Antonino Genovese

Reactive power control for an energy storage system

In last years, the power system operators are tackling many challenges for the renewable energies integration on the grid. Further, the expected increase of electrical demand due to the uncoordinated contemporary charging of a huge number of Electric Vehicles (EVs) can create chaotic phenomena with a negative impact especially on the distribution network. Help can be offered by the deployment of Smart Grid technologies, such as Smart Metering Systems (SMSs), Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Energy Storage Systems (ESSs). In particular, in Micro-Grids, Battery ESSs (BESSs) can play a fundamental role and can become fundamental for the integration of EV fast charging stations and distributed generations. In this case the storage can have peak shaving, load shifting and power quality functions. The ESSs can provide ancillary services also on the grid as the reactive control to adjust the power factor. In the present paper, a monitoring control program to manage the reactive power of a real ESS in a Micro-Grid has been implemented. The system is a prototype, designed, implemented and now available at ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development) labs. A wide experimental activity has been performed on the prototype system in order to test this functionality for the integration in a bigger Smart Grid available at the same ENEA labs including the Micro-grid. The integration has been possible, thanks to the free ICT protocols used by the researchers and which are described here. The results of the experimental tests show that the system can have good performance to adjust the power factor in respect to the main distribution grid and an EV charging station.

Fast charge and local public transport: An italian experience

This paper describes the research effort on fast charge, carried out by the PBI project, promoted and funded in the framework of the program “Industria 2015”, by the Italian Ministry for Industry. In more detail, i) describes past experiences and state of art for the public transport sector ii) discusses the Zero-Filobus concept and its application to the PBI project iii) expounds design considerations on an integral AC battery charger for the case study; iiii) describes the high power (150 kW) charging station and the experimentation results.

Optimal energy control for smart charging infrastructures with ESS and REG

The adoption of the smart and sustainable charging infrastructures for electric vehicles (EVs) represents a key-point to accelerate the electro-mobility uptake. This paper presents an optimal power flow management for a smart charging micro-grid that minimizes the cost and reduces the impact on the grid of EVs requests. This goal is achieved by means of an optimal integration and control of renewable energy, stationary energy storage system, and V2G into the charging infrastructure. In particular, the optimal power flow management solves a stochastic multilayer optimization problem based on the definition of different priority levels representing the coordination of the ESS with the other sources. The output of the algorithm is the day-ahead prediction of the energy generation and, thus, the optimization of energy flow during the entire day. Possible variation of energy sources during the operation are also taken into account by means of a real time control adaptation.

Micro-grids and energy storage systems

The integration of Energy Storage Systems (ESSs) in Micro Grids (MGs) is becoming mandatory for the optimal management of the energy flows and to make the MG an efficient and self-sustainable system, further able to provide ancillary services to the main network. The present paper includes an overview on the services and benefits that an ESS, based on batteries technology, can provide in a MG, considering the classification of the recent DOE/EPRI Electricity Storage Handbook and the recent updates of the Italian Standards dealing with storage. Then the paper shows some experimental results achieved in a real MG thanks to the integration of an ESS, Lithium-Polymer batteries based. The system is a prototype available at ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development) labs in Rome. The authors describe it in details, including its control functions, and give the results of some tests performed at ENEA labs.

Enriched Methane for City Public Transport Buses

Hydrogen is seen as an alternative strategy to overcome the energy dependence on fossil fuels. The epochal change recognized by the “hydrogen revolution” has not yet occurred; however, many efforts toward carbon-free energy development have been made. In the world of transportation, hydrogen as a fuel, has demonstrated reduction of pollutant emissions and better energy efficiency. Although low temperature fuel cells (FC) allow using FC generators on board of vehicles, there are still some open issues regarding FC generator durability and hydrogen storage. Furthermore, some manufacturers have already designed and produced vehicles powered by internal combustion engines fueled with hydrogen. As a matter of fact for both technologies, the major obstacle consists in the lack of a hydrogen distribution network. While awaiting for satisfactory solutions to the large availability of hydrogen at gas stations an intermediate step toward a carbon- free mobility is achievable with the mixtures of hydrogen and methane. These blends represent an interesting application to take advantage of conventional combustion engines and to promote the transition toward hydrogen mobility. The higher combustion characteristics of hydrogen result in a higher combustion efficiency that is able to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emission due to the lower presence of carbon in the mixture. The Mhybus project demonstrates the feasibility of using hydrogen-methane blends as fuel in public transportation and highlights energy and environmental advantages.