NEMA Publishes Two Battery Standards

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has published revisions to two standards within the ANSI C18 series of standards for batteries:

• ANSI C18.1M, Part 2-2011 American National Standard for Portable Primary Cells and Batteries with Aqueous Electrolyte—Safety Standard
  
• ANSI C18.3M, Part 2-2011 American National Standard for Portable Lithium Primary Cells and Batteries—Safety Standard
  

Both safety standards were produced by the Accredited Standards Committee C18 on Portable Cells and Batteries and were last published in 2003. The revisions include updated safety tests and content to keep current with best practices.

Each standard specifies tests and requirements for specific types of batteries to ensure their safe operation under normal use and reasonably foreseeable misuse. In ANSI C18.3M, Part 2, the committee highlighted the importance of designing battery compartments with mechanical retention devices to prevent swallowing and ingestion of batteries by children. Annex A, though informative, provides guidance for device designers when considering the proper use of batteries in electrical devices.

The contents and scope of ANSI C18.1M, Part 2 may be viewed, or a hardcopy or electronic copy purchased for $78, by visiting www.nema.org/stds/c18-1m2.cfm. For ANSI C18.3M, Part 2, also $78, go to www.nema.org/stds/c18-3m2.cfm.

Both standards may also be purchased by contacting IHS at 800-854-7179 (within the U.S.), 303-397-7956 (international), 303-397-2740 (fax), or global.ihs.com.

NEMA is the association of electrical and medical imaging equipment manufacturers. Founded in 1926 and headquartered near Washington, D.C., its approximately 450 member companies manufacture products used in the generation, transmission and distribution, control, and end use of electricity. These products are used in utility, industrial, commercial, institutional, and residential applications. The association’s Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA) Division represents manufacturers of cutting-edge medical diagnostic imaging equipment including MRI, CT, x-ray, and ultrasound products. Worldwide sales of NEMA-scope products exceed $120 billion. In addition to its headquarters in Rosslyn, Virginia, NEMA also has offices in Beijing and Mexico City.

Trojan Battery Launches Renewable Energy Website

Trojan Battery Company, a manufacturer of deep cycle batteries, has launched its new renewable energy Web site focusing on renewable energy and backup power solutions the company provides with its deep cycle battery lines. The site is designed to be a source of information for installers, integrators, distributors and end users of energy storage systems.

The site offers detailed technical information on Trojan’s deep cycle flooded, AGM and gel products engineered for renewable energy and backup power applications. These batteries are designed to provide superior performance, rugged durability and long life for powering clean energy systems.


Visitors also will learn about the various applications Trojan batteries can be used in ranging from off grid, rural electrification and backup power to grid-tie and smart-grid applications. In addition, the Trojan renewable energy Web site provides information on the company’s comprehensive renewable energy technical support group.

A123 and AES Connect on 20MW Spinning Reserve Project in Chile

A123 Systems announced an order from AES Gener for 20MW of A123’s advanced energy storage solutions for a spinning reserve project in Northern Chile. The project expands the relationship between A123 and AES Energy Storage and is AES’ second in Chile to use A123 energy storage technology; in 2009, the companies announced the commercial operation of a 12MW spinning reserve project at AES Gener’s Los Andes substation in the Atacama Desert in Chile, the first energy storage system deployed in that country.

“The project will utilize A123 lithium-ion batteries to supply a flexible and scalable emissions-free reserve capacity installation for AES Gener,” said Chris Shelton, president of AES Energy Storage.




In a press release, A123 said its advanced lithium-ion energy storage systems offer customers a complete solution to quickly and cost-effectively hybridize power plants to improve grid stability and facilitate the integration of renewable energy sources. The design consists of modular energy storage racks, power electronics and communications and controls software, enabling grid operators to implement a turnkey package for frequency regulation, spinning reserve and other ancillary services. To date, A123 has shipped more than 35MW of its advanced energy storage units to AES and other customers worldwide, making the company the largest producer of lithium ion batteries for ancillary services for the power grid.

AES Gener will deploy A123’s energy storage solutions at a new 500MW power plant called Angamos. The advanced energy storage installation provides critical contingency services to maintain the stability of the electric grid in Northern Chile, an important mining area. It continuously monitors the condition of the power system and if a significant frequency deviation occurs—for example, the loss of a generator or transmission line—the energy storage system is capable of providing up to 20MW of power nearly instantaneously. This output is designed to be maintained for 15 minutes at full power, allowing the system operator to resolve the event or bring other standby units online.

“Today’s announcement builds on the strong relationship we have with AES and further validates A123’s advanced energy storage systems as the ideal solution for frequency regulation, spinning reserve and other ancillary services,” said Robert Johnson, vice president of the Energy Solutions Group at A123. “Projects like this and others we are working on demonstrate the commercial viability of our advanced energy storage capabilities, and we expect the technology to play an integral role in increasing the efficiency of ancillary services and enabling the wide-spread integration of renewable energy.”

In addition to these projects in Chile, A123’s activity with AES Energy Storage includes the commercial operation of a frequency regulation project at an AES generation plant in Johnson City, N.Y., the first of its kind to be classified as a generator by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Expected to be completed in 2011, the system will supply 20MW of emissions-free reserve capacity to the power market operated by the New York Independent System Operator.