【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Engineering Equipment】China’s first flywheel energy storage-based composite frequency regulation project came online between 2018 and 2023
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Ten years of rapid development in chemical engineering equipment; praise for China’s prosperity and strength. This is just a starting point to encourage more participation from everyone. HaiChuan becomes even better with your involvement – we welcome everyone to join in the forum discussions and exchanges. ********************************************* On April 4, 2023, China’s first flywheel + lithium battery energy storage-based composite frequency regulation project, the China Huadian Shuozhou Thermal Power Composite Frequency Regulation Project, was officially put into operation, filling a gap in the field of flywheel and electrochemical composite energy storage in China. The flywheel unit, with a capacity of 500 kilowatts per unit, utilizes the high-speed rotation of the flywheel rotor under vacuum magnetic levitation conditions to enable the conversion between electrical energy and kinetic energy. The entire project consists of a composite energy storage system made up of 4 flywheel units, which are the largest of their kind in the world and feature independent intellectual property rights, along with 10 groups of lithium batteries. Together with the two existing thermal power units, it provides frequency regulation services for the power grid. It can effectively meet the power grid’s demands for large capacity and high frequency in energy storage for frequency regulation.
The significance of this project lies in filling the gap in the field of flywheel and electrochemical composite energy storage in China, enhancing the capacity and quality of energy storage-based frequency regulation services for power grids, and providing strong support for the sustainable development of the power industry. At the same time, it also provides new directions and opportunities for relevant enterprises in terms of technology research and development as well as industrial development. .
China Huaneng Shuozhou Thermal Power Company has for the first time combined the advantages of flywheel batteries – fast charging and discharging – with those of lithium batteries – durability. This approach not only increases the total capacity of the system but also enhances the longevity of the batteries. Its design allows for 2,000 more charge/discharge cycles compared to pure lithium battery systems, enabling cost savings of around 24 million yuan by avoiding the need to replace lithium battery packs over the same lifespan. The flywheel energy storage composite frequency regulation system can minimize the number of operations of lithium battery units, extend the service life of the entire system, and effectively balance the power difference between generation and consumption. Once put into operation, it can reduce equipment wear and energy consumption. It is estimated that emissions of sulfur dioxide can be reduced by 11 tons per year, those of nitrogen oxides by 25.4 tons per year, and those of carbon dioxide by 220,000 tons per year.
The design of this project is highly advanced; it combines the advantages of flywheel energy storage and lithium battery energy storage technologies, enabling the entire system to be more stable and reliable, as well as more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. This not only helps to reduce the wear and energy consumption of the units, but also lowers emissions, contributing to environmental protection and sustainable development. From a long-term perspective, this new type of flywheel energy storage-based composite frequency regulation system will become one of the important development directions for the power industry in the future. .
**Standards related to battery energy are also being improved: Recently, **Standard GB/T 42288-2022 \"Safety Regulations for Electrochemical Energy Storage Stations\" was approved for official publication by the State Administration for Market Regulation (Standardization Administration). The document will come into effect officially on July 1, 2023. The document is applicable to lithium-ion batteries, lead-acid (carbon) batteries, flow batteries, and hydrogen production via water electrolysis/fuel cell energy storage systems. This standard specifies the safety technical requirements for the equipment and facilities in electrochemical energy storage power stations, as well as safety requirements regarding operation, maintenance, inspection, and testing. It covers the inspection procedures for various types of equipment such as energy storage batteries, BMS, PCS, monitoring systems, and fire protection systems. The standards cover various aspects of the intrinsic safety, operational safety, and safety during maintenance and testing of energy storage stations. The requirements regarding safety set out in the \"Safety Regulations for Electrochemical Energy Storage Stations\" are consistent with those specified in standards such as the \"Design Specifications for Electrochemical Energy Storage Stations\", \"General Technical Requirements for Electrochemical Energy Storage Systems in Power Systems\", \"Operation and Maintenance Regulations for Energy Storage Stations\", \"Maintenance Procedures for Electrochemical Energy Storage Stations\", and \"Guidelines for Formulating Emergency Response Plans for Production Safety in Electrochemical Energy Storage Stations\". This will further enhance the safety of electrochemical energy storage stations throughout their entire life cycle.
Flywheel energy storage is a mechanical energy storage technology characterized by high power, fast response, high frequency of operation, and long lifespan. It is suitable for applications in transportation (rail transit, automobiles), emergency power supply, and grid quality management (frequency regulation). Flywheel energy storage is an integrated technology, with higher speeds, composite material rotors, and an inner-stationary outer-rotating structure representing its future development directions. Flywheel energy storage holds broad application prospects, but it is currently in the early stages of market development. Flywheel energy storage is an advanced physical energy storage technology derived from aerospace. It involves using electrical energy to drive a flywheel to rotate at high speeds, converting electrical energy into mechanical energy. When needed, the inertia of the flywheel is used to drive a motor to generate electricity, thereby converting the stored mechanical energy back into electrical energy for output (this is what is referred to as flywheel discharge). Unlike other battery technologies, its advantages lie in its ability to charge and discharge at short timescales, high frequencies, and with high power, and it is primarily used in applications such as grid frequency regulation, integration of new energy power plants into the grid, rail transportation, and high-power UPS systems.
A flywheel energy storage system typically includes a flywheel, motor, bearings, a sealed housing, a power controller, and monitoring instruments, as shown in Figure 1.