SBIR Phase II: Extremely Compact, High Efficiency, Integrated Converter and Energy Storage System

The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is to enable vast deployment of energy storage to increase installation of renewable energy for reduced pollution and greenhouse gases, to improve energy security, and to improve energy efficiency and safety. The project will realize a dramatic reduction in cost and size of Energy Storage Systems (ESS) that will allow penetration of ESS into markets served by fossil fuels. One key market is grid ancillary services which includes Frequency Regulation (FR) that regulates grid frequency and stability. With the potential of this project, the FR market for battery based ESS is expected to grow from $100M/yr to over $4B/yr. This project has the societal benefits of replacing fossil fuel based ?peaker? plants that are commonly used to perform FR, with clean Li-ion battery based ESS. Furthermore, by providing lower cost FR capability for the grid, the project will enable grid penetration of more renewable energy, which requires additional FR capability. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will develop a highly compact integrated modular inverter/energy storage system to revolutionize deployment of energy storage system for grid, micro-grid, energy efficiency, and energy reliability support. The development effort proposed here includes an advanced energy storage system consisting of an extremely compact 150kW high frequency 3-level inverter, an integrated 100kWhr compact Li-ion battery system, proprietary battery management systems and internet communications capability. This will provide a highly integrated and scalable 150kW Energy Storage System with an integrated battery string inverter with 60% reduced system cost and 10X reduced size that will open new markets for energy storage and renewable energy. The project will develop key technology innovations which work together with advanced Li-ion batteries to form a revolutionary new product. These innovations include: high frequency 3-level inverter with innovative high frequency control and output filter to achieve >10X reduction in volume; a novel topology that integrates inverters into each cell string and eliminates many components resulting in 60% system cost reduction; a modular and scalable design that is fault tolerant and allows easy optimization for multiple system uses. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.