To support prototype and component development, the Energy Systems Integration Facility can accommodate research, development, and demonstration of power system components such as PV inverters, residential smart meters, and appliances for physical testing or simulation using state-of-the-art hardware-in-the-loop technologies. Equipment can be developed, tested, and evaluated under normal and abnormal conditions at scale.
Capability Details
The Energy Systems Integration Facility laboratories that support prototype and component development have advanced capabilities for research, development, and demonstration of key components of near-market technologies. These laboratories are equipped to allow researchers to:
- Test electrical, thermal and fuel system components to failure
- Test ultracapacitors and other energy storage technologies
- Test and evaluate new thermal energy storage materials that are relevant to utility-scale concentrating solar power plants
- Evaluate the electrochemical properties of novel materials and understand and delineate the reaction mechanisms within electrochemical fuel cells
- Inform codes and standards development through laboratory testing
- Carry out single- and full-stack testing on a variety of fuel cell types.
Research Activities
These prototype and component development activities can be performed in the Energy Systems Integration Facility:
- Performance assessments of batteries, power conversion equipment, capacitor systems, and DC systems such as commercial microgrids
- Long-duration reliability and safety tests of battery and energy storage system components
- Thermal energy storage materials testing through multiple charge and discharge cycles
- Evaluation of heat exchanger performance and storage efficiency
- Evaluation of supercritical heat transfer fluids such as steam or carbon dioxide
- Structural analysis and testing to support detailed concentrating solar power system design, including:
- Parabolic troughs, linear Fresnel, dishes, and heliostats
- Durability of collector coatings and reflector materials for advanced designs
- Accelerated weathering of components to determine useful lifetimes
- Testing of advanced materials and geometries for receiver tubes
- Demonstration of fuel cell reliability by testing the impact of interferants and poisons.
