A second life for electric-drive vehicle batteries

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is looking to give batteries from electric drive vehicles (EV) a “second life.” Possible secondary uses for lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries include residential and commercial electric-power management, power-grid stabilization to help provide reliable electricity to users, and renewable energy system firming—which in this case involves using batteries to make power provided to the grid by variable resources such as wind and solar energy more usable.

The project will begin with a comprehensive technical and economic analysis addressing all aspects of a battery’s lifecycle in search of the best second-use strategies, followed by a comprehensive test program to verify findings, particularly battery lifetimes. For the field test, researchers will deploy aged EV batteries at the University of California, San Diego’s campus-wide electric power grid.

The cost of Li-ion batteries also currently affects the affordability of EVs for consumers. Researchers will do a technical and economic investigation to see if the potential for reusing Li-ion batteries could lead to consumers obtaining a cost credit for the remaining value of a used battery, potentially offsetting a portion of the initial cost to the EV buyer. It might be the case that while a battery no longer has sufficient power for an EV, it still has the capability to meet the needs of other less demanding applications.

Allocating used electric vehicle batteries to second-use applications also could benefit the environment by delaying the recycling or disposing of batteries, and by supplying a service that improves the efficiency and cleanliness of other industries.

The NREL award to the CCSE team leverages an ongoing UC Davis-CCSE-TSRC study funded by the California Energy Commission on the repurposing of used EV batteries for home energy storage. The total budget for the NREL-CCSE second use battery project is approximately $1.3 million with 51 percent of the funding coming from CCSE and its partners.

WPE

Most powerful industrial lithium-ion battery has wind apps

A Canadian company says its transforming renewable-energy, transportation, and marine industries with its release of an advanced lithium-ion battery that can store and distribute energy in megawatt sizes and has the capacity to output sustained power comparable to diesel engines in hybrid and full-electric vessels and vehicles. Current hybrid designs in the marine industry, being installed with batteries, will cut CO₂ emissions and fuel consumption in heavy-polluting workboats by 75%.

Proprietary lithium-ion battery packs from Corvus Energy, Richmond, B.C. have four times the power and energy storage of lead-acid batteries in half the volume and a quarter of the weight. Each battery pack delivers at least 22% more power and energy density than the most powerful Lithium-ion phosphate batteries used in electric vehicles and consumer products.

The battery design is built around a new nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC)-based cell and patent-pending Corvus battery management system that enhances battery efficiency and performance with energy storage capacity from 6.2 kWh to unlimited sizes.

“We’ve made the theoretical…possible,” says Corvus CEO Brent Perry. “Our battery’s cells are 99% efficient, a full 10 to 30% better than any other brand and it’s available today.” Company founders George Roddan, a naval architect, and Neil Simmonds, who holds more than 70 patents in battery management systems, joined forces with Perry in 2009 to create a battery pack that could provide diesel-engine-scale power and solve the marine and transportation industries’ energy problems.

Corvus says it invested more than $5 million to create a safe, modular battery pack tough enough to withstand the world’s harshest ocean and port environments, as well as operational between -4 and 140°F. In addition, each pack has an average life of twenty years. Lead-acid batteries last just seven years.

“Corvus is letting engineers, who design wind farms and grid systems to cruise ships and tug boats, rethink how they can store energy and use power,” said Perry. “It changes the entire landscape. Energy can be stored in regions that previously didn’t have consistent power and ports can clean up their act with workboats and equipment that no longer require diesel engines.

A wind application: Russ Kremer of Heritage Acre Foods recently selected the batteries as primary energy storage for his 100% eco-powered, zero-waste pork-processing plant near Springville, Mo. Kremer selected Corvus Energy’s 400 to 500-kWh battery pack to store energy captured by wind and solar generators and disperse it as needed.

Transportation application: Long-haul trucks idle an average of 2,000 h/yr, consuming 1 gal/h. Auxiliary power units with Corvus batteries let trucks reduce fuel consumption by 2,000 gallons annually and eliminate, on a per vehicle basis, some 19 metric tons of carbon dioxide, 705 pounds of nitrogen oxide, 143 pounds of reactive organic gas and 9.5 pounds of particulate matter.

Marine application: Tugboats idle up to 90% of the time and operate at full power the remaining 10%. With Corvus, a 3,000-horsepower harbor tug in hybrid form will save 122,000 gallons of fuel and will reduce its emissions by 900 tons of carbon, 21 tons of nitrogen oxide, and 8.62 tons of particulate matter each year. Tugboats can draw extra energy from the battery packs during full-power surges, fully rely on the pack during idle periods, and power critical navigational instruments for hours. The packs are the most efficient in the industry and recharge in 30 min. It’s maintenance-free and that comes with a lifetime warranty.

Corvus Energy
corvus-energy.com

Lithium battery could store wind generated power

Toshiba International Corp. says it has established a U.S.-based sales and support for its recent Super Charge Ion Battery, SCiB. This nano-based lithium technology is noteworthy for a rapid-charging capability of 90% in less than 5 min., according to the company, a life of more than 10 years even at a rapid charge rates, and excellent safety performance. The SCiB product line will be supported out of the Toshiba’s headquarters in Houston, Texas. The company says the SCiB design has performance advantages that make it ideal for many tough energy storage challenges. For instance, it is:

• Inherently safe. The advanced lithium chemistry based on nano-technology prevents thermal runaway even under extreme physical duress.

• Fast charge rates. It is capable of a full recharge in < 10 min., 90% in < 5 min.

• Superior life. There is minimal capacity loss even after 6,000 rapid charge-discharge cycles.

• Greater usable capacity. Up to 85% of its usable capacity comes without compromising cycle life.

• High output performance. Discharge rates are equivalent to those of ultra-capacitors.

• Superb low-temperature performance. It excels at temperatures down to -30°C

Battery packs of SCiB cells will be supplied from the company’s production line in Nagano, Japan. Initial market development activities in the US will focus on smart grid and grid storage, wind and solar power, automotive, and others. Additional packs are under development. The SCiB team will focus on battery-pack design, prototyping, assembly, technical support, service, and business development.

Lithium batteries for renewable-energy backup

Stationary batteries provide electrical power to systems during power outages. They are used in equipment dedicated to stabilizing voltages by eliminating irregularities in systems that generate electrical power. The batteries can hold large loads temporarily as utility power switches from one generation source to another.

Lithium-iron magnesium-phosphate batteries, from Valence Energy Storage Solutions, Austin, Texas, are said to offer large format back-up and UPS capability for commercial and utilities applications including:

• Back-up and UPS applications include back-up servers and data centers, remote base stations and generators, and telecoms.
• Auxiliary power units
• Hybrid generation sets
• Peak shaving
• Renewable energy back-up (solar, off/onshore wind power and tidal)

Lead acid has been the only chemistry of choice until now. With rising costs of lead, maintenance and safety concerns, the company’s lithium iron magnesium phosphate is poised as a strong candidate to replace the lead acid battery with a lighter, lower maintenance, and higher performance.

Battery features are said to include:

• Excellent float characteristics and cycle life
• Safety
• Reduced size and weight vs lead acid
• Almost zero maintenance
• Remote battery status monitoring and alarms
• No heavy metals (easier disposal at end of battery life)

Valence is receiving inquiries from multinational electric and power distribution companies looking improve capability and develop better green credentials.