GM and ABB recycle the batteries in the Chevrolet Volt
The use of batteries for electric vehicles and the electricity storage approach the stage of testing the electrical network.
General Motors and ABB made the demonstration of the next step of reuse of batteries by presenting a modular unit composed of five used batteries Car Chevrolet Volt can feed three to five average Canadian homes for two hours. The modular unit has been designed and manufactured by engineers of the Canadian Engineering Centre GM's Oshawa, Ontario.
The uninterruptible power supply and the system of balancing the supply network unit were presented during the event Electrification Experience GM. The prototype provided 25 kW and 50 kWh of electricity to power all the devices and extra lighting all audiovisual equipment is not connected to an electrical network structure that was used for the event.
"The activities of research and development of GM on batteries wear throughout the life of the battery, including its secondary uses," said Pablo Valencia, Senior Director - Managing life cycle of batteries. "In many cases, when a battery electric vehicle has reached the end of its useful life in an automotive application, it has achieved 30 percent or less of its full life cycle. Excisting the battery can be reused in other applications long as the Food Facility before it is recycled. "
The last year, GM and ABB demonstrated how the battery a Chevrolet Volt could be used to accumulate electricity and transmit to the electric network to provide supplementary power to residences and businesses.
In today's demonstration, the system storage of electricity was used as a backup power unit independent; 100 percent of the electricity installation came from Volt car batteries connected to the system conversion of electricity stored ABB. A similar system could eventually be used to power a group of residences or small commercial buildings during an electricity outage, allow the storage of electricity during periods of low consumption for a later use during periods of high consumption, or help to fill certain gaps in renewable sources of electricity generation, such as solar energy, energy and other wind turbine.
These functions and the regularization of frequency on electrical distribution systems, could one day be used by utilities to reduce costs imposed their customers and improve the quality of the electricity distribution. We call these "community storage of electricity" to distinguish them from the large storage projects including electrical sub-station applications.
"Today, we have demonstrated the speed at which the concept of research is being transformed into reality," said Allen Burchett, Senior Vice President - Business Development in North America ABB. "The system using batteries Volt vehicles developed by ABB and GM represents the first use in the world of car batteries as a source of backup power for residences and businesses. Soon we will link the system to an electrical network to realize the technical evaluation. This test will allow us to know what intelligent applications on the network are possible, such as emergency power, the reduction of costs of electricity, the improvement of systems of electric distribution utilities, and storage of excess electricity from renewable sources of production. "
Research Center of ABB in Raleigh, North Carolina, has realized the activities of research and development project, and the Medium Voltage Products division of ABB Lake Mary, Florida, manages the validation tests, the market research and product development. ABB, the largest company in the world of fast charging solutions for electric vehicles and a leader in intelligent power networks as well as storage of electricity, working with auto manufacturers, battery manufacturers and utilities in order to help has improve the productivity and efficiency of electrical distribution and industrial activities.
GM aims to ensure that the battery systems used in future vehicles from Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac offer environmental and social benefits after the end of their estimated useful life in an automotive application. Secondary uses possible to exploit fully the resources of batteries before recycling.
GM is committed to reducing waste in all its activities; manufacturing facilities around the world together recycle 90 percent of waste they produce. The management of waste batteries in the context of efforts reduction of the environmental impact of its vehicles and its activities is part of the plan for sustainability of the company.
About ABB
ABB is a leader in the electric power and automation for utilities and commercial industries to improve their performance while reducing their environmental impact technologies. The ABB Group of companies operates in over 100 countries and approximately 145,000 employees.
