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Partner Call extended

Start of the project: Q4 2022

The Power Electronics Division of SAL is aiming to initiate a research project to develop a demonstration system with hybrid battery storage system (redox flow battery plus supercapacitor and interface converters), photovoltaic generation system (PV panels and inverter), power distribution unit (backup box), smart meter, electric loads (wall box for EV charging, household appliances, lights, etc.) and energy management system (EMS).

One research focus of the project is the HBSS, where the low power density redox flow battery (RFB) will be combined with high power density supercapacitor (SC). Accordingly, a bidirectional AC/DC interface converter will be developed to connect the HBSS to the low voltage grid. Following research topics are planned:

• Highly efficient and cost-effective interface converter topology
• Optimum interface converter system with possible modular design for easy and flexible expansion of storage capacity and power
• Energy efficient control of the interface converter under different operating modes (charging, discharging, grid-connected, off-grid, etc.)
• Safety issue of residential battery storage system with and without galvanic isolation to grid
• System operation under unbalanced and fault conditions of grid

Another research focus is the intelligent EMS, where a hardware and associated software platform will be developed. The EEBUS communication protocol will be implemented for the EMS to connect devices with each other in typical residential scenario (HBSS, PV inverter, smart meter, power distribution unit and different loads) and communicate with the grid. The EMS platform will be compatible with other commonly used communication protocols, such as OpenADR, WiFi, Bluetooth, ZigBee, etc. Based on the implemented EMS platform, the previously mentioned demonstration system will be built and following research topics will be addressed and demonstrated:

• Smart energy coordination strategy for HBSS and PV system aiming for minimum energy loss by generation and storage
• AI-based intelligent energy management strategy and power flow control algorithm aiming for minimum energy loss and owner-cost for the whole household
• Smart protection and autonomous energy backup solution for critical load

In this project, a bidirectional AC/DC interface converter system for the HBSS will be developed and tested, where the following features will be validated:

• Capability of the designed converter system (both topology and system architecture) to charge/discharge the HBSS
• High efficiency operating the converter system by charging/discharging the HBSS under different charging power and load conditions
• Control of the converter for stale operation in different modes (charging, discharging, grid-connected, off-grid, etc.) and smooth transition among these operation modes

A hardware and software platform for EMS based on the EEBUS communication protocol will be developed and validated for the following functions:

• Communication interface from other protocol to EEBUS and vice versa
• Communication and coordination with other device/equipment (HBSS interface converter, PV inverter, smart meter, power distribution unit, smart meter, etc.) via EEBUS

Finally, this project will result in a fully functional demonstration system for residential scenario including all elements as mentioned before. The reliable and energy efficient operation of the whole system in typical household scenario based on intelligent energy management strategy will be demonstrated with focus on:

• Smart energy generation, storage and consumption with minimum energy loss and owner-cost
• Protection of devices under internal and external fault conditions
• Reliable backup supply for critical load (UPS function)

Call for partners

The project will be funded via the SAL cooperative model, for more details, please refer to this link: silicon-austria-labs.com/en/collaboration/cooperative-research/

According to the scope of the project, we are looking for industrial partners with business focus or interest in but not limited to the following domains:

• Redox flow battery supplier
• Supercapacitor supplier
• PV panel and PV inverter vendor for residential applications
• Residential energy storage product & solution provider
• HVAC (Heating, ventilation, air conditioning) solution provider
• Electrical vehicle charging equipment provider (both onboard and off-board)
• Magnetic materials and components manufacturer
• PCB integration and embedding technology provider

Partners with other background and additional ideas who would like to join the project are also welcome. Please contact us for further discussion.