Apr 28, 2016

Battery Innovation Center and Chroma Partner to Develop Micro-Grid Test Environment

Chroma Systems Solutions, Inc., a leading provider of power conversion testing equipment and automated systems, and the Battery Innovation Center (BIC), advanced learning and education in the energy sector near Crane, IN, announces partnership to create a micro-grid test environment for testing and furthering the development of battery storage systems. BIC’s Micro-Grid Group plans to utilize Chroma’s 61800 Regenerative Grid Simulators to drive adoption of the MESA-ESS standard for Advanced Energy Storage Systems.
 
Matt Mills, Sr. Engineer with the Battery Innovation Center states “The Chroma 61800 Grid Simulators are at the heart of the Battery Innovation Center’s Micro-Grid Test Lab. The 61800 series provides the lab’s 480V three phase supply including power monitoring on each phase. Independent phase operation allows charging of one of the lab’s energy storage systems on one leg while discharging on another. With help from Chroma, the Battery Innovation Center is helping to spur the grid energy storage industry adoption of the plug and play MESA standard for Advanced Energy Storage Systems.”
 
According to the MESA Standard, MESA-ESS specifications address how energy storage systems communicate with the utility’s grid control (SCADA/DMS), while potentially extending these communication specifications to aggregators and facility energy management systems (FDEMS) that monitor and control storage assets.
 
“We are proud of our partnership with BIC,” said Steve Grodt, Director of Business Development for Chroma. “BIC’s excellent engineering staff integrated Chroma’s grid simulators into a powerful micro-grid environment in a world-class facility that will benefit the energy storage industry for years to come.”
 
Chroma delivered three 61800 Regenerative Grid Simulators to supply 180kVA of AC power that simulates worldwide power line conditions and disturbances. The 61800 is a full 4 quadrant, fully regenerative, grid simulator with advanced features for compliance, safety and product verification testing. The 61800’s standard output voltage is 0-330VL-N / 0-571VL-L providing a wider output power range with maximum power delivered down to 200VACL-N. The 61860 can both sink to and source from the UUT seamlessly to support a multitude of applications. In cases where the UUT sources current, a detection circuit senses excess power allowing BIC to recycle it back to the grid. Anti-islanding as well as many other safety tests can easily be performed using the 61800. 30kVA to 300kVA models are available from Chroma.
 
“Chroma has been a great partner with the BIC on this ongoing platform, and their industry leading Grid Simulators are allowing us to perform critical performance testing, along with new to industry certifications. The units have proven robust under the duration of testing, and the support and response from Chroma has been exceptional” states Ben Wrightsman, COO with the Battery Innovation Center.
 
 
The Battery Innovation Center (BIC)
 
Chroma Systems Solutions, Inc.