Energy Storage Systems Using Lithium Ion Batteries and Ultracapacitors
We provide leading edge storage solutions for micro to large scale applications. We custom design energy storage systems to fit the customers power requirements and needs. Each Energy Storage system is built and delivered as a turn key system with an integrated battery management system and included with all necessary hardware and cabling. Energy Wave provides competitive prices as well as design assistance and technical consultation assistance.
We offer the latest Lithium-Ion batteries and Ultracapacitors in our systems which are designed to be operational for many years maintenance free. The Lithium Batteries and Ultracapacitors are both low in weight which is an asset for UPS application because of weight constraints authorized by technical floors. In general our small footprint allows for positioning batteries near to the powered equipment. We design energy storage systems for houses, buildings, and micro to large power stations. Systems can reach several hundred kilowatts, to megawatts in size depending on the application.
Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) Batteries Summary
LiFEP04 Batteries can provide Energy Storage for any type of application in almost any type environment. Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries, or LiFePO4 for short, are currently the most cost effective, safe and efficient battery available in the market today and because of this LiFePO4 Batteries are the top choice for energy storage and energy savings solutions. Lithium Iron Phosphate battery technology possesses superior thermal and chemical stability which provides safer characteristics than those of Lithium-ion technology made with other cathode materials. Lithium phosphate cells are incombustible in the event of mishandling during charge or discharge, they are more stable under overcharge or short circuit conditions and they can withstand high temperatures without decomposing. If Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries are punctured or damaged the phosphate based cathode material will not burn and is not prone to thermal runaway as in Li-Ion. Phosphate chemistry also offers a longer cycle life than all other lithium or lead acid batteries. Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) Cells are the next Generation of Energy Storage. Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries are one of the leading energy storage solutions today.
Lead Acid cells should not be charged below 50% DoD Depth of Discharge.
LiFEPO4 Batteries recommended range is usually 80% DoD which requires much less battery mass to be purchased and installed versus Lead Acid batteries.
LiFePO4 cells maintain their rated nominal voltage for about 95% of the discharge, while a lead cell voltage drops continually. When working out the Wh of a lead 12V battery one must use about 11V for the average voltage (1.8V per cell). The nominal voltage for LiFePO4 is 3.2V making it a much longer lasting power supply source of power.
Our LiFePO4 cells can be provided in various sizes. Many of our systems can be connected in parallel strings to suit the ampere hour requirements and in series to suit the voltage of the system. All LiFePO4 Battery Systems must be connected to a Battery Management System (BMS) that is able to monitor the voltage of each cell and prevent any cell from exceeding the upper and lower limits. The BMS must also balance the cells to ensure that the pack can perform at its best. LiFePO4 cells do not naturally balance themselves. We also supply the BMS configured for every system we offer for any size applications we supply our customers with turn key plug and play LiFEPO4 Battery Systems which are all configured with BMS systems prior to shipment.
Here are some of the advantages of LiFePO4 Batteries:
- Life cycle cost of LiFePO4 cells is a quarter of lead acid batteries.
- LiFePO4 cells will last 13 to 20 years depending on the application and pack design.
- LiFePO4 cells have a cycle life 10 times that of typical deep cycle lead acid batteries.
- They only cost approximately 50% more to purchase upfront, however the saving on life cycle cost is substantial.
- LiFePO4 cells are available in a wide range of sizes to accommodate loads of a few amps to over 1000 amps.
- They can deliver sustained high power without excessive heat generation.
- There are no gases released and LiFePO4 cells are also thermally stable.
- They can be charged repeatedly to full capacity in less than 60 minutes with no loss in performance.
LiFePO4 Batteries vs Lead Acid
The expected operational life using LiFEP04 Batteries in off grid systems is more than 10 years, and as much as 15 years in grid tied back up installations which operate in occasional cycling. The end of life is defined by the cells containing 80% of their Beginning of Life (BoL) capacity. The cells can be used for much longer periods if a lower end of life capacity is acceptable.
The lifetime cost per kWh can be as low as 25% of the cost of typical lead acid deep cycle batteries because LiFEPO4 cells offer up to 10 times the number of cycles than your average deep cycle lead battery and as much as 5 times that of the more robust single cell types and more than double the life cyle of Li-Ion cells like the TESLA Power Wall systems. This is especially apparent in cases of high current discharge and charging scenarios, further contrasted by high ambient temperatures, both of which are not suitable for lead batteries or Li-Ion batteries.
Another top benefit to the customer is the far greater efficiency of the LiFePO4 cell, which is typically better than 96%. Typical efficiency for lead acid batteries is 65%, although empirical data has demonstrated as low as 55% in a house PV systems where the Depth of Discharge (DoD) is limited to 20% as a measure to lengthen the life of the lead acid cells. In a grid tied back up scenario this results in significant energy savings when recharging the batteries, and in a Photo Voltaic (PV) installation it enables a reduction of the size of the array by as much as 30% with the same usable energy.
Energy Wave Systems offers a range of 12v Lithium-Ion and LiFEPo4 battery systems to meet most all of our customers needs (ranging from 12V up to 52V).
Our battery systems offer a high level of safety through the use of Battery Management Systems.
Our LiFeP04 solutions advantageously replace lead batteries, offering more than double the capacity and less than half the weight.
All our batteries are enclosed in a sealed ABS case providing resistance to moisture and dust.
LifeP04 batteries are lightweight, reliable and environmentally friendly solutions for multiple power storage usages. These batteries are the choice over Lead-Acid and Li-Ion batteries.
We always advise to use our dedicated BMS system chargers and inverters that are provided with each battery system designed by our manufacturers.
- 12V battery pack – Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePo4)
- Serial assembly can range from 12V to 52V
- Minimum 2000 cycles at 80% DOD
- Built-in BMS (Temperature, current, voltage, SOC)
- Compatible with most Lead-Acid chargers
- Robust design in an isolated and waterproof case
- Operating temperature in charge : 0°C à +45°C at @60±25% relative humidity
- Operating temperature in discharge: -20°C à +60°C at @60±25% relative humidity
- ABS Sealed case
- 100% maintenance free
The advantages of LiFePO4 cells over lead acid battery cells in summary is provided in the table below, any further questions are welcomed.
| Comparison Aspect | Lead Acid | LiFePO4 |
| Cycle Life (50% DoD with 80% remaining capacity, 30 deg C ambient temperature) | 500 to 1000 cycles depending on manufacturer and model | Up to 5000 cycles |
| Calendar Life | Average (poor in high temperature or partial/full discharge condition or infrequent cycling) | Excellent – no sulphation, partial charge storage is no problem, regular cycling is not required, heat tolerant |
| Charge – discharge efficiency | 60-70% typical depending on current. Typically rated capacity is based on 10 hour discharge (C10) | 96%, consistent throughout current range. Rated capacity is based on 20 minute discharge (3C), a one hour or longer discharge will actually give 10% more than the rated capacity. |
| Temperature resilience | Poor – temperatures above 25 deg C significantly reduce the calendar life | Excellent – ambient temperatures up to 45 deg C will not affect the life of the cell at all. |
| Up Front Cost | Cheaper | 20 to 50% more expensive up front than Lead Acid depending on what lead acid cells are used for comparison |
| Life Cycle Cost per kWh | R2.50 to R6 depending on battery type and model | R1,50 (approx.) |
| Quick Charge Time | Typically should not be done in less than 5 hours | 1 hour standard, 30 min quick |
| Discharge Current | Higher discharge than C10 (10 hours), or 0.1xC rating causes substantial loss in efficiency and affects life | C1 (one hour discharge) is standard, higher currents are also acceptable up to 3C (3 x Ah rating) continuous with negligible loss in efficiency and cell life |
| Gravimetric Energy Density | Poor | Weigh 3 to 4 times less – reduced transport costs and installation effort.
Volumetric density more than 2 times higher – less than half the space required |
| Pack Capacity | Loss of 30% in heat (70% pack efficiency) means pack must be larger to meet a specific output objective
Max practical DoD is 50%, which requires a larger pack to stay above this DoD to prevent rapid life deterioration |
Pack can be sized to 60% of the “rated” capacity of a lead acid pack because of 96% efficiency and ability to discharge on regular occasion to 80% DoD with much lower effect on life reduction |
| Charging Energy Source Size | The charging energy source must provide an additional 30 to 40% energy to overcome the inefficiency of the pack at substantial cost | Only about 4% of the energy is lost to heat – big savings in charging energy and capital on PV installations etc |
ULTRACAPACITORS: ENABLING ENERGY’S FUTURE
A rapidly emerging and increasingly applied technology, ultracapacitors are capable of storing and discharging energy very quickly and effectively. Due to their many benefits, ultracapacitors are currently being utilized in thousands of different applications, and considered in an equally diverse range of future applications. Ultracapacitors complement a primary energy source which cannot repeatedly provide quick bursts of power, such as an internal combustion engine, fuel cell or battery. The future horizon looks brilliant for ultracapacitors, which already rank as a powerful alternative energy resource.
Brief:
- Our super capacitor modules provide energy storage and power delivery in a compact cost-effective modules.
- The modules can charge-discharge fastly, all of these products will perform reliably for more than
- 1,000,000 times discharge-recharge cycles,
- The modules can be series connected up to higher voltage or parallel connected for larger energy
- requirements. The easy to connect, standard module allows system designers to focus upon use
- of the power and energy rather than how to assemble cells.
- Green Tech also provides cost-effective full solutions for solar power photovoltaic conversion,
- Energy storage,elevator and transportation energy recovery,telecommunications engine start,
- Wind turbine pitch control, UPS systems, mini-grid system etc.
Applications:
- Engine start: Telecommunications equipment,Tank,Truck,Car cold start;
- Energy recovery: Electric train, Hybrid Bus, Elevator
- Back up power: Construction equipment, UPS, Heavy duty transportation, Cranes, Mining equipment, Electronic bicycle
- Solar Powered LED street lights.
- Wind turbine pitch control,
- Portable Solar Burst Storage Power
- Electric bicycl
- Electric Vehicles
- Boats
- Aircraft
- Trains
- Ships
- Micro-grid.
CERTIFICATIONS
Contact us to discuss your project.
