SPECIAL NOTICE
A -- TECHNOLOGY/BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Modular Electromechanical Batteries for Cost-Effective Bulk Storage of Electrical Energy
- Notice Date
- 6/5/2006
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- NAICS
- 238990
— All Other Specialty Trade Contractors
- Contracting Office
- Department of Energy, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (DOE Contractor), Industrial Partnerships & Commercialization, 7000 East Avenue L-795, Livermore, CA, 94550
- ZIP Code
- 94550
- Solicitation Number
- Reference-Number-FBO128-06
- Response Due
- 7/7/2006
- Archive Date
- 7/10/2006
- Description
- TECHNOLOGY/BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Modular Electromechanical Batteries for Cost-Effective Bulk Storage of Electrical Energy Opportunity: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), operated by the University of California under contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is offering the opportunity for partnership and licensing of a new technology for the bulk-storage of electrical energy in modular ?electromechanical batteries? (EMBs). The technology embodies several novel design concepts for storing electrical energy as rotational energy. The new designs specifically address the requirements of low capital cost, long service life with minimal maintenance, and low rate of self-discharge, features that are essential for satisfying a growing need for cost-effective bulk energy storage. Background: The Laboratory has several decades of experience in the development of EMBs for specialized (high-power) applications where pulses of electrical power are required, such as are needed to ?ride-through? short interruptions of electrical power from the net. In the course of this development some critical technologies, such as low-cost ?passive? magnetic bearings and special designs for the generator/motors and the fiber-composite rotors of the EMB were developed. Some of these technologies, such as the passive magnetic bearings, the fiber-composite rotor designs, and the vacuum technology can be incorporated in EMBs for bulk storage. However, the low capital cost, long service life with minimal maintenance, and low rate of self-discharge application carries with it new requirements that cannot be met in conventional ways. It may be necessary to insert an interval of many hours, or even many days, between the time that the EMB is ?charged? and when it is discharged into a load. In addition, present electrochemical batteries, typically have turnaround efficiencies of order of 75 percent, so that 25 percent of the input energy is lost in every charge-discharge cycle. "Pumped-storage" systems of the type now in use by some electrical utilities have comparably low turnaround efficiencies, and the resulting losses are compounded by transmission-line losses, owing to the fact that pumped storage facilities are typically sited in mountainous areas, far from the urban areas where their stored energy is being used. Description: The new EMB designs are intended to answer to all of the new requirements for bulk energy storage systems, including very low parasitic losses and high turnaround efficiency. The new systems are designed for low capital and maintenance cost, and long (decades) service lifetime. The size of the modules will be such as to make them useful in a wide variety of applications, all the way from single-use in residential settings, to use in ?battery banks? at substations and/or alternate-energy generating plants. Advantages: Features and Benefits Decades-long service life with minimal maintenance. Lowered operating cost and greater reliability High turnaround efficiency Better ability to take advantage of peak/off-peak rate structures. Modularity Better suited to mass-production; broadens fields of application Potential Applications: The new EMB technology has many potential commercial applications, both within and without the electrical utilities. In the utilities, the availability of cost-effective distributed storage with minimal maintenance and decades-long service life would fill a need for which there is presently no viable solution. Another example is the telecommunications industry, where the electrochemical (lead-acid) back-up power system are notoriously poor in terms of high maintenance requirements and short service life in warm-climate situations. Stand-alone solar and wind-power systems represent another example of an application where present systems are inadequate. Office buildings could take advantage of the differences between peak and off-peak electrical rates by having energy storage systems in their basements. Development Status: Preliminary designs have been made on the basis of which theory-based computer programs predicting the performance of the system have been made. Experiments, including vacuum enclosure tests and relevant magnetic bearing tests, have been made. Fiber-composite rotors have been fabricated, Preliminary production cost analyses have been made. Patent protection is already in place or is being pursued for all aspects of the designs. LLNL is seeking industry partners with a demonstrated ability to bring such inventions to the market. Moving critical technology beyond the Laboratory to the commercial world helps our licensees gain a competitive edge in the marketplace. All licensing activities are conducted under policies relating to the strict nondisclosure of company proprietary information. Please visit the IPAC website at http://www.llnl.gov/IPandC/workwithus/partneringprocess.php for more information on working with LLNL and the industrial partnering and technology transfer process. Note: THIS IS NOT A PROCUREMENT. Companies interested in commercializing LLNL's Modular Electromechanical Batteries should provide a written statement of interest, which includes the following: 1. Company Name and address. 2. The name, address, and telephone number of a point of contact. 3. A description of corporate expertise and facilities relevant to commercializing this technology. Written responses should be directed to: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Industrial Partnerships and Commercialization P.O. Box 808, L-795 Livermore, CA 94551-0808 Attention: FBO 128-06 Please provide your written statement within thirty (30) days from the date this announcement is published to ensure consideration of your interest in LLNL's Modular Electromechanical Batteries
- Record
- SN01062404-W 20060607/060605220252 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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