Sponsored by: Vessyll
Project Summary
Vessyll is a startup company developing a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) to provide a small to medium scale energy storage solution for homes and small companies. The BESS can be a clean energy storage system acting as a backup generator and energy saving device. Vessyll’s BESS can be paired with solar, wind, and renewable energy sources as well as charging off of the grid. The BESS can be used to either store cheaper energy bought at off-peak hours or store energy from renewable sources to offset energy costs of the customer.
Design Goal
The goal of this project was to create a control system for a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). This prototype needs to communicate with the batteries and inverters and support a user interface. The resulting product provides a solution to lower power demand and backup power uses at a reduced price.
Design Constraints
- The price of the control system should be less than $500.
- Control system shall be able to operate in four different modes: Time-Shifting, Solar-Shifting, Demand Charge Management, and Backup Reserve.
- Control System shall have an interface for the engineers at Vessyll to interact with by typing commands into a terminal.
Box with two batteries (two bottom rows of the box) and an inverter (on top row, above batteries).
An Arduino microcontroller with two communication shields stacked on top of it for talking with the battery and inverter.
Members of the Project Team
Student Team:
- Anthony Moriarty - Major: Computer Engineering
- Lizzie Nguyen - Major: Computer Engineering
- Sam Opsahl - Major: Electrical Engineering
- David Povolny - Major: Electrical Engineering
Industry Representative: Zahra Iliff and Adam Iliff
Faculty Advisor: Greg Mowry
Pictured left to right: Anthony Moriarty, Sam Opsahl, Lizzie Nguyen, David Povolny.