Magellan Power, an Australian developer of energy storage and other power technology solutions, has recently provided a 100kWh commercial-scale DC energy storage system for a water pumping application in NSW in Sydney.
The system will provide backup power in the event of a blackout via 3x 33kWh lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery banks.
The project is noteworthy for its use of DC-coupled uninterruptible power supply (UPS) approach instead of an AC-coupling, which would be the standard approach.
According to a press release about the project, “The DC UPS is the most efficient and reliable back up power for this application as it connects directly to the DC BUS of the Variable Speed Drive and will provide up to 180A (100kW) of power and 100KWh of energy to the pump in the event of power failure..
“The conventional method of backup power is to use AC UPS. This method is less efficient and less reliable as the power has to go through two conversions (AC to DC and DC to AC) before it is used by the VSD.
“The Lithium based DC UPS can be used in all DC back up applications and many others as it offers small size, enhanced battery monitoring through BMS, increased safety, high temperature tolerance and long life.”
In addition to its commercial solutions, Magellan Power also provides both AC and DC energy storage solutions for Australia’s residential market.
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