Copper-Based Flow Batteries for energy storage renewables integration

Project Information

CUBER

Grant agreement ID: 875605

DOI

10.3030/875605

Project closed

EC signature date 21 October 2019

Start date 1 January 2020

End date 30 September 2024

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Secure, clean and efficient energy

Total cost

€ 3 999 823,75

EU contribution

€ 3 999 823,75

Coordinated by

AARHUS UNIVERSITET
Denmark

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - CUBER (Copper-Based Flow Batteries for energy storage renewables integration)

Reporting period: 2022-07-01 to 2024-09-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The EU is at the forefront of the fight against climate change, exemplified by the targets sets in the Paris Accord and the EU 2030 Climate & Energy framework, and the goal of a zero carbon, sustainable economy. These goals can be only achieved with a higher share of renewable energy, which being mostly of an intermittent nature, require innovative energy storage solutions deployable at large scale. In particular, a vast capacity of stationary energy storage has to be created, and Redox Flow Batteries (RFBs) are one of the best technological solutions to provide it. However, multiple hurdles have to be overcome to make such deployment possible; they are of different nature, ranging from technical aspects related to performance (e.g. long cycle life or electrolyte composition optimization) to economic ones (e.g. the need to reach a competitive levelized cost of energy and to raise vast capital sums), and from environmental issues (e.g. toxicity and recyclability) to security of supply (e.g. dependence on critical raw materials from outside of the EU or on a shallow market dependent on the production of a by-product of a non-related material).

The development and deployment of CuBER as a cost-effective energy storage solution will clearly help to achieve the ambitious EU renewable energy target of 32% by 2030; consequently, it will also support achieving the EU climate goals by supporting the decarbonization of the energy sector, as well as improving air quality.

The CuBER project will combine the application of new technologies in the field of Redox Flow Batteries, Electrochemistry, Electronics, Sensors, Process Engineering, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoTs) and Solar Power Technologies, to develop an integrated solution able to ensure a continuous supply of electricity for residential self-consumption in smart buildings and/or energy communities equipped with PV solar panels with the objective of increasing the share of renewables in urban areas while reducing costs for the end users. This solution will allow to calculate when is the best time to store, sell to the grid and/or consume the renewable energy produced in house, considering the users demand profiles and also other external factors like weather forecasts, grid demand and energy price.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

In the first period, components to be used in a lab-scale RFB unit were identified, characterization techniques have been defined for each of them and optimization studies for performance and costs have been performed.

A large number of tests for a single cell have been performed, and the design and manufacturing activities for a short stack and full stack have started.
Activities towards system integration of the short stack and full battery have been performed: selection of a converter system, simulation and analysis of the battery management system, thermal management system and the hydraulic system.

A range of sensors and actuators to monitor the system have been evaluated and a preliminary architecture of the IoT platform and modules has been defined.

Data collection and its analysis for life cycle analysis, life cycle cost and life cycle inventory has started, and a preliminary review of the legislative obstacles and issues at national and/or European levels that may impede to implement CUBER’s technologies/products has been developed.

In the second period, commercial materials were characterized through physicochemical and electrochemical analysis and new membranes were investigated.

A methodology for connecting and assembling the components of the RFB cell and the production method for the stack components have been developed.

A short stack has been produced through milling and an initial design for the injection process has been completed. The short stack testing has started.

An inverter system and BMS communication have been established. A hydraulic system and a thermal management system design have been completed.

In the third period, the electrolyte was optimised, upscaled, and produced for full system tests.

The overall system has been manufactured and integrated using commercial stack into a compact, transportable, and easily serviceable power system, including the hydraulic system, the BMS, and power electronics. The prototype system serves as a testbed for a new copper-based electrolyte in an industrial environment.

Recycling concepts and LCA, LCC and Life Cycle Inventory data sets for chemicals and materials have been developed for the CuBER system.

An online-accessible CuBER battery passport, including the LCA and recycling information, has been created.

An Energy Management System to optimise use based on PV production, electricity price, consumption and carbon footprint, as well as an IoT platform with a front-end user interface, have been developed.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

CUBER developed a prototype system for testing a new copper-based electrolyte in an industrial environment as a new and scalable RFB technology. Its environmental performance has been demonstrated by manufacturing the prototype based on a European value chain and through a detailed LCA analysis. CUBER RFB is based on an abundant material (copper) for which the EU has a strong value chain and avoids materials, such as vanadium, lithium or cobalt, which the EU has deemed critical because of the high risk associated with their supply.

The stability and performance of the electrolyte have been optimized, and a manufacturing process for large-scale production has been developed. 100 cycles with accelerated testing for a single cell have been performed. The results show good results towards achieving the goals of the project: the design of a 5kWDC CuRFB with a DC efficiency greater than 80% (without pumping losses) and greater than 70% (with pumping losses), and energy density of up to 30 Wh/L.

CuBER delivered an advanced battery and energy management system integrated into a user-friendly, cloud-based IoT platform to monitor the components of the CuBER installation and ensures a continuous, efficient, and cost-effective electricity supply by dynamically adjusting energy usage and storage based on real-time demand, PV production, pricing, and renewables supply mix data from the grid.

The platform has a customizable interface with three distinct operating modes (economy, clean, and conventional), allowing users to optimise battery usage based on their preferences - whether aiming to minimise costs during peak pricing, reduce carbon footprint by prioritizing local PV generation and renewables sources from the grid, or just maximizing battery storage.

A Decision Support System (DSS) enhances this process by leveraging real-time and historical data and forecasts for PV production, price changes, and consumption calculated through ML models.

Robust interoperability with the Spanish grid through the eSIOS service and support simulation of various prosumer profiles using customisable consumption datasets has been established.

A Battery Management System (BMS) was built, and the Energy Management System (EMS) EMS was tested in lab conditions. Using a grid simulator, the CuBER setup (using a lead cell battery as a stand-in) was shown to be usable as grid support.

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