N113-177 TITLE: Battery Management, Monitoring and Diagnostic Device for Navy Energy Storage Modules

TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Ground/Sea Vehicles, Electronics

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PMS 320, Electric Ships Office

OBJECTIVE: Develop a battery energy, storage management/electrical safety device to ensure correct operation, prevention of abusive conditions and storage system condition awareness pertaining to large rechargeable energy storage systems.

DESCRIPTION: Energy storage is an enabler for a growing number of applications onboard Navy platforms to enhance functionality and fuel savings. In certain situations, an energy storage device may serve as the primary power source for operations, in other applications the device might be required to monitor a distributed network of devices of various types which must collectively work together in order to meet specific power requirements. Current battery management systems are disparate in nature, resident within the battery itself and typically only perform minimal operational monitoring (voltage and temperature cut-outs) of energy storage devices for the purpose of preventing abusive conditions. Regardless of application, safety and the individual as well as collective condition awareness of the energy storage devices which comprise an overall system are key areas of technology need for which there is no currently available solution. Independent of host platform and application, the management and monitoring of future energy storage systems will need to be able to diagnosis and prognosis battery health, identify and report anomalies associated with battery degradation, and ultimately have the capability to provide forewarning of a potential casualty event.

This topic seeks to explore innovative approaches to the development of a Battery Management System (BMS) device which would allow ships force the ability to control critical parameters associated with thresholds of abusive or otherwise hazardous or non-optimal conditions in energy storage architectures up to 1000 VDC minimum. Proposed concept(s) should employ open architecture design principles to enable the ability to be tuned to a variety of secondary battery chemistries, device types (including the batteries, energy storage capacitors, hybrid devices, etc. from different manufacturers and of different sub-varieties (not associated with any one type or manufacturer)) and architectures to provide awareness of the operational characteristics of the system on a cell-by-cell basis. A key technical challenge will be in the ability to develop sophisticated algorithm(s) that will permit the integration of relevant operational and physical data, which can be obtained from both normal use and enhanced monitoring, while being able to determine changes in performance and forecast degradation and pending failures within the energy storage system or a singular cell. Additional inputs for consideration could be, but are not limited to, current probe monitoring of the battery string, gas/smoke sensor signals, and outputs to control contactors, switches, relays, warning lights, etc. Proposed concepts must be adaptable and applied in a simple and straightforward manner such that any number of end-users can utilize the system with minimal learning curve. In addition, proposers should be mindful of the goal of a flexible design to allow for application on future battery designs and naval applications with interface, input-output and processing capability while allowing for enable local monitoring and control as well as connectivity and communications with the various shipboard controls and reporting systems. Upon completion of Phase II proposed concepts should address the ability to pass Navy standard electrical safety device certification tests (in accordance with ref. 1 & 2, NAVSEAINST9310, S9310-AQ-SAF-010 Section 2.3.7.2.5, and modified as needed for all implemented cutout parameters, e.g. voltage, temperature, etc.).

PHASE I: Demonstrate the feasibility of the innovative approaches to the development of a Battery Management System (BMS) device which would allow ships force the ability to control critical parameters associated with thresholds of abusive or otherwise hazardous or non-optimal conditions in energy storage architectures up to 1000 VDC minimum. As applicable, demonstrate the effectiveness of the solution with modeling and simulation and engineering analysis. Establish performance goals and provide a Phase II developmental approach and schedule that contains discrete milestones for product development.

PHASE II: Develop, fabricate and demonstrate a prototype as identified in Phase I. In a laboratory environment, demonstrate that the prototype meets the performance goals established in Phase I. Conduct performance integration and risk assessments. Develop a cost benefit analysis and cost estimate for a naval shipboard unit. Provide a Phase III installation, testing and validation plan.

PHASE III: Working with the Navy and applicable Industry partners, demonstrate application with an energy storage module to be implemented within shipboard and/or land-based test site to support fuel saving or other applications. This initial testing will then support transition into numerous energy storage applications. This effort will provide detail drawings and specifications, including documentation for manipulation of management operations and detailed explanation of the operation of the device software. The Proposer will perform Electrical Safety Device evaluation in accordance with reference 2 for the module as defined.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: Commonality within battery management system interfaces, communications and architectures will enable standards to be set which can effect applications associated with smart grid, vehicle applications, renewable, etc., particularly when implemented in large storage systems.

REFERENCES:
1) NAVSEA Instruction 9310.1B Subject: Naval Lithium Battery Safety Program www.navsea.navy.mil/NAVINST/09310-001B.pdf

2) Technical Manual S9310-AQ-SAF-010 for Batteries, Navy Lithium Safety Program Responsibilities and Procedures
http://www.marcorsyscom.usmc.mil/sites/pmeps/DOCUMENTS/BatteryPolicy/Battery%20Policy%20-%20S9310%20manual%20-%2019%20Aug%2004.pdf

3) Lukic, S.M.; Jian Cao; Bansal, R.C.; Rodriguez, F.; Emadi, A.; "Energy Storage Systems for Automotive Applications," Industrial Electronics, IEEE Transactions on, vol.55, no.6, pp.2258-2267, June 2008

4) Rudi Kaiser, Optimized battery-management system to improve storage lifetime in renewable energy systems, Journal of Power Sources, Volume 168, Issue 1, 10th European Lead Battery Conference - Selected Papers Presented at the 10th European Lead Battery Conference (10 ELBC) Athens, Greece, 26-29 September 2006, 25 May 2007

KEYWORDS: Energy Storage; Battery Management System; Monitoring; Diagnosis; Electrical Safety

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

DoD Notice:   Between July 28 and August 28, 2011, you may talk directly with the Topic Authors to ask technical questions about the topics. Their contact information is listed above. For reasons of competitive fairness, direct communication between proposers and topic authors is not allowed starting August 29, 2011, when DoD begins accepting proposals for this solicitation.

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