Using battery systems for peak shaving is highly beneficial; enabling a constant load on the engine ultimately leads to high efficiency and energy saving at the engine level.

Liquid Cooled High Power Li-ion Battery System

Jayesh Vir | Saft

 

Saft’s first, new generation liquid cooled high power Li-ion battery system will be fitted to ABB’s new cable-laying vessel. How did Saft customize the solution for ABB’s particular needs?

One real advantage with Saft’s marine battery range is its modular design, allowing each battery system to be customized. For each project, our technical experts correspond with the client’s engineers to understand needs in terms of energy, voltage, charge/discharge cycle, power, current, room temperature, life time, etc. These parameters are used to propose an initial battery solution using our in-house matlab model. This simulation helps us accurately predict the life time and real performance of the battery. For ABB’s vessel, the specific need was for very high power. Therefore, we proposed a water cooled battery system that can handle high power values without heating problems. Our water cooled batteries are unique in the market cooling down the entire surface and not just the bottom of the batteries.

 

Climate control was a hot topic with the COP21 conference in Paris. How does Saft’s technology help cut ABB’s vessel’s fuel consumption by 27 percent?

Engines not running on constant loads, or even underload are major issues with today’s vessels. Saft’s battery technology solves these problems. Imagine there are three gensets on a vessel and the third one is only used as needed. Each time there is a pick of load, the third genset starts and runs at its full capacity. If the third genset is replaced by a battery system or put in parallel, than all the picks or high loads will be taken care of by battery, resulting in fuel economy and reduced emissions.

 

Many regulations are being implemented to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the Norwegian parliament voted for a proposition that ferries and coastal traffic should run on low-emission and zero-emission technology. How do Saft’s battery systems contribute to climate control proposals like Norway’s?

Greenhouse gases are reduced by making vessels full electric or hybrid. Saft’s reliable, safe and high capacity battery system is key for the long-life operation of hybrid vessels. Saft’s battery system keeps the hybrid vessel engine running at a constant load increasing the efficiency and consuming less fuel. Running at a constant load, an engine goes through less wear and tear, resulting in better performance. This collectively helps reduce emissions. Saft’s marine range batteries are made 100 percent in-house reducing its carbon footprint. Most of our factories are achieving a carbon neutral manufacturing process.

 

Saft’s new marine battery system can also be used for peak shaving. What kinds of results does this provide for energy savings efforts?

Using battery systems for peak shaving is highly beneficial; enabling a constant load on the engine ultimately leads to high efficiency and energy saving at the engine level. Saft’s high capacity battery can do the peak shaving using less energy than from engines. Another important point to highlight is Saft is perhaps the only battery maker that has a special battery for high power applications (peak shaving being one of them). 

This makes the battery compact, as it is meant to handle high peaks. For normal electric mode propulsion and other energy storage (capacity) applications, Saft proposes its high energy range of battery systems.

 

About Jayesh Vir, Saft
Jayesh Vir graduated from Delhi College of Engineering, holds a Masters from Ecole de Mines de Nancy and followed the MBA program from HEC Paris. Jayesh joined Saft in 2014 as Key account Manager for the Marine division.

 
 
The content & opinions in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily represent the views of AltEnergyMag

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