Power conversion solution connects to flow batteries

The Energy Management System which monitors the facility was developed by ULiège in collaboration with CMI. The energy produced will be used for the electricity consumption of the headquarters of CMI, or fed into the distribution network in a controlled manner thanks to the intelligent system developed in collaboration with the University of Liège.

The project is set up in Seraing, Belgium, at the headquarters of CMI Energy and  has been inaugurated in October 2018. CMI Energy will use this system as a test bench of typical use cases (electricity self-consumption, solar photovoltaic time shift and resale of the exceeding electricity, as well as primary reserve, voltage stability, etc.) in different configurations (off and on-grid) and comparing the storage technologies.

Intelligence collected through the tests will give an in-depth understanding of how the different types of battery perform depending on production and usage profiles and ultimately will support the improvement of integrated electricity production/storage/management systems .

The power conversion system provided by AEG Power Solutions consists in a Convert SC Flex converter and a transformer embedded in an outdoor enclosure. Convert SC Flex bi-directional power converter provides an outstanding conversion efficiency factor for both the charging and discharging phases and offers a wide range of DC input voltage which spans from 330-1,000V.

This allows to use the converter with any type of battery technology. In the MiRIS project Convert SC flex is combined with a flow battery storage, proving its capability to provide the initial charging phase that those batteries specifically require. Convert SC Flex will also demonstrate in this configuration that it allows seamless transition between on and off-grid mode.

“MiRIS is a very innovative project and a great field of live experimentation for energy storage," explained Andreas Becker, Product Manager at AEG Power Solutions. "We are very excited to be selected as a partner and are looking forward to the first results and all we can learn from this pilot plant.”

AEG Power Solutions is showcasing its power conversion systems for energy storage at Energy Storage Europe, in Düsseldorf, from 12th to 14th March on booth 8b D07. Convert SC Flex will benefit of an extended derating curve 1,000kVA at 1,100VDC, the new version will be available in the next six months.