Person:
Ursúa Rubio, Alfredo

Last Name

Ursúa Rubio

First Name

Alfredo

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Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación

ORCID

0000-0001-6240-8659

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3245

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Now showing 1 - 10 of 37

Open Access
Combined dynamic programming and region-elimination technique algorithm for optimal sizing and management of lithium-ion batteries for photovoltaic plants
(Elsevier, 2018) Berrueta Irigoyen, Alberto; Heck, Michael; Jantsch, Martin; Ursúa Rubio, Alfredo; Sanchis Gúrpide, Pablo; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoaren eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritzaren; Institute for Advanced Materials and Mathematics - INAMAT2; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación; Gobierno de Navarra / Nafarroako Gobernua PI038 INTEGRA-RENOVABLES
The unpredictable nature of renewable energies is drawing attention to lithium-ion batteries. In order to make full utilization of these batteries, some research works are focused on the management of existing systems, while others propose sizing techniques based on business models. However, in order to optimise the global system, a comprehensive methodology that considers both battery sizing and management at the same time is needed. This paper proposes a new optimisation algorithm based on a combination of dynamic programming and a region elimination technique that makes it possible to address both problems at the same time. This is of great interest, since the optimal size of the storage system depends on the management strategy and, in turn, the design of this strategy needs to take account of the battery size. The method is applied to a real installation consisting of a 100 kWp rooftop photovoltaic plant and a Li-ion battery system connected to a grid with variable electricity price. Results show that, unlike conventional optimisation methods, the proposed algorithm reaches an optimised energy dispatch plan that leads to a higher net present value. Finally, the tool is used to provide a sensitivity analysis that identifies key informative variables for decision makers
Open Access
On the requirements of the power converter for second-life lithium-ion batteries
(IEEE, 2019) Berrueta Irigoyen, Alberto; San Martín Biurrun, Idoia; Pascual Miqueleiz, Julio María; Sanchis Gúrpide, Pablo; Ursúa Rubio, Alfredo; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoaren eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritzaren; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación; Gobierno de Navarra / Nafarroako Gobernua
The use of lithium-ion batteries is increasing year after year, especially in the automotive sector. Given the high requirements of electric vehicles, their energy storage systems are discarded when they still have around 70% of its initial capacity. These discarded batteries are being studied as a low-price option for stationary systems, mostly related to renewable energy generation, with lower battery requirements. However, the increasing dispersion of cell capacity detailed in this contribution limits the use of second-life cells if regular battery management systems and power converters. We present in this contribution an experimental comparison of the capacity dispersion between fresh and second-life cells, and detail the relationship between the capacity dispersion and the required BMS functionality. Furthermore, we include the ageing phenomena in the analysis by means of experimental ageing results, given that the capacity dispersion is enlarged as the battery ages. After this, we use this data to quantify advantages and disadvantages of a combined BMS and power converter, based on a multilevel topology, compared to a conventional BMS. The most relevant result, when a 55-cell battery is analysed, is a 65% increase in capacity during its whole second life if the BMS and power converter are combined by means of a multilevel topology. The increased level of complexity required by the combined BMS-power converter architecture is analysed in this contribution, providing a convenient tool for the selection of the most suitable option for each application.
Open Access
Smart charging station with photovoltaic and energy storage for supplying electric buses
(IEEE, 2022) Berrueta Irigoyen, Alberto; Astrain Escola, José Javier; Puy Pérez de Laborda, Guillermo; El Hamzaoui, Ismail; Ursúa Rubio, Alfredo; Sanchis Gúrpide, Pablo; Villadangos Alonso, Jesús; Falcone Lanas, Francisco Javier; López Martín, Antonio; Matías Maestro, Ignacio; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC
A Smart Charging Station (SCS) has been installed in the Public University of Navarre, Spain, in the framework of the H2020 Smart City Lighthouse STARDUST project. The SCS consists of a high-power electric bus charging point (300 kW), a 100 kW photovoltaic system, a 84 kWh support energy storage system based on a second-life lithiumion battery, and a monitoring and control system that allows the safe storage and convenient access to operation data. This SCS operates as a Smart Grid, being able to provide the power peaks required by the electric bus charger, reducing and smoothing the power demanded from the distribution grid and increasing the renewable energy self-consumption rate. This contribution presents a novel monitoring and control system, which is a key tool to integrate this SCS in the data infrastructure of a Smart City, as well as an energy management system able to operate the SCS to achieve the above-mentioned technical requirements. The crucial role of the monitoring and control system and the energy management system becomes evident in this work.
Open Access
Design and on-field validation of an embedded system for monitoring second-life electric vehicle lithium-ion batteries
(MDPI, 2022) Castillo Martínez, Diego Hilario; Rodríguez Rodríguez, Adolfo Josué; Soto Cabria, Adrián; Berrueta Irigoyen, Alberto; Vargas Requena, Dávid Tomás; Matías Maestro, Ignacio; Sanchis Gúrpide, Pablo; Ursúa Rubio, Alfredo; Rodríguez Rodríguez, Wenceslao Eduardo; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoaren eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritzaren; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación; Gobierno de Navarra / Nafarroako Gobernua
In the last few years, the growing demand for electric vehicles (EVs) in the transportation sector has contributed to the increased use of electric rechargeable batteries. At present, lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are the most commonly used in electric vehicles. Although once their storage capacity has dropped to below 80¿70% it is no longer possible to use these batteries in EVs, it is feasible to use them in second-life applications as stationary energy storage systems. The purpose of this study is to present an embedded system that allows a Nissan® LEAF Li-ion battery to communicate with an Ingecon® Sun Storage 1Play inverter, for control and monitoring purposes. The prototype was developed using an Arduino® microcontroller and a graphical user interface (GUI) on LabVIEW®. The experimental tests have allowed us to determine the feasibility of using Li-ion battery packs (BPs) coming from the automotive sector with an inverter with no need for a prior disassembly and rebuilding process. Furthermore, this research presents a programming and hardware methodology for the development of the embedded systems focused on second-life electric vehicle Li-ion batteries. One second-life battery pack coming from a Nissan® Leaf and aged under real driving conditions was integrated into a residential microgrid serving as an energy storage system (ESS).
Open Access
A comprehensive model for lithium-ion batteries: from the physical principles to an electrical model
(Elsevier, 2018) Berrueta Irigoyen, Alberto; Urtasun Erburu, Andoni; Ursúa Rubio, Alfredo; Sanchis Gúrpide, Pablo; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa eta Elektronikoa; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica; Gobierno de Navarra / Nafarroako Gobernua, PI038 INTEGRA-RENOVABLES
The growing interest in e-mobility and the increasing installation of renewable energy-based systems are leading to rapid improvements in lithium-ion batteries. In this context, battery manufacturers and engineers require advanced models in order to study battery performance accurately. A number of Li-ion battery models are based on the representation of physical phenomena by electrochemical equations. Although providing detailed physics-based information, these models cannot take into account all the phenomena for a whole battery, given the high complexity of the equations. Other models are based on equivalent circuits and are easier to design and use. However, they fail to relate these circuit parameters to physical properties. In order to take the best of both modeling techniques, we propose an equivalent circuit model which keeps a straight correlation between its parameters and the battery electrochemical principles. Consequently, this model has the required simplicity to be used in the simulation of a whole battery, while providing the depth of detail needed to identify physical phenomena. Moreover, due to its high accuracy, it can be used in a wide range of environments, as shown in the experimental validations carried out in the final section of this paper.
Open Access
Critical comparison of energy management algorithms for lithium-ion batteries in renewable power plants
(IEEE, 2019) Berrueta Irigoyen, Alberto; Soto Cabria, Adrián; García Solano, Miguel; Parra Laita, Íñigo de la; Sanchis Gúrpide, Pablo; Ursúa Rubio, Alfredo; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoaren eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritzaren; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
Lithium-ion batteries are gaining importance for a variety of applications due to their price decrease and characteristics improvement. A good energy management strategy is required in order to increase the profitability of an energy system using a Li-ion battery for storage. The vast number of management algorithms that has been proposed to optimize the achieved profit, with diverse computational power requirements and using models with different complexity, raise doubts about the suitability of an algorithm and the required computation power for a particular application. The performance of three energy management algorithms based on linear, quadratic, and dynamic programming are compared in this work. A realistic scenario of a medium-sized PV plant with a constraint of peak shaving is used for this comparison. The results achieved by the three algorithms are compared and the grounds of the differences are analyzed. Among the three compared algorithms, the quadratic one seems to be the most suitable for renewableenergy applications, given the undue simplification of the battery aging required by the linear algorithm and the discretization and computational power required by a dynamic algorithm.
Open Access
Experimental assessment of first- and second-life electric vehicle batteries: performance, capacity dispersion, and aging
(IEEE, 2021) Braco Sola, Elisa; San Martín Biurrun, Idoia; Berrueta Irigoyen, Alberto; Sanchis Gúrpide, Pablo; Ursúa Rubio, Alfredo; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoaren eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritzaren; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa; Gobierno de Navarra / Nafarroako Gobernua
Nowadays, the reuse of electric vehicle batteries is considered to be a feasible alternative to recycling, as it allows them to benefit from their remaining energy capacity and to enlarge their lifetime. Stationary applications, such as self-consumption or off-grid systems support, are examples of second-life (SL) uses for retired batteries. However, reused modules that compose these batteries have heterogeneous properties, which limit their performance. This article aims to assess the influence of degradation in modules from electric vehicles, covering three main aspects: performance, capacity dispersion, and extended SL behavior. First, a complete characterization of new and reused modules is carried out, considering three temperatures and three discharge rates. In the second stage, intra- and intermodule capacity dispersions are evaluated with new and reused samples. Finally, the behavior during SL is also analyzed, through an accelerated cycling test so that the evolution of capacity and dispersion are assessed. Experimental results show that the performance of reused modules is especially undermined at low temperatures and high current rates, as well as in advanced stages of aging. The intramodule dispersion is found to be similar in reused and new samples, while the intermodule differences are nearly four times greater in SL.
Open Access
Inertial response and inertia emulation in DFIG and PMSG wind turbines: emulating inertia from a supercapacitor-based energy storage system
(IEEE, 2021) Sacristán Sillero, Javier; Goñi, Naiara; Berrueta Irigoyen, Alberto; López Taberna, Jesús; Rodríguez Rabadan, José Luis; Ursúa Rubio, Alfredo; Sanchis Gúrpide, Pablo; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoaren eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritzaren; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
The increasing wind power penetration in electrical power systems results in a reduction of operative conventional power plants. These plants include synchronous generators directly connected to the grid. Facing a change in grid frequency, these generators inherently respond by varying their stored kinetic energy and their output power, which contributes to grid stability. Such a response is known as inertial response. Wind turbines (WTs) are mostly based on Doubly-Fed Induction Generator (DFIG) or Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generator (PMSG) machines. Their power electronics interface decouples the electromechanical behaviour of the generator from the power grid, making their inertial response null or insignificant. Therefore, in order not to weaken the frequency response of the power system, WTs must be able to react to frequency variations by changing their output power, i.e., emulating an inertial response. Common techniques for inertia emulation in WTs rely on pitch control and stored kinetic energy variation. This contribution proposes a strategy (applicable for both DFIG and PMSG) which uses the energy stored in a supercapacitor connected to the back-to-back converter DC link to emulate the inertial response. Its performance is compared by simulation with aforementioned common techniques, showing ability to remove certain limitations.
Open Access
Influence of renewable power fluctuations on the lifetime prediction of lithium-ion batteries in a microgrid environment
(IEEE, 2019) Soto Cabria, Adrián; Berrueta Irigoyen, Alberto; Sanchis Gúrpide, Pablo; Ursúa Rubio, Alfredo; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoaren eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritzaren; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación; Gobierno de Navarra / Nafarroako Gobernua
This contribution analyses lifetime estimation errors due to the effect of power fluctuations in lithium-ion batteries connected to microgrids when different time steps are used for the calculations. Usually, not every second data are available or the computational cost is excessively high. Those facts result in the use of larger time steps. However, the increase of the time steps may turn out in too optimistic predictions. Data from a real microgrid make it possible to optimize calculation times while keeping low errors. The results show that when 1 minute time step is set, the computation time is reduced by 14.4 times while the lifetime overstatement is only 3.5-5.2% higher, depending on the aging model.
Open Access
New design alternatives for a hybrid photovoltaic and doubly-fed induction wind plant to augment grid penetration of renewable energy
(IEEE, 2021) Goñi, Naiara; Sacristán Sillero, Javier; Berrueta Irigoyen, Alberto; Rodríguez Rabadan, José Luis; Ursúa Rubio, Alfredo; Sanchis Gúrpide, Pablo; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoaren eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritzaren; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
Reducing carbon emissions is essential to stop climate change. The grid-share of renewable generation plants is increasing, being wind and photovoltaic plants the most common ones, whereas conventional plants are the only ones that provide the necessary services to maintain the grid stability and keep the generation-demand balance. However, with the aim of achieving carbon-neutral generation, conventional plants are being dismantled. This leads to the imminent need of providing these services with renewable plants. Due to this challenge, this proposal analyses a hybrid plant composed by wind and photovoltaic generation with two types of storage, lithium-ion batteries and a thermal storage system based on volcanic stones. In order to compare both strategies, a technoeconomic methodology is explained that allows to optimally size the plant, using the current prices of each technology. The most cost-competitive proposal turns to be the hybrid plant with thermal storage, composed by 623.9 MW installed power and 21.9 GWh of storage, which could replace a 100 MW, 24/7 conventional power plant, with an LCOHS (levelized cost of hybrid system) of 118.38 €/MWh, providing identical grid services and an equivalent inertia in a way committed with the environment. This is in turn a zero-carbon emissions solution perfectly matched to a second life plan for a conventional power plant.