Staggered BESS Cooling Control to Limit Peak Demand Charges
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Solution Overview
Problem
BESS cooling systems incur high demand charges during peak demand hours, increasing operational costs for businesses.
Innovation Solution
Implement a smart control system that staggers the operation of cooling systems across multiple BESS blocks based on thermal and electrical distribution layouts, ensuring only one block operates at a time during peak demand periods to maintain temperature within specified limits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cooling systems for all BESS blocks are operated simultaneously during peak demand hours, then temperature control reliability is improved, but demand charges increase due to high peak power consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the BESS cooling system into multiple independent blocks, each with its own cooling system. During peak demand hours, these blocks are operated in a staggered manner rather than simultaneously, segmenting the total power consumption into smaller time-separated portions. This reduces peak demand charges while maintaining temperature control through sequential cooling cycles.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic operation of cooling systems across different BESS blocks, where cooling cycles are alternately activated and deactivated in a timed sequence. This periodic action ensures that not all cooling systems run simultaneously during peak demand periods, reducing overall peak power consumption while still providing necessary cooling when needed.
2Use of energy by stationary object
If cooling systems are staggered to reduce demand charges, then energy cost is improved, but temperature control precision may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates temperature monitoring and control systems that continuously track the thermal state of each BESS block. This feedback mechanism allows the control system to adjust the timing and duration of staggered cooling cycles, ensuring that temperature precision requirements are met even when cooling systems operate sequentially rather than simultaneously. The feedback loop prevents temperature excursions by activating cooling before thresholds are exceeded.
3Stability of the object's composition
If all cooling systems operate simultaneously to maintain temperature, then temperature stability is improved, but power demand increases triggering demand charges
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by proactively cooling BESS blocks before they reach critical temperature thresholds during periods of low demand. Thermal mass and heat capacity of the battery blocks are utilized to maintain stability during subsequent peak demand periods when cooling is staggered. This advance cooling preparation reduces the need for simultaneous high-power operation during peak periods.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Reduces demand charges by optimizing cooling utilization, maintaining internal BESS temperatures within contractual limits while minimizing simultaneous cooling system operation.
Implementation Method 1
BESS requires internal temperature to be maintained between specific thresholds... the associated cooling system for at least one of the plurality of BESSs is turned ON
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a system and method for smart control of cooling systems to optimize cooling utilization such that demand charges can be avoided. The present invention groups battery energy storage systems (BESS) containers into multiple individual blocks. The cooling units of individual blocks are staggered to turn ON/OFF with a time delay such that: i) cooling load of each block is below the demand load; ii) if the cooling load of a given block exceeds the demand load (ex: 500 kilowatts), the turn-on time during the demand charge hour is not to exceed the demand charge time limit (example: 15 minutes); iii) No two blocks are operating at the same time; iv) the staggered time limits are to be determined based on real-time monitoring of BESS; and BESS containers' internal temperatures such that they do not exceed a set temperature.