Description:
OBJECTIVE: To develop a power system that can support intermittent pulsed power loads by providing consistent load to the generation source during pulsed power duty cycle. DESCRIPTION: Navy ships can be thought of as having an electrical microgrid to distribute power. Conventional plant designs have separate mechanical propulsion and weapons systems with the electrical plant to support hotel and combat systems. Future all electric naval ships will require prime movers to all have the functionality of distributed electrical generators, to power a wide variety of loads ranging from conventional electronics, electric propulsion systems, and even pulsed power systems that will drive electric weaponry. The pulsed power systems will draw power from the ship"s electrical distribution to enable continuous operation, and while large-scale energy storage may support operations, high rate intermittent storage is necessary to ensure that the electrical distribution and prime movers are provided with relatively consistent loading. During the charge process of the pulsed power system, a considerable amount of power will be drawn from the electrical grid for time durations on the order of seconds, with a lapse in between charges. The large power draw in an intermittent fashion is difficult to control and difficult for non-stiff electrical generators to supply. Enabling technologies that support a supplemental high rate storage system is required that enable pulsed power loads to be effectively used on board the ship without disruption to the other loads or damage to the distributed generators. Innovative R&D is needed to model and validate novel high rate, intermittent energy storage and control architectures that can rapidly accept high intermittent currents to load-level prime movers during the pulsed-power duty cycle. The architecture should be designed to minimize the impact this type of operation has on the electrical generators and support the pulsed load modules"operation. The energy storage must be able to accept rapid charge from the generation system within the constraints of the duty cycle of the pulsed power system, and then provide this stored energy on the order of seconds to allow for cyclic capability in a continuous manner. New high peak power energy storage technologies and designs are needed to accomplish this goal. Control system architectures and algorithms must also be developed to ensure load leveling in all modes of operations while ensuring safety and constant operation. These devices, with the requisite conversion schemes are necessary in highly dense packages to allow for implementation in volumetrically constrained environments. Proof of principle hardware tests and validated computer design models are desired. Full scale pulsed power requirement: - Pulsed power duty cycle:>80% - Power accept example: 1 sec in a 6 sec cycle - Energy storage power level: Modular 1MW approach - Energy storage of>3 MJ per module - Energy storage charge rate of>1MW - Energy storage power delivery of>500 kW - Energy Storage interface voltage 1000V The Navy will only fund proposals that are innovative address R&D and involve technical risk. PHASE I: The offeror will conceptualize an intermediate storage approach that utilizes advanced high rate components to be able to continuously accept and provide power to operate on a load leveling basis. Small scale, proof of concept experimentation can be performed to demonstrate hardware"s ability to drive high peak powers with a compact and sensible architecture and package. Control algorithms that maintain load leveling should be developed and demonstrated on small scale hardware systems. PHASE II: The conceptual architecture and controls will be demonstrated at a relevant scale which aligns to the requirements as provided within this solicitation for voltage and rates. Modes of continuous operation will be shown without degradation of the device, and will support operations under elevated temperature regimes up to 140F. Cooling and other interfaces shall be specified and demonstrated for performance. Phase IIa Option: The offeror will build additional intermediate storage devices and expose them to a variety of pulsed power system concepts as well as abusive conditions. Phase IIb Option: The offeror will cycle the modules for extended periods to fully characterize degradation and capacity loss with use under relevant conditions. PHASE III: The offeror will apply the knowledge gained in phase II to build a multiple-MW scale system to support intermediate storage operations. The system will be able to provide load leveling performance as defined within the solicitation and will be demonstrated as such. PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: High rate charge/discharge applications including fast-dispatch frequency regulation, large power system load leveling and scheduling, microgrid applications.
