Power Conversion Systems News

Japan-based company PowerX has unveiled the detailed design of the first-ever ‘Battery Tanker’ at an exhibition in Imabari City, Japan. The inaugural ship “X” aims for completion by 2025, with domestic and international field testing planned to start in 2026. This electric propulsion vessel will be 140 meters long and will be equipped with 96 containerized marine batteries, providing a total capacity of 241MWh. "The onboard battery system is based on our proprietary module design, featuring safe and reliable lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cells that ensure a lifespan over 6,000 cycles.

Engineers from Calnetix Technologies will present at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) 2015 Conference in Brussels, Belgium, Oct. 12-14. Controls and Systems Engineer Chris Sellers will give a paper, co-authored by Director of Systems Engineering Parsa Mirmobin, entitled “Advanced Controls of Organic Rankine Cycle for Highly Transient Fluctuations during Initial Startup” in Session 9: Heat Exchangers, on Tuesday at 9:40 a.m. Development Engineer Errol Yuksek will deliver a paper on “Waste Heat Utilization of Main Propulsion Engine Jacket Water in Marine Application,” also co-authored by Mirmobin, in Session 13: Waste Heat Recovery from Engines II, on Tuesday at 3:20 p.m.

ABB recently entered a partnership with international energy company Statoil to develop power solutions for subsea oil and gas production. A key challenge they identify is to develop reliable long-distance power transmission technology and to build components that can function for several decades at depths of up to 3,000 meters. The subsea industry has gained worldwide importance as oil companies strive for increased recovery and venture towards remote and deep waters in the hunt for new oil and gas fields.

ABB has entered a US$100-million research and development joint industry program (JIP) with Statoil to develop solutions for transmission, distribution and power conversion systems designed to power and control subsea pumps and gas compressors at depths of 3,000 meters, and over vast distances. The agreement is seen as an important step on the path to develop complete subsea oil and gas producing facilities. Statoil is leading the JIP on behalf of other participating oil companies, while ABB is responsible for developing the new technology.

Statoil and ABB have entered an agreement to develop solutions for subsea electrical power transmission, distribution and power conversion systems for water depths down to 3,000 meters and over long distances. The agreement is in the form of a cost-shared joint industrial program (JIP) led by Statoil on behalf of other participating oil companies, with ABB as the technology developer. The agreement follows a large subsea electrification study executed jointly by Statoil and ABB during 2012. “The JIP will develop technologies needed to provide electrical power to subsea pumps, electrical submersible pumps and subsea gas compressors for projects on the Norwegian continental shelf…

BMT Syntek Technologies Inc. and BMT Reliability Consultants Ltd. have announced that they are working closely with a number of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and solution providers in the renewables industry, helping them to develop technologies to improve the efficiency and reliability of wind turbines. Increasing the swept area of a wind turbine’s blades is the key to improved performance and levels of power generation. Understanding the effects increased loads have…