Energy Storage Lifetime Management

Institution: University of Manchester

Dept/School/Faculty: EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Power Networks

PhD Supervisor: Dr R Todd

Application Deadline: Applications accepted all year round

Funding Availability: Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

Student background required: 

Electrical and electronic engineering with a minimum of a 2:1 honours degree. A strong interest in, and aptitude for, energy storage systems and control. 

Benefit to / Impact on Industry: 
The power transmission and distribution network operators, together with industrial users would benefit from energy storage system, however, two challenges are limiting the uptake, the cost, and in the case of battery based systems, life time concerns. Developing an understanding of battery life cycle effects and utilising this knowledge to devise an energy storage life management control will increase the uptake of this technology. 

What novelty will the student base their PhD on? 
Super-capacitor and battery life cycling models, and the energy storage life management controller. 

Project overview: 
Future power networks, both land-based AC grid systems and vehicle DC networks, are becoming increasingly complex with higher power highly dynamic load systems. A significant cost in an energy storage system is the actual energy storage element, often batteries and/or super-capacitors. Devising energy storage life management techniques is critical for performance and cost reasons. 

Outline of Proposed Project Plan: 
Year 1: Taught courses and preparatory study 
Year 2: Develop a fundamental understanding of the impact of load usage profiles on battery and super-capacitor life using a new industrial test system 
Year 3: Utilise this knowledge to devise and demonstrate energy storage life management on; a commercial 250kW 180kWhr AC grid connected battery-based energy storage system; a 1MJ super-capacitor-based energy storage system in the Rolls-Royce funded 100kW Intelligent Electric Power Network Evaluation Facility (IEPNEF) 
Year 4: Interface the AC grid connected energy storage to a RTDS power network simulator to understand the local and wider power network impact of the control 

Funding Notes:

This project is funded by EPSRC, the University of Manchester and our Industry partners. Funding is available to UK candidates. EU candidates are also eligible if they have been studying or working continuously in the UK for three or more years (prior to the start date of the programme). The successful candidates will have their fees paid in full and will receive an enhanced maintenance stipend. 

See here for information on how to apply and entry requirements: www.power-networks-cdt.manchester.ac.uk/study/projects-apply