Lengthy-Time Protection Contractor Unveils Microgrid Lab
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FRIDLEY, Minnesota — One of many Military’s modernization objectives is to put in a microgrid on every of its installations by 2035. Cummins, a longtime provider of mills to the U.S. army, lately opened a microgrid testing laboratory that might assist the Military attain its energy aim.
A microgrid is an vitality system “made up of sources, masses, connections and controls” linked collectively, mentioned Cummins lab supervisor Corey Bergendahl. Pulling vitality from a wide range of sources, a microgrid can operate as a part of the principle energy grid and keep energy if a grid goes down or can present energy to services or communities that aren’t linked to the principle grid.
Cummins’ new Energy Integration Middle is a 20,000-square-foot house on the firm’s energy technology facility in Minnesota. It incorporates an out of doors take a look at space, a most important switchgear room, {an electrical} mezzanine and an engineering management room, permitting Cummins personnel and purchasers to check totally different microgrid configurations.
“We wished to construct our microgrid lab in a means that it was not only a single-use case,” Bergendahl mentioned on the middle’s opening occasion.
“We even have right here a facility that may be reconfigured into virtually infinite [possibilities] of various microgrid topologies and energy system layouts,” he mentioned.
Cummins has offered energy options to the U.S. army since World Battle II, in keeping with the corporate’s director of presidency and army enterprise Doreen Swanson. The corporate presently produces the Superior Medium Cellular Energy Supply mills for the Military.
The middle generally is a main useful resource for the service, mentioned Swanson.
“We’ve truly introduced our Military buyer into this lab to indicate them the aptitude,” she mentioned. “We all know that they’re beginning to set up microgrids and introduce battery storage, however … they don’t perceive the use case but.”
On the facility, the Military might “put totally different load profiles into these large load banks” and “begin testing some totally different capabilities,” Swanson added.
“When does it make sense to combine battery storage? Does it make sense to combine solar energy?” she mentioned. “So, I see this lab serving to in that means.”
Within the middle’s managed surroundings, engineers also can safely “push the microgrid to the bounds” throughout testing with out inflicting any disturbance, Bergendahl added.
Subjects: Vitality, Energy Sources