DC/DC converter fights grid congestion

The energy transition is coming along nicely with the production of renewable energy based on solar and wind combined with electrification. However, our electricity grid is not yet attuned to the large amounts of energy being delivered back to or demanded from the grid. This leads to grid congestion. Elincom's contribution includes high-voltage DC/DC converters and electronic solutions to temporarily and efficiently store surpluses and deliver them back to the grid when needed.

The amount of fossil fuels we burn for the production of heat and electricity, among other things, must be reduced. This is partly because fossil sources are finite, and partly because their combustion releases CO2, which is a major cause of climate problems. For this reason, significant investments have been made in recent years to generate electrical energy from so-called renewable sources such as sun and wind. Also - also in industry - more and more processes are based on electricity derived from renewable sources instead of fossil fuels.

Grid congestion and energy storage

These are excellent developments in the context of energy transition, but they also mean a heavier burden on the grid. For example, the generation of renewable energy is not constant but dynamic, creating a surplus of energy on a windy summer day and vice versa. An important (partial) solution to this problem is the temporary storage of surplus renewable energy. This can be done directly in a battery pack but also by conversion to, for example, hydrogen with an electrolyser or conversion to heat.

A technical challenge here is to match the voltage level of PV, wind turbines, electrolyser, battery storage and all other solutions. To this end, Elincom supplies so-called DC/DC converters that transform the DC voltage to the desired level of the end user. Depending on the power and voltage levels, there are different solutions for this. 

Smart schemes

In addition, several smart solutions have been developed that deal with "simultaneity": companies that request a heavier connection often do so because a lot of energy is needed during (very) short periods of time. For example, when starting a machine or during specific movements or processes such as a press stroke or a lifting movement. The short-term demand for extra energy can be solved by supplementing peak demand with energy from supercaps, which are recharged during the time when energy consumption is normal. This is called peak shaving. A solution that also leads to longer life of electric drive systems and a faster machine.

In certain applications, it is also possible to recover the energy released during a backward movement under the influence of gravity or a braking movement. This obviously saves on energy bills but also avoids peak loads on the grid and the need for a heavier connection. Typical applications where this is possible are lifting and pressing movements.

Bidirectional

For this type of solution, Elincom offers Epic Power's EPC series of bidirectional DC/DC converters. This allows energy to be sent both back and forth, depending on the need. These converters are also available with integrated supercaps. The ESC series is pre-charged and energy is released when maximum power is desired. In the process, the energy discharges directly to the DC bus of an inverter. Depending on the required capacity, several units can be connected in parallel. 

Supercaps differ from batteries by, among other things, the much greater number of charge/discharge cycles they can withstand. On the other hand, supercaps operate in the time domain of seconds to minutes - making them ideally suited for true peak shaving, whereas discharging a battery generally involves several hours. 

Ask Elincom about your options for saving energy and avoiding a heavier connection.