bank
~- ~- ~- ~-
Cell-stack 96 24 / Bank Wind Turbines
(19 Turbines,
30.6 MW)
Heat Exchanger 16 4 / Bank
Electrolyte Tank 32 4 set / Bank Redox Flow
Battery System
~
Electrolyte Pump 32 4 set / Bank -
35
30 Wind Farm Output
25 Redox Flow Battery Output
Output (MW)
20 Total Output
15
10
5
0
-5
-10
12:00 0:00 12:00 0:00 12:00 0:00 12:00 0:00 12:00
40
17(8),(9). As shown in this figure, the demonstration system
Total Output
(stabilized in time constant is a micro grid isolated from the commercial power line.
20 of 3600sec)
The power source for the micro grid consists of only pho-
0
tovoltaic systems and a small wind turbine. The micro grid
-20 Output of Redox Flow Battery also contains a redox flow battery to realize the grid stabil-
-40 ity. Since the output of these renewable sources and of the
-60
redox flow battery are direct current (DC), all the electrical
6:00 7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 apparatus in the system is connected through a DC bus to
minimize the DC/AC conversion loss. Generated DC
Fig. 14. Stabilizing solar power output operation
power is transmitted on the DC bus to the receiving ends,
converted to AC at the ends, and consumed by electrical
loads (LCDs, LED lighting, compact refrigerators, etc.).
120
Planed Total Output Output of Redox
100 Flow Battery
PV PV PV WT
80 4.2kW 2.2kW 1.0kW 1.0kW
Output (kW)
40 DC/AC
DC Bus (350V)
DC/DC
20
70%
pendent on the weather which is changing every moment,
Power Received from thereby making it difficult to plan the operation of supply-
60% Commertial Line
50% demand control. In this micro grid, the balance between
40% Output of Gas Engine supply and demand is maintained by compensating imbal-
30% anced electric power with charge and discharge of the
20% redox flow battery. In such operation, energy storage com-
Output of RFBattery
10% ponents are required to be able to charge and discharge
0% steeply and intricately. Furthermore, in order to avoid a
Output of PV
-10%
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
shortage of capacity, it is necessary to manage the state of
charge (SOC) with high precision. The redox flow battery
Time (hour)
system meets such requirements.
For this specific application, an “all-in-one” cubicle
Fig. 16. Peak-cut operation
type of 10 kWh redox flow battery system was developed.
This system features two 2 kW cell-stacks, pumps, tanks, a
bidirectional DC-DC converter, and a battery management
(3) Peak-cut operation system. The outlook of the cell-stacks and “all-in-one” type
Separately from stabilizing the supply of renewable en- 10 kWh redox flow battery system is shown in Photo 3.
ergy, the demonstration system was combined with the ex- The example output of the demand/supply control
isting gas engine power plant to cut the peak demand for operation is shown in Fig. 18. If generated power is higher
2 Cell-stacks are
inside the cubicle References
(1) T. Shigematsu, “Redox Flow Battery for Energy Storage,” SEI Tech-
nical Review No.73, p.4 (2011)
(2) T. Shibata, “Application of Redox Flow Battery for Stabilization of
Wind Power,” J.IEIE Jpn, vol.25, No.10, P.800 (2005)
(3) T. Sasaki, “Evaluation Stydy about Redox Flow Battery Response and
Photo 3. Outlook of 10 kWh redox flow battery its Modeling,” T.IEE Japan Vol.121-B (2001)
(4) K. Kobayashi, “Wind Power Stabilization Technology Development
Project,” J. of Energy & Resources, vol.25, No.6, P.394 (2004)
(5) NEDO Report, “Development of Technologies for Stabilization of
Wind Power in Power Systems,” (2008)
5000 with demand-supply control with demand-supply control 450 (6) H. Nakahata, “Development of Smart Grid Demonstration Systems,”
DC Bus Voltage (V), REL (%)
2000 Generated Output (W) 300 SEI Technical Review No.76, p.23 (2013)
1000 250 (8) N. Ayai, “DC Micro Grid System,” SEI Technical Review No.75, p.132
Power consumption (W)
0 200
(2012)
(9) T. Shibata, “Performance results of Redox Flow Battery System applied
-1000 150
Output of VFB(W) to DC micro grid,” International Flow Battery Forum 2012 (2012)
-2000 100
-3000 Remained Energy Level (%) 50
-4000 0
8:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00
6. Conclusion
T. SHIBATA*
• Group Manager, Power System R&D Lab
oratories
T. KUMAMOTO
• Manager, Power System R&D Laboratories
Y. NAGAOKA
• Manager, Power System R&D Laboratories
K. KAWASE
• Assistant Manager, Power System R&D Laboratories
K. YANO
• Power System R&D Laboratories