Interfaces for industry modular storage systems.

The Commeo GmbH from Wallenhorst near Osnabrück  (D) has developed a modular energy storage system that allows applications, from mobile robots to the power supply for industrial plants and factories, to run securely and uninterrupted. The Commeo units can be used as an emergency power supply or as a mains buffer to provide compensating power when required.

In a joint project, Commeo and Harting have developed suitable interfaces for the new system by interconnecting the batteries in a particularly efficient way with downstream units. The solution consists of integrating modules from the Han-Modular® series and the Han® Docking Frame into one unit. The interface for supplying power and data can be quickly placed into the energy storage blocks, whilst the housing for the modules is recessed in the block interior with the mating side protruding centrally from the back of the block.

The Commeo system consists of energy storage blocks that have a side length of more than 20 cm, containing multiple layers of lithium-ion cells. The blocks are responsive via a bus system and are aggregated into industrial storage cabinets. Each block has its own battery management system (BMS). On the top floor of each storage cabinet is the Commeo control unit ccuHV. The two-metre high standard version of the cabinet offers space for 48 blocks. The local control unit communicates via CAN bus with each individual block and the downstream control components.

The layout of the storage block cabinets consisting of 1.5 kWh modules (in 48 V systems) permits the exact battery capacity to be reproduced or replaced as needed. The risk of overdimensioning or underdimensioning does not exist, as the efficiency of the system can be corrected afterwards. Here, the system can easily be scaled from a few KWh to more than 1 MWh. “We can add more cabinets and our battery blocks also fit in other industrial enclosures, for example, wall-mount cabinets that can be placed in small places”, said CEO Michael Schnakenberg.

Today, Commeo battery systems already safeguard the uninterruptible power supply (UPS) of industrial parks or protect electrically powered systems against damage caused by fluctuations in the mains. They provide compensating voltage for renewable power generation plants and act as a buffer to the mains: when voltage is too high, they charge current and have a load-relieving effect; when a voltage drop occurs, they can feed in their storage contents. As a result, they cushion peak loads. In other projects, the Commeo storage blocks back up the power supply of industrial robots or they are applied to district electricity projects.

Commeo targets its product portfolio primarily to the mechanical and plant engineering sectors. “Our goal is to set up batteries in a modular system that is tailor-made for very special needs. We would like to be the first system provider for high-performance storage solutions in the world of automation, process industry and manufacturing”, added Michael Schnakenberg. According to Schnakenberg, Harting was the favoured supplier as it was important to have a suitable interface for this project. “The recognition factor of Harting connectors in the industrial environment is a factor. Our customers know as soon as they see these interfaces that our batteries are compatible with their other facilities.”

Thanks to the cooperation with Commeo, the application range for Han® interfaces has widened in the markets of energy generation, storage and distribution. “Our pluggable connectors have performed well in the entire sector with efficient and robust solutions for the generation, storage and distribution of energy. This ranges from the wiring of wind farms through connectivity solutions for gas and storage power plants to the suitable interfaces for E-Mobility, everything coming from one source”, says Andras Meszaros, Industrial Segment Manager Energy at HartingElectric.

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