Advanced Electronics and Software for Battery Energy Storage Systems
Today’s energy mix is undergoing rapid change with increasing contributions from variable renewable energy (VRE) sources. Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) enables power system operators and utility providers to store energy for later use and enhance the flexibility of the grid.
The global market for BESS is dominated by lithium-ion batteries which require intelligent management and operations. Traditional systems and analytical tools are inadequate to maximize the potential of these batteries. Our battery management and intelligence platform helps operators optimize the cycle life and get better ROI on their BESS deployments.
Battery Management
Modular & Scalable Architecture
ION uses a distributed and scalable architecture for its BMSes. The FS-XT BMS, used for high voltage applications, can be interfaced with a grid battery controller making it effortlessly scalable to handle applications ranging from 9V to 900V.
FS-XT consists of the System Management Unit (SMU), and the Battery Management Unit (BMU). The SMU manages the whole battery pack as well as the BMUs. On the other hand, the BMUs manage individual cell modules. Each BMU can monitor 6 to 18 cells in series, and up to 40 BMUs can be connected to the SMU.
Safety & Protection
In addition to the basic protection measures of over- & under-voltage, and over- & under-temperature driven by the microcontroller unit (MCU), we’ve developed and implemented sensing circuit and testing algorithms to ensure fail-safe operations of the BESS.
The FS-XT is also built with features like system interlock monitoring, contactor weld detection, support for the insulation monitoring device, and system communication with isolated CAN bus.
Customizable & Configurable
Our battery management platform is designed using a model-based-design approach. This allows users to configure the BMS on Altergo to match the application’s requirements with the battery’s capabilities. Users can customize over 200 parameters relating to power distribution, ignition controls, balancing, charger control, and much more.
Smart & Connected!
ION Lens - The BMS Companion App
— Companion smartphone application used to interface
remotely with ION Energy BMS via Bluetooth
— View critical information of the battery like SOC, current, temperature and individual cell voltages
— View, edit and update the configuration files of the BMS
Altergo - Cloud Battery Analytics Platform
— Advanced analytics and insight into your fleet from a single
dashboard
— Get alerted of any abnormal battery performance and take
timely action
— Uses data science to suggest corrective measures to prevent
battery degradation and improve battery life by 40%
— Roll out over-the-air (OTA) updates and feature additions to
the BMS over the cloud
Batteries + Analytics + Cloud = Altergo!
Altergo is a cloud-connected battery analytics platform designed to manage and optimize your battery deployments with ease.
Traditional analytical tools like Microsoft Excel are not built specifically for battery analytics and cannot be scaled to handle the huge volume of data generated. Altergo combines our expertise in batteries with our expertise in data analytics to help operators and utility providers make sense of their battery data through the power of cloud computing.
Maintain & Improve Battery Health
Battery Health or State of Health (SoH) is a measure of the current battery capacity relative to a fresh battery. Computing the State of Health (SoH) is a challenge! However it requires constant monitoring to prevent premature ageing and fully utilize the capacity of the batteries.
Another important metric is Impedance Distribution. As battery ages, impedance increases and the capacity of the battery to deliver reduces. By modelling impedance,that is the typical internal DC impedance, we can predict if the batteries will be able to fulfill the demand from the grid as the battery ages.
Warranty Validation
BESS are capital-heavy investments and usually come with a warranty on it’s life and capacity. The warranty is valid subject to certain terms & conditions on how the BESS should be operated. Any violation of those conditions is a cause of concern for the operator.
Altergo keeps track of the battery and validates if all the conditions of the warranty are being met. It also makes sure that batteries are giving the energy output committed by the manufacturer.
Troubleshooting
There’s a lot that can go wrong in the day to day operation of the BESS. If not acted swiftly, these issues can damage the cells and reduce their life. Traditional analytical tools are not equipped to point out these issues in time.
Altergo provides the operator with a visual dashboard into the lifecycle of each and every cell of the BESS in real-time. While operators cannot monitor the BESS 24/7, Altergo does. It’s built with an alert system to immediately notify the operator of any abnormal performance. Operators can take action and solve the issue without any delay.
Bidding & Energy Arbitration
Operators can keep track of their bids on Altergo and take advantage of the fluctuating electricity prices. It shows the bids fulfilled and the rates at which they were fulfilled by the BESS. Additionally, Altergo displays the Locational Marginal Pricing (LMP) and the demand requirements from the operator’s Independent Service Operator(ISO) or exchange in real-time.
It’s critical that the batteries are charged up in time to meet the demand from the grid. The demand forecasts on Altergo helps operators to plan the charge and discharge schedule of their deployments.
Record Keeping
Altergo keeps a record of every single second of battery life. The quick-retrieval option allows users to view data from any sensor from any point in time. They can leave comments, annotations or even share the data with their team members via a private link. Data can also be downloaded in .pdf or .csv formats to share with third party suppliers.
Utilize ION’s battery management platform to build a high-performing e-scooter/rickshaw battery pack with long battery life.
FS-XT
Smart Battery Management System
Our smart BMS can easily be interfaced with our battery intelligence platform – Altergo, which provides intelligent insights, real-time analytics, custom alerts and the capability to operate remotely, ensuring a hassle-free experience.