Page 74 - North American Clean Energy January February 2018 Issue
P. 74
Approaches to Thermal Management
• Containment ;
o Allows for the controlled and e ective handling of air product within
the cooling system while maintaining total system spec for air ows
and static pressures.
o Eliminates air recirculation by sealing gaps, holes, or any other
opening, which can cause overheating, and/or hot spots locally
or within adjacent equipment. • Controls;
o Air Control;
■ Optimizes and directs the volumes of cooling air that ows over the
battery modules within the rack(s) resulting in uniform temperatures
during dis/charge cycles.
■ Provides the heat laden return air with a clear return path back to the
cooling unit(s) and/or alternate path(s) back to ambient.
o Electrical Control;
■ Is the basis for an intelligent system that can respond quickly and appropriately to changes such as increasing/decreasing internal heat loads in di erent environmental conditions (extreme hot or cold, etc.).
■ Allows for data acquisition (DAQ) used for system oversight, recurring periodic maintenance, analysis, and system improvements.
Benefits of Thermal Management
• BESS reliability will be increased by keeping the process system within prescribed operational guidelines for temperature, ensuring that OEM warranties can be supported, and the full lifecycle of the BESS will be fully realized for the most economic gain.
• Battery rack power density can be maximized when the air ow paths (supply & return) are strati ed and segregated (not mixed).
• Cooling systems that are properly selected & sized will not experience problems associated with temperature, humidity, air ow, etc.
• ermal management continuously allows for the proper system “Delta T” (i.e. the di erence in temperature between the cold supply air and the hot return air) across cooling unit coils, thereby not reducing the capacity of the units and providing operational cost savings. When conditions occur where the DeltaT rises past spec for an extended period of time, cooling
energy storage
What You May Not Know About Thermal Management
by Sean Whiting
74
JANUARY•FEBRUARY2018 /// www.nacleanenergy.com
AS LITHIUM ION-BASED BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS
(BESS) continue to be developed and deployed, the demand for high performance, high precision thermal management systems is increasing - especially for designs that are economical, practical, e ective, and intelligent.
e end result would provide critical support to the energy needs of a growing economy and the power market segment, while protecting the personnel and stored energy equipment assets of the growing membership of power producers.
Battery rack power densities using lithium ion chemistries are typically quite high during the dis/charge cycle(s). e best and most
e ective thermal management solution for a new or existing installation will depend
on the constraints of each BESS subsystem, with air containment and control being the foundation for a successful, elded design.
ere are a large number of variables in a BESS including, but not limited to, the housing (custom ISO shipping container, conventional brick & mortar, etc.), HVAC/R, air volume ducting, battery racks, power consumption, environmental and geographic concerns, and high density, high ux heat loads (which can be a moving target in the new RegD power delivery market).
