Characteristics

Characteristics and
and Various
Various Applications
Applications
of
of
Vanadium
Vanadium Redox-Flow
Redox-Flow Battery
Battery (VRB)
(VRB)
Background of the Development
Principle
Characteristics
Various Applications

SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, Ltd.

Vanadium
Vanadium Redox
Redox Flow
Flow Battery
Battery Development
Development Program
Program
Year

85-90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01

Cell
Stack

10kW
10kW
Fe-Cr

Module
Scale up
Field
Test
Sales

60kW
60kW
V-V

450kW
450kW
Advanced
Design

20kW
20kW MW
MW
Start
Start

Principle
Principle of
of Vanadium
VanadiumRedox
Redox Flow
Flow Battery
Battery
Generator

Load
Charge

Discharge

AC / DC
+

Cell

V5+/ V4+

V2+/ V3+
e-

Electrolyte
Tank

Electrolyte
Tank

Electrode Membrane

Pump

V4+
V3+

e-

e-

V5+
V2+

Pump

e-

Construction
Construction of
of Cell
Cell Stack
Stack
Frame
Electrode Ion Exchange Bipolar Plate
(PVC) (Carbon Felt) Membrane (Carbon Plastic)

Components of a cell

Characteristic
Characteristic Advantage
Advantage of
of VRB
VRB
1. High-rate Overload Capacity
2. Quick Response

UPS,
LFC
Stabilization of Wind
Turbine Output

3. Long Cycle Lifetime

in Deep Charge/Discharge

Load Leveling

4. Easy Increase of Capacity

Large Storage Capacity

System

5. Normal Temperature Operation

6. Environmentally Friendly

Safe and Green

Various
Various Applications
Applications of
of VRB
VRB
1. Load Leveling
2. UPS
3. Storage and Stabilization of Photovoltaic and
Wind-Generated Electricity
4. Power Quality Control
Load Frequency Control (LFC)
Spinning Reserve
Stabilization of Flicker

VRB
VRB Projects
Projects in
in Japan
Japan
Awarded Projects
Place
Office building

Applications
Load leveling
(Demonstration)

Specifications
100kW x 8h

Start of
operation
2000/02

Semi-conductor
factory

1) Voltage sag protection 1) 3000kW x 1.5sec.

2001/04
2) Load leveling
2) 1500kW x 1h
Stabilization of wind
Wind power station turbine output
170kW x 6h
2001/04
(Field test)
Golf course

Load leveling
(Photovoltaic hybrid system)

30kW x 8h

2001/04

Application
Application to
to Office
Office Building
Building
Capacity

100kW-8h

Place

SEM, Osaka

Start of operation

February 2000

Battery module 25kW cell stack x 4

Tanks

350 ft3 x 4

AC/DC Converter
Electrolyte Tanks
Cell Stacks
(Rubber Tanks)
BF1

Underground
Cistern

Carrying
Carrying Rubber
Rubber Tank
Tank to
to Manhole
Manhole

Rubber Tank

Manhole

Manhole - 60cm dia. - was an only way into tank space.

Rubber tank was bound to a roll of 40cm dia.
No reconstruction of building was done for installation of rubber tank.

Load-Leveling
Load-Leveling Operation
Operation of
of 100kW
100kW VRB
VRB

Power (kW)

700
Before load-leveling by VRB

600
500
400

After load-leveling by VRB

300
200

Charged power

Discharged power

100
0
-100
-200

Charge
20

22

Discharge
4

Time

10

12

14

16

18

20

Application
Application to
to Semi-Conductor
Semi-Conductor Factory
Factory
Specifications
Specifications

Operation - First of April 2001

Function

Purpose

Output

Operation

(1) Voltage Sag

Protection

Protection of
Important Load

3MW x 1.5 sec

At the Occurrence
of Voltage Sag

(2) Load leveling

Reduction of
Electricity Charge

1.5MW x 1hour

Everyday

System
System Layout
Layout

Battery Cubicle AC/DC Converter

5 - 20 times /year

Battery Controller

2nd Floor
9.8 ft
1st Floor

39 ft

Electrolyte Tank
17 ft
Approx. 39 ft98 ft

Operation
Operation Sequence
Sequence
Load leveling (Normal operation)
Charge
Charge

Voltage
Voltage sag
sag protection
protection

Grid system
Rectifier

UPS function
~

Inverter

Inverter

Rectifier

Load
AC/DC

DC/AC

Load
AC/DC

DC/AC

VRB
VRB

Discharge
Discharge

Test result for voltage sag (0.5sec)

Grid system
Rectifier

Voltage Sag

Inverter

Load
AC/DC

DC/AC

VRB

Grid
System
6.6kV
Load
6.6kV

Application
Application to
to Wind
Wind Power
Power Station
Station
(NEDO
(NEDO Project)
Project)
Purpose - Field test for stabilizing
Commission
Order
of output
NEDO

IAE
SEI
Spec. - 170kW6h
(The Institute of
Applied Energy)

Stabilized
Output

WT
Output

Power System

WT
Discharge
During decrease
in WT output

AC
DC

Charge
During increase
in WT output

VRB
01/4/F ~ 9/E Field test

~ 02/2/E

Data analysis

Appearance
Appearance of
of VRB
VRB and
and Wind
Wind Turbine
Turbine
Place : Tomari Wind Hills of Hokkaido Electric Power Co.,Inc.
Wind Turbine : 250 kW
VRB : 170 kW-6h

Control Room
of WT System

Wind Turbine

House for
VRB

VRB
VRB Equipment
Equipment
Battery
Battery Cubicle
Cubicle

AC/DC
AC/DC Converter
Converter

Electrolyte
Electrolyte Tank
Tank

Field
Field Test
Test for
for Stabilization
Stabilization of
of WT
WT Output
Output
<Operation Outline>

Output

Target of total output (t) = Average of WT output [(t-t) ~ t]

VRB output (t) = Target of total output (t) - WT output (t)
(+ : Discharge, - : Charge)
Average of
Target of total
= WT output
output at tm
[( m-t) ~ tm]
Target of total
output

WT output
VRB output at tm
(Discharge)
tm

(tm -t)
t

VRB output at tn
(Charge)

Average of
Target of total WT output
=
output at tn
[( n-t) ~ tn]
tn
(tn -t)
Time
t
t : 8 seconds ~ 8hours

Example
Example of
of Simulation
Simulation Results
Results for
for
Stabilization
Stabilization of
of WT
WT Output
Output
300

WT output
Target of
total output

Output kW

200

100

-100

VRB output
-200
0:00

(+ : Discharge, - : Charge)
1:00

2:00

3:00

4:00

Time

5:00

6:00

7:00

8:00

t : 15 minutes

Field
Field Test
Test for
for Effective
Effective Utilization
Utilization of
of WT
WT Output
Output

Output (kW)

<Method>
VRB is charged by WT output when demand is low, and
VRB is discharged when demand is high.
<Operation>
Target of total output is set up considering the demand in advance.
VRB output = Target of total output - WT output
<Example of simulation results>
Simulation result
300
200

(WT 300kW,
VRB 200kW)

Target of
total output

WT output
100
0
-100
-200

VRB output
(+ : Discharge, - : Charge)

0:00 2:00 4:00 6:00 8:0010:0012:0014:0016:0018:0020:0022:000:00

Time

Application
Application to
to Golf
Golf Course
Course

(Hybrid
(HybridSystem
Systemof
ofVRB
VRBand
andPhotovoltaic
PhotovoltaicGeneration
GenerationSystem)
System)
<Specifications>
<Specifications>

<System
<System Diagram>
Diagram>
Power System

Load leveling of DC load in golf course

( Light in club house)

Surplus Power

Rectifier

30kW8h

DC Load

Chopper

<Schedule>
<Schedule>
Operation First of April 2001
Solar
Cells

VRB

Battery
Cubicle

Electrolyte
Tank

Converter

Solar Cells
Solar
Cells

Power
Power Quality
Quality Control
Control
Purpose
1. Load Frequency Control (LFC)
2. Spinning Reserve
3. Stabilization of Flicker
Presentation in IEEE PES Winter Meeting (01/1/28~01/2/1)
by Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc.
Basic data collected by the experiment of 1kW (1kWh) VRB.
Simulation results of VRB utilization for power quality.