Utility Scale Lithium-ion

Battery Energy Storage System

DESIGN DOCUMENT

Sddec24-18

Client Burns & McDonnell

Advisor Zhaoyu Wang

Team Members

Oksana Grudanov - Team Leader/ Cable Sizing & Cable Schedule

James Mendenhall - Document Report/ One-line diagram

Sarah Ebert - Organizer & Editor/ One-line diagram

Cole Dustin - Point of Contact/ AutoCAD site layout design

Team Website: [Link]

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 Executive Summary
Developed Standards & Practices Used
The engineering standards that apply to this project are:
❖ NFPA, National Electric Code Article 310 C0nductors for General Wiring
❖ NFPA 855 Standard for the Installation of Stationary Energy Storage Systems
❖ UL 9540A Test Method
❖ NFPA, National Electric Code Article 311 Medium Voltage Conductors and Cables
❖ NFPA, National Electric Code Article 300 General Requirements for Wiring Methods and
Material

Summary of Requirements
The requirements for our design include:
❖ Follow the National Electric Code for all electrical installations
❖ Deliver 25 MW of power for 4 hours (100 MWh)
❖ 10% overbuild at BOL (beginning of life) to account for battery capacity loss over time

Applicable Courses from Iowa State University Curriculum

Many Iowa State classes have prepared us to tackle this project. However, a few pertain directly to this
project. These include:

❖ EE 456 Power Systems Analysis I

❖ EE 457 Power Systems Analysis II
❖ EE 303 Energy Systems and Power Electronics

New Skills Acquired

New skills acquired during this project that were not included in the Iowa State curriculum include:

❖ AutoCAD
❖ Conductor sizing knowledge
❖ Understanding how to use the NFPA National Electric Code (NEC)

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Table of Contents
Developed Standards & Practices Used 2
Summary of Requirements 2
Applicable Courses from Iowa State University Curriculum 2
New Skills Acquired 2
Table of Contents 3
List of Figures 5
Definitions and Abbreviations Used 5
1. Introduction 6
1.1. Problem Statement 6
1.2. Project Overview 6
1.3. Intended Users 6
2. Requirements, Constraints, and Standards 8
2.1. Requirements & Constraints 8
2.2. Engineering Standards 8
3. Project Plan 10
3.1. Project Management/Tracking Procedure 10
3.2. Task Decomposition 10
3.3. Project Proposed Milestone, Metrics, and Evaluation Criteria 11
3.4. Project Timeline 11
3.5. Risks and Risk Management/Mitigation 12
3.6. Personnel Effort Requirements 13
4. Design 15
4.1. Design Context 15
4.1.1. Broader Context 15
4.1.2. Prior Work and Similar Projects 15
4.1.3. Technical Complexity 16
4.2. Design Exploration 16
4.2.1. Design Decisions 16
4.2.2. Ideation 17
4.2.3 Decision-Making and Trade-Off 17
4.3 Proposed Design 18
4.3.1 Overview 18
4.3.2 Detailed Design 19

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 4.3.3 Functionality 20
4.3.4 Areas of Concern and Development 20
4.4 Technology Considerations 20
4.5 Design Analysis 21
5. Testing 22
5.1. Unit Testing 22
5.2 Interface Testing 22
5.3 Integration Testing 22
5.4 System Testing 22
5.5 Regression Testing 22
5.6 Acceptance Testing 22
5. 7 Results 22
6. Implementation 23
7. Professional Responsibility 23
7.1. Areas of Responsibility 23
7.2. Project Specific Professional Responsibility Areas 23
7.3. Most Applicable Professional Responsibility Area 24
8. Closing Material 25
8.1. Discussion 25
8.2. Conclusion 25
8.3. References 25
8.4. Appendices 26
9. Team 31
9.1. Team Members 31
9.2. Required Skill Sets for Your Project 31
9.3. Skill Set Covered by the Team 31
9.4. Project Management Style Adopted by the Team 31
9.5. Initial Project Management Roles 31
9.6 Team Contract 32

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List of Figures
Figure 1: Gantt Chart

Figure 2: Lotus Blossom

Figure 3: High Level Block Diagram

Figure 4: One-line drawing

Definitions and Abbreviations Used

BESS: Battery energy storage system.

BOL: Beginning of life

NEC: National Electric Code

KCMil: Thousand circular

NFPA: National Fire Protection Association

PCS: Power conversion system

CLF: Current limiting fuse

EXF: Explosion fuse

MPT: Main power transformer

ETAP: Electrical Transient Analyzer Program

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1. Introduction

1.1. PROBLEM STATEMENT

Our project attempts to solve one of the primary problems associated with transitioning to
renewable energies. The generation of power from renewable sources is variable and is not able to match
fluctuating demand. In other words, peak windy or sunny hours are not consistent with when consumers
use the most energy. The utility-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS) that we are designing
address this problem by allowing excess energy to be stored during peak production times and then
released during times of high demand.

1.2. PROJECT OVERVIEW

Our project is to design a BESS that will be constructed in the Ames area. It will be located near
the Ames substation and support wind and solar energy use. With the implementation of our project, the
local utility landscape will be able to rely more on renewable energy and less on fossil fuels.

Utility Scale Lithium-ion Battery Energy Storage Systems take excess energy from renewable
energies or conventional power plants to charge up the large lithium-ion batteries. Our client has specified
that we will design a 25 MW, 4 hr system.

The system will have a 30-year life cycle and two augmentations throughout its lifetime. It will
have a 10% overbuild at BOL. This means that at the beginning of its life it will exceed the power ratings,
so it will still meet requirements at the end of its life. We need to account for this because the capacity of
lithium-ion batteries naturally decreases throughout their lifetime due to their internal chemistry. We will
be designing this system on a 15-acre plot of land in Ames, Iowa. However, this system could be
implemented anywhere in the country by changing the rating of the transformer that connects it to the
electric grid.

1.3. INTENDED USERS

The intended users of our project are the residents of Ames, Iowa, the construction and
maintenance teams, and the local utility’s engineers. Each of these three groups will interact with our
BESS differently, have a variety of needs, and will benefit from it in different ways.

The people of Ames will interact with our project only by using electricity. This group includes
college students, middle-class residents, homeowners, and business owners. They need to be able to work
and live undisrupted by power outages. Many are also concerned about the environmental impact and
need to have environmentally friendly options available. However, the primary concern of this group with
respect to our project is financial, meaning they don’t want their utility bills to increase. This group will
benefit from this project because it will save them money on their utility bills in the long run. Additionally,

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those with environmental concerns will benefit from knowing that more electricity comes from renewable
sources.

The construction and maintenance teams will interact with our project during the building phase
and throughout its lifespan for upkeep. This group includes blue-collar workers and site supervisors. They
need to work in a safe environment and complete the project and maintenance in a timely manner. To
satisfy these needs, we will provide a detailed and complete site layout diagram. It should include accurate
measurements that comply with NEC (National Electric Code) standards. This group will benefit from our
project because it will provide them the opportunity to work on a well-organized, safe, and efficient
construction project.

The local utility will interact with our project through the distribution substation that we are
connecting to, and mainly consists of electrical and civil engineers. This group needs to monitor the loads
on each of the substation’s feeders and the load from our BESS. Connecting our system may also require
additional equipment, such as cables and breakers, to be installed in the substation. This will require a
detailed one-line diagram of our site with equipment sizes and ratings. The local utility will benefit from
our BESS because they will be able to monitor the power it is generating and drawing easily.

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2. Requirements, Constraints, and Standards

2.1. REQUIREMENTS & CONSTRAINTS

Functional Requirements:

❖ Design a battery energy storage system (BESS) capable of generating 25 MW of power.

❖ Design the BESS deliver energy for four hours continuously.
❖ BESS must deliver 100 MWhs of energy.
❖ The BESS must have a 10% BOL to compensate for battery degradation.

Resource Requirements:
❖ The site may only use 20 acres of land.
❖ The land must be flat.
❖ The location of the site must have ambient temperatures between -30°C ~ +55°C.

Constraints:
❖ The largest cable size available is aluminum 1000 KCMil.
❖ The cables must be rated for 40°C.
❖ The power factor at the inverter must be 0.95.
❖ The construction layout must have roads with a 25-foot turn radius around the equipment.

2.2. ENGINEERING STANDARDS

NFPA, NEC Article 300 General Requirements for Wiring Methods and Material
This code covers general requirement for wiring methods and materials for wiring installation. This
provided guidelines used in creating our cable schedule document.

NFPA 70, NEC Article 310 Conductors for General Wiring

This code provides general requirements for conductors rated up to 2000 volts and their type
designations, insulations, markings, mechanical strengths, ampacity ratings, and use. We used this when
selecting the cable sizes and types in the low voltage parts of our system.

NFPA, NEC Article 311 Medium Voltage Conductors and Cables

This code covers the use, installation, construction specifications, and ampacities for voltage conductors
and cables rated from 2 kV up to 35 kV. We used this standard when selecting cables for the medium
voltage parts of our system.

NFPA 855 Standard for the Installation of Stationary Energy Storage Systems
This standard defines the design, construction, installation, commissioning, operation, maintenance, and
decommissioning of stationary energy storage systems. This was used in the development of our site
layout to ensure that the design met safety requirements.

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UL 9540A Test Method
This method is used to determine the fire and explosion protection required for the installation of a BESS.
Large batteries carry high risks of thermal runaway leading to dangerous fires and explosions. We used
the test method outlined in this code to ensure our design meets fire safety standards.

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3. Project Plan
3.1. PROJECT MANAGEMENT/TRACKING PROCEDURE
We have adopted a waterfall management style for our BESS design. A waterfall management
style involves detailed upfront planning and sequential phases. This is suitable for our project because
there are a lot of regulations and requirements in this industry. We determined the system capacity and
site location in our first planning phase. We needed to know this before completing any of the following
tasks.
We have been keeping track of our team’s projects on Microsoft Teams. This is an easy way for us
to share documents with our industry advisors, whom we have been working very closely with. It is also
their preferred platform for our weekly video calls.

3.2. TASK DECOMPOSITION

Our project follows very clearly defined sequential steps.
1. Establish the system’s capacity and location.
a. Our clients already knew the capacity they wanted and the general location.
b. Decide on a specific location near Ames and adjacent to a distribution substation for easy
interconnection.
2. Determine specifications for the main equipment.
a. Examine documentation on various lithium-ion battery containers and power conversion
systems (PCS).
b. Complete calculations to determine how many containers and inverters we will need
based on the values in the spec sheets of our chosen equipment.
3. Draw our site layout on AutoCAD.
a. Download and learn AutoCAD basics since no one on the team had used it prior.
b. Use the dimensions and quantities of the equipment determined in the last step.
c. Closely adhere to NEC construction codes.
4. Create a one-line diagram of our system.
a. Complete relevant calculations to design the auxiliary power system and determine the
rating of main power transformer.
b. Follow industry standards and reference the training materials provided by our industry
advisors.
5. Complete string sizing calculations.
a. Reference completed one-line diagram for voltage levels and currents at different points
in the system.
b. Find appropriate cable sizes.
c. Review NFPA NEC Code 2020 for various articles and tables.

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 6. Learn how to use the software required to model our system
a. ETAP (Electrical Transient Analyzer Program) is an industry standard software used to
model electrical systems under various conditions. It will allow us to test the reliability
and safety of our design without a physical system.
b. Enter the equipment ratings, line impedances, and load profiles to build our system in
ETAP.
7. Complete load flow and short circuit analysis using ETAP.
a. Conduct load flow analysis to determine the electrical system's steady-state voltage and
power flow. This helps ensure that the system operates within acceptable voltage and
power limits under normal operating conditions.
b. Perform short circuit analysis to assess the system's response to fault conditions. This
involves calculating fault currents and determining the magnitude and duration of short-
circuit events to ensure that protective devices can operate effectively and safely.
8. Compile all our work in one report.
a. We will add to this as we complete each step.
b. This completed report should give the reader a full understanding of both how our system
works and our team’s design process.

3.3. PROJECT PROPOSED MILESTONE, METRICS, AND EVALUATION CRITERIA

The key milestones for our project align closely with the completion of the previously identified
tasks. The evaluation criteria for all our steps are approval from our industry partners. They are familiar
with the standards and regulations related to our project and, therefore, can easily determine if our
project is up to standards. When we finish a task, we present the results to our client in our weekly
meeting. They will either approve of our work or give us specific feedback for improvement. We then
make changes as directed and present them at the following week’s meeting.

3.4. PROJECT TIMELINE

The Gantt chart below is a detailed schedule of our project. It only covers the spring ’24 semester
tasks. We will determine the timeline of next semester’s tasks after discussing them more in-death with
our industry partners.

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 Figure 1: Gantt Chart

The first two tasks identified correspond step one and two detailed in section 3.2. We spent the
most of our first week together familiarizing ourselves with energy storage systems. After meeting with
our industry partners and signing an NDA, we were able to start discussing the specifics of the project,
including finding a potential site location. This involved reaching out to engineers at the local utility.
While we waited for a response from the local utility, we began comparing different manufacturers’
battery containers and power conversion systems, as these are the most crucial pieces of equipment in our
system. After we decide on a battery container and PCS, we spent about three weeks creating a site layout.
We needed the dimensions and installation standards for the equipment to create this.

We determine we needed about four weeks to complete our one-line diagram. This involved initial
calculations, a hand drawn rough draft, and a final draft created in AutoCAD. Once we had the rough draft
completed, we were able to start on the cable schedule. This also took about 4 weeks. The final three tasks
in our timeline involve compiling our work with technical documentation.

3.5. RISKS AND RISK MANAGEMENT/MITIGATION

Task Risk Risk Mitigation Strategy
# Factor
1 The local utility company may not 0 Connect with the faculty advisor
cooperate with us fully, making it and or client to gain connections to
difficult to find information about someone who can give us an idea of
interconnecting to the grid and the what we will be working with for the
nearby substation. substation voltage.
2 The manufacturers might have 0.75 Work with our client to get access to
incomplete documentation. multiple spec sheets.
3 The drawing might not fully meet NEC 0.2 Receive feedback from our client
standards. and reference the NEC code.

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 4 The documentation for our one-line 0.5 Have our clients review our work at
could be incomplete. many steps throughout the process.
5 The calculations may be inaccurate 0.7 Discuss standard cables in this type
because we make incorrect assumptions of system with our client.
about our system.
6 We may have trouble accessing and 0.3 Work with our client to ensure we
using the software on campus. can complete the analysis even if we
have access problems.
7 The analyses may reveal severe 0.3 Pay close attention to potential
weaknesses in our system. problems in our initial design.
8 The report could be disjointed because 0.6 Assign one group member to be the
many people are working on it separately document proofreader. They will
at different times. make sure the writing flows in all
reports before submitting.

3.6. PERSONNEL EFFORT REQUIREMENTS

A detailed estimate has been conducted relating to tasks completed for this project. Below is how much
time has been delegated to each of those tasks.
Task Man-Hours Explanation
# Required
1 5 hours Site Location
The system capacity and site location were discussed during the
first two of our weekly client meetings. We also emailed an
engineer at the local utility company.
2 20 hours Equipment Selection
We spent several meetings discussing this as a group before
deciding on our equipment. Individually, two group members
spent about 3 hours comparing spec sheets.
3 12 hours AutoCAD familiarization
This time involves time familiarizing ourselves with AutoCAD, a
tool we have never used before. It also involved reading NEC
construction standards and building the layout in AutoCAD.
4 30 hours One-line diagram creation
For this task, we completed training from our client on how to
draw one-line diagrams and do relevant calculations. We drew
several rough drafts and received feedback from our clients in our

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 weekly meeting after each iteration. Then, we made a final draft in
AutoCAD. Finally, we added notes and a key to the AutoCAD draft
and completed technical documentation to justify the values and
drawing.
5 20 hours Cable Sizing and Cable Schedule
To complete the cable sizing and cable schedule, we will review
industry standards. Then we will do calculations based on our one-
line to determine the load on each part of the system. After
deciding on the cable size for each part of the BESS, we will write a
detailed report explaining and justifying our decisions.
6 8 hours ETAP Familiarization
Each member of our group will need to be familiar with this
software, so we will work with our clients to get adequate training
to run the required simulations.
7 30 hours ETAP Design
We will need to build our BESS in the software and run the
required analyses. Based on those results, we will complete a
report highlighting our system’s limitations and fault conditions.
8 30 hours Final Report
We will work on our final report as we complete each task.

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4. Design

4.1. DESIGN CONTEXT

4.1.1. Broader Context
We are designing a battery energy storage system to be implemented in Ames, Iowa. This section
discusses the context of implementing a BESS in an any community in America. Our project addresses the
increasingly important need to support a transition to renewable energy. However, there are significant
public health and safety considerations, environmental considerations, and economic considerations and
some cultural and social considerations related to installing this large, expensive system.

Area Description Examples

Public health, Our project affects the safety of the There are electrical hazards,
safety, and construction and maintenance teams that chemical hazards, and physical
welfare work on it. hazards associated with the building
and operation of this system.
Global, cultural, Our project’s goals reflect the values of the Many people in the community value
and social community that it provides energy to. having reliable and clean energy
sources.
Environmental Our project has both positive and negative The BESS decreases demand for
environmental impacts because of the energy from non-renewable sources.
materials used and its impact on the energy The mining of certain materials used
grid. in lithium-ion batteries has negative
environmental effects.
Economic Our project has a high initial cost due to Consumers of electricity in the
expensive materials. community do not want to pay
higher utility bills.

4.1.2. Prior Work and Similar Projects

Before beginning the design process, we conducted background research into current
technologies, resource constraints, and risks associated with integration into the distribution network. We
referenced a paper in the Journal of Energy Storage from 2021, which provided us with an understanding
of different battery technologies, various applications, and the main issues these systems have [1]. This
was essential for us to understand how our system related to these considerations.

Energy storage systems include utility-scale systems and residential systems. Almost all of them
use lithium-ion batteries because they have high energy density. The market for utility-scale battery
energy storage systems is currently growing very rapidly. This is due to decreasing costs of lithium-ion

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batteries and the growth of solar and wind energy generation [1]. Our system, at 25 MW, is on the smaller
side of utility scale systems, some of which are as large as 500 MW.

There is demand for our system because there are no battery energy storage systems in Ames, and
the city would benefit from its ability to store excess wind energy. The city of Ames uses 36MW of power
from a wind farm near Zearing, Iowa [2]. While there are no similar systems in Ames, MidAmerican
current operates a small, 1 MW BESS in Knoxville, Iowa [3]. There is another similar 20 MW BESS in
norther Illinois operated by Blattner Energy [4]. Our client, Burns and McDonnell, designed several
battery energy storage facilities in west Texas, for a total capacity of 60 MW [5].

4.1.3. Technical Complexity

Our design consists of several components and subsystems. The subsystems include the batteries,
inverters, cables, auxiliary power system, transformers, and system protection. The design deliverables for
our project included a site layout, one-line diagram, and cable schedule. Choosing the equipment for our
system required utilizing engineering principles to ensure they functioned optimally together. Making the
site layout also utilized engineering principles because of the many safety codes it needed to follow.
Creating the one-line diagram and cable schedule utilized significant use of scientific and mathematical
principles because they required detailed calculations to obtain accurate sizing, ratings, and power in
different parts of the system.

Our problem scope matches current industry standards. The 25 MW size is similar to other
systems, such as the Blattner project in Illinois, mentioned in the previous section [4]. All of the operating
BESSs discussed are also designed to deliver power for four hours.

4.2. DESIGN EXPLORATION

4.2.1. Design Decisions
One major design decision that we made was the battery manufacturer and model. We chose a
battery from BYD that has around 4700 kWh of energy and pairs well with the inverter we had chosen.
We found that the 0.25 C-rate (4 hr charge/discharge) version of the battery worked best with the
specifications we were given. C-rate is a measure of how fast a battery charges and discharges.

Using the specification sheet of the battery and the inverters, we decided we would need 22
batteries to meet our minimum energy needs. We rounded up to 24 so all inverters would have the same
number of batteries, power, and energy output. Having an even number of batteries and inverters makes
the design process more straightforward, as instructed by our client.

Another major design decision was the type of transformers we used for the system. There are two
ways to cool transformers: liquid-based and air-based. Depending on what type we chose, we would need
different fuses to follow safety guidelines. We ended up with a liquid-based transformer for our auxiliary
power. While this type is far better at cooling the air-based transformer, it has many safety and

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environmental concerns. The oil would be detrimental to the environment if it were to leak, so we need to
have a trough to catch any leaking oil. We also must be aware of the unlikely situation of the transformer's
oil getting too hot and catching fire.

This means we will need two types of fuses to protect the downstream equipment: a current limiting
fuse (CLF) and an expulsion fuse (EXF). The names of the fuses describe what they do. A current-limiting
fuse will limit the current and open the circuit if the current exceeds the rated levels. The expulsion fuse is
high-speed and will almost instantly explode when the requirements, such as lightning strikes, are met to
protect from surges.

4.2.2. Ideation
When deciding on the technology we would use, we had to balance several of the pros and cons of
the different manufacturers and types of batteries. We used a lotus blossom to figure out what was
essential to the project and decided accordingly, a seen in figure 2. The manufacturers that we considered
were BYD, Hithium, and LG. To compare these options, we used a spreadsheet to see the relevant
specifications side-by-side. Each manufacturer also had several different models that we had to compare.
The BYD models consisted of a 0.5 C battery container and a 0.25 C battery container. After considering
all the specifications and discussing with our client, we decided on the BYD battery rated at 0.25 C.

Figure 2: Lotus blossom used to determine the type of battery and inverter.

4.2.3 Decision-Making and Trade-Off

When deciding the type of battery and inverter, we used several methods to narrow the choices. First,
several inverters and batteries would not go together because the battery's output voltage was not within

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the range of the inverters' input voltage. After eliminating many of the possible configurations because
they are incompatible, we looked at the number of batteries it would take to reach the 100 MWh
threshold. We eliminated several battery types due to needing well over 50 batteries. We decided on the
four to six MWh range for the batteries; this led us to the BYD batteries, which all fell within this range.
After we found the specific battery we wanted, it was a matter of balancing power and energy for each
inverter.

4.3 PROPOSED DESIGN

4.3.1 Overview
Burns and McDonnell asked us to design a 25 MW/100 MWh battery energy storage system that
will perform in a moderate climate. It needs to be 10% overbuilt to account for the degradation of the
system over its 30-year life. It must also be upgrade-ready to account for the two augmentations it will
sustain in its life.

The system will include three subsections: the inverters, the batteries, and the auxiliary power.
The main power transformer and the substation are located offsite at a nearby substation. The batteries
can convert electrical energy into chemical energy and back to electrical energy when needed. The
batteries operate in direct current (DC), but the grid operates in alternating current (AC). This difference
in current is why the inverters are necessary. Moving energy from the batteries to the electric grid will
change the direct current into alternating current. The last subsection is the auxiliary power, where all the
monitoring equipment is located. Auxiliary power also provides power to the cooling systems of the
batteries and the inverters.

For power to be at the correct voltage when entering or leaving our BESS, we need a transformer
to take the grid voltage (138 kV) and lower it to the voltage we are using (34.5 kV). To accomplish this, we
need a main power transformer (MPT) in the interconnecting substation. The high-level block diagram
below (figure 3) shows how all of these systems are connected. It also shows how our system
interconnects to the distribution grid.

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 Figure 3: High-level block diagram of the battery storage system

4.3.2 Detailed Design

One of the most essential parts of designing a battery energy storage system is the electrical
connections between components. This concept is illustrated with a one-line diagram. The one-line
diagram includes every connection, from the substation to the main power transformer, the inverters, the
batteries, and the auxiliary power. It also reveals important information, such as the transformers'
substation voltage and voltage ratios.

Figure 4 shows the interconnection of the major equipment that will be used to design the BESS.
The purpose of this diagram is to depict an overview of where each component will connect and the
substation. This image will depict a three-phase cable as one cable for simplicity.

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 Figure 4: One-line drawing

4.3.3 Functionality
This system is intended to reduce the energy demand from power plants during peak demand. This is
achieved by charging the batteries when energy demand is low, which could be during the night or hours
before the hottest time of the day in summer. The system will then discharge when demand is highest,
such as 2 p.m. in the middle of August when air conditioning systems run as hard as possible.

What this accomplishes is more consistent energy prices throughout the day. When the grid's energy
storage is high enough, it can reduce the need for additional power plants whose power only needs a
couple of days throughout the year when demand is highest.

4.3.4 Areas of Concern and Development

Since we work very closely with Burns and McDonnell and meet weekly, we do not stray far from the
intended design. If the Burns and McDonnell team comes across a problem with our actions, they will
explain what we are doing wrong and guide us in the correct direction. We still have ample freedom in
how we complete the project. if there are multiple ways of doing something, we have the freedom to
choose as adheres to standards.

4.4 TECHNOLOGY CONSIDERATIONS

We are using relatively modern technologies that are rising in popularity, such as large lithium-
ion battery containers and DC-to-AC inverters. These two technologies go together very well. They have
many advantages and disadvantages compared to not storing energy. One advantage is the need for

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smaller fossil fuel plants because of their ability to store energy during low demand and discharge the
batteries when the demand peaks. Another advantage is smoothing the cost of energy throughout the day.
The last significant advantage is allowing renewable energy to become available even when it is dark or
there is no wind.

Some disadvantages include having a significant portion of the energy cost devoted to energy
storage instead of focusing purely on production. Having an energy storage system raises the cost of
energy due to imperfect efficiency and maintenance. Another disadvantage is that lithium-ion batteries
degrade in capacity relatively quickly. This makes the project more expensive through overbuilding at
BOL and augmentations throughout its life.

4.5 DESIGN ANALYSIS

Since we started working with Burns and McDonnell on the battery energy storage system, we have
completed many steps of the process. We have decided on the system's size and location. We found that a
BESS of this size would fit well in Ames. We then found a location in south Ames close to a substation
with some unoccupied land.

After finding a location, we needed to determine what components we would use. We were given a
list of possible batteries and inverters that Burns and McDonnell have used in the past. We found the
batteries and inverters that worked well and gave our justifications to the team at Burns and McDonnell,
and they agreed with our reasoning. Once we know what components we will use, we need to draw them
in AutoCAD. We used a version of AutoCAD that allows us to overlay our site on top of maps to see what
this will look like at our location.

The next thing we worked on was the one-line drawing. The one-line helps everyone who looks at
the system understand what we're working on. Comparing our progress to an example one-line of a
similar system showed us what we were missing and what we could improve upon. One of the last major
parts of the design part is the cable schedule. The cable schedule describes the parameters of every cable,
including the size, length, how many cables we need, and the maximum temperature of the cable.

Finally, we will test the system we designed under various conditions. We will use a simulation
software that will tell us whether we have correctly sized each component of the BESS. It will also help us
find ways to increase our system's safety and efficiency and ensure compliance with safety regulations.

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5. Testing
Next semester, we will be using ETAP software to test our design. We will be conducting load flow
and short circuit analysis. This will help us verify our design decisions such as cable sizing, inverters, and
batteries.

5.1. UNIT TESTING

Our client wants our testing to begin starting next semester. We will be using ETAP software to do
the testing, which we cannot access yet. We will be running tests on our BESS with ETAP to determine
how the system will operate when contingencies are in place such as a fault.

5.2 INTERFACE TESTING

The interface we will be using is ETAP software to complete short circuit analysis to test our
design under hypothetical loads. Electrical Transient Analyzer Program (ETAP) is a software engineers
use to model and simulate electrical systems.

5.3 INTEGRATION TESTING

The critical integration path would be to prove that our cables, batteries, and inverters do not fail
during a 4-hour 25MW discharge load. All of our cables and circuit analysis will be tested during this
phase.

5.4 SYSTEM TESTING

All of the system testing will take place using ETAP software which will take place next semester.
This feedback will be critical in verifying that we made the correct decisions for cable sizes, inverters, and
batteries. This will also ensure that our calculations are correct.

5.5 REGRESSION TESTING

Our system is modular. This will allow us to expand the scope and scale of this project. This would
expand the power output capacity for this project.

5.6 ACCEPTANCE TESTING

We will use ETAP software to complete short-circuit testing. However, our client does not want to
begin this part of the project until next semester.

5. 7 RESULTS
Our results will be verified during the fall semester when we receive access to the testing software
from our client.

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6. Implementation
For the implementation of our project our final deliverables are about 30% of the necessary
documents to implement our design. Next semester, we intend to test our design with specific software.
The software is called ETAP and will be useful for short-circuit and load flow design analysis.

7. Professional Responsibility

7.1. AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

For our project, we will follow the IEEE code of ethics. The seven professional responsibilities are
work competence, financial responsibility, communication honesty, health, safety and well-being,
property ownership, sustainability, and social responsibility.

7.2. PROJECT SPECIFIC PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY AREAS

Area of Responsibility Professional Context Team Performance

Work Competence Our team has been working to provide a High

solution to inconsistencies in renewable
energy generation. With this project, we
are contributing to making the world a
cleaner place while our need for energy
grows

Financial Responsibility We have not been considering the Low

financial implications of our design as
directed by our industry partners.

Communication and Create the best product we can without High

Honesty taking shortcuts. Being open about how
the team came to conclusions

Health, Safety and Well- Follow all safety and fire codes closely. High
being Adhere to our client’s specifications.

Property Ownership We signed an NDA before beginning High

work and are respecting that

Sustainability Our project uses large lithium-ion Medium

batteries, which have significant
environmental impacts. It also decreases
the need for fossil fuels.

Social Responsibility It benefits the Ames community by High

making the energy landscape more
sustainable

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7.3. MOST APPLICABLE PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY AREA
The most applicable section to our project is sustainability. Improving the sustainability and
reliability of the energy grid is the primary reason for building battery energy storage systems. Every
aspect of the system has an environmental impact. It is crucial that we keep this in mind in every design
decision we make, from the location of our site to the equipment we select.

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8. Closing Material

8.1. DISCUSSION
The main results from the project consisted of successfully creating a single line with every little
detail listed for easy identification. We implemented a single-line diagram, listing values for the main
power transformer, fuses, panels, and the battery and inverters. Another result that has been met is to
create a cable schedule listing conductor sizes, cable lengths, how many conductors per phase, the
quantities of wires, and raceway lengths. With these two components, we have implemented a design for
our BESS and prepared us for the final stages of designing in ETAP and short circuit analysis for next
semester.

8.2. CONCLUSION
To implement the design of our BESS, we did research, calculations and learned how to operate a
new software for this project. Our goals this semester were to establish the system’s capacity and location,
determine specifications for the main equipment, draw our site layout on AutoCAD, create a one-line
diagram of our system, and complete string sizing calculations. Next semester our goals are to learn how
to use the software required to model our system, complete load flows, and short circuit analysis, and
finally compile all our work in one report.

The best strategy we found to achieve these goals was to work sequentially and consult our
industry advisors frequently. To improve our design in the future, we could do more independent
background research.

8.3. REFERENCES
[1] M. A. Hannan et al., “Battery energy-storage system: A review of technologies, optimization
objectives, constraints, approaches, and outstanding issues,” Journal of Energy Storage, vol. 42,
no. 103023, p. 103023, Oct. 2021, doi: [Link]

[2] “Renewable Energy | City of Ames, IA,” [Link].

[Link]

[3] “Battery Storage,” [Link]. [Link]

storage (accessed Apr. 28, 2024).

[4] “Northern IL Energy Storage Project,” [Link].

[Link]
project#:~:text=The%2020%2Dmegawatt%20battery%20energy (accessed Apr. 27, 2024).

[5] B. & McDonnell, “Case Study | Texas Trio Battery Energy Storage Facilities Address Grid Stability
in West Texas Wind Resource Area,” [Link]. [Link]
study/texas-trio-battery-energy-storage-facilities-address-grid-stability-in-west-texas-wind-
resource-area (accessed Apr. 27, 2024).

25
[6] National Fire Protection Association, “Article 310”, National Electric Code, NFPA, 2020, pp. 164.
Table 310.16.
[7] National Fire Protection Association, “Article 311”, National Electric Code, NFPA, 2020, pp. 180.
Table 311.60(C)(86).
[8] National Fire Protection Association, “Article 310”, National Electric Code, NFPA, 2020, pp. 162.
Table 310.15(B)(1).
[9] National Fire Protection Association, “Article 300”, National Electric Code, NFPA, 2020, pp. 146.
Table 300.5.
[10] National Fire Protection Association, “Article 300”, National Electric Code, NFPA, 2020, pp. 153.
Table 300.50.

8.4. APPENDICES
Site Layout:

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One-line diagram:

27
Conductor Sizing:

28
Battery Calculations

29
Cable Schedule

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9. Team

9.1. TEAM MEMBERS

Oksana Grudanov– Team Leader; Sizing conductors and creating a cable schedule

Sarah Ebert– Team Organizer; One-line diagram research

James Mendenhall – Documentation Leader; Technical documentation for the project and the status
report updates; responsible for the final draft of one-line created in AutoCAD

Cole Dustin - Point of Contact; Responsible for site layout in AutoCAD

9.2. REQUIRED SKILL SETS FOR YOUR PROJECT

❖ AutoCAD
❖ One-line Diagram Analysis
❖ Cable Sizing
❖ Communication
❖ Ability to Implement NEC Code

9.3. SKILL SET COVERED BY THE TEAM

James Mendenhall - AutoCAD, One-line Diagram Analysis, Cable Sizing, Communication

Cole Dustin- AutoCAD, Cable Sizing, Communication, Ability to Implement NEC Code

Sarah Ebert- AutoCAD, One-line Diagram Analysis, Cable Sizing, Communication

Oksana Grudanov- AutoCAD, One-line Diagram Analysis, Cable Sizing, Communication, Ability to
Implement NEC Code

9.4. PROJECT MANAGEMENT STYLE ADOPTED BY THE TEAM

Our management style amongst our team was a round-table approach. We took feedback from
our client and worked together to create and update our solution.

9.5. INITIAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT ROLES

Weekly Meeting Times: Thursdays at 2:00 pm in SIC

Meeting with faculty and industry point of contact: Mondays at 3:00 pm via Teams

Additional meeting times as necessary: Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings

Communication: Day-to-day: Text and email

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Meeting virtually: Microsoft Teams

Decision-making policy: We will come to a consensus on issues. If we have differing opinions, we will
work out a compromise that includes everyone’s ideas.

Record keeping: Cole will keep track of what we did in the weekly meetings and record our goals for
what to complete before the next meeting in a single Google doc. We will all be able to edit this document
and record notes from work we do outside of the weekly meeting. We will reference this document to help
keep track of our goals and what each group member is contributing.

9.6 TEAM CONTRACT

Team Members: Sarah Ebert, James Mendenhall, Cole Dustin, Oksana Grudanov

Team Procedures
Weekly Meeting Times: Thursdays at 2:00 pm in the library

Meeting with faculty and industry point of contact: Mondays at 3:00 pm via Teams

Additional meeting times as necessary: Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings

Communication: Day-to-day: Text and email

Meeting virtually: Microsoft Teams

Decision-making policy: We will come to a consensus on issues. If we have differing opinions, we will
work out a compromise that includes everyone’s ideas.

Record keeping: Cole will keep track of what we did in the weekly meetings and record our goals for
what to complete before the next meeting in a single Google doc. We will all be able to edit this document
and record notes from work we do outside of the weekly meeting. We will reference this document to help
keep track of our goals and what each group member is contributing.

Participation Expectations

Attendance: Everyone is expected to attend all weekly meetings and meetings with industry point of
contact. Each team member should make it a priority to keep this time available and work on tasks for our
project during the meeting (not doing other coursework).

If you are unable to attend a meeting, give a couple of hours' notice to team members (via text).

Deadlines: Our team’s schedule will allow some flexibility with the exact date we meet our goals.
Communication with the group via text is expected if a team member is unable to meet a deadline on our
timeline.

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Communication: Before submitting any work, group members should notify the team for approval.
Members should keep track of work they do outside of team meetings in the shared team meeting
document. This will ensure that everyone is aware of other team members' progress.

Leadership

James: (Document Reporter) Technical Documentation for the project and status report updates

Oksana: (Leader) Keeping the team on track and making sure we stick to a timeline we create

Cole: (Point of Contact/ Communicator) Sending emails, scheduling meetings, Record Keeping

Sarah: (Organizer, editing, and submitting) Organizing documents, editing final drafts, making
things look presentable

Strategies for effective teamwork

We will try to work as a team as much as possible and not break the project up into tasks that we complete
individually. In meetings, we will make sure that all team members have the opportunity to voice their
opinions. In order to recognize the contributions of all team members, we will keep detailed records of our
individual and team progress.

Collaboration and Inclusion

James: I will always respond to others in a timely manner and make sure everyone is heard. I will be as
flexible as possible with others and their time constraints.

Oksana: I have taken power classes and have an understanding of the basic concepts needed to succeed
in this project. I will respond to everyone in a timely manner and make an effort to be inclusive to
everyone.

Cole: I have experience working in teams on multiple types of projects in different environments. I like to
learn new things, so I am excited to take what I have learned at Iowa State and apply it to this project.

Sarah: I have experience doing research with lithium-ion batteries, so I have a good understanding of
their chemistry and operation. I am very detail-oriented and organized.

To support and encourage ideas from all team members, we will make sure every group member has the
opportunity to voice their opinions/ideas/concerns by including everyone in every conversation. We will
also rotate who is presenting/leading meetings every week.

If collaboration/inclusion issues arise, we will encourage team members to voice their concerns during
team meetings.

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 Goal Setting

Team goals: This semester, we will select appropriate equipment (battery, inverter, cables, etc.),
complete a one-line diagram, and do the site layout. Next semester, we will complete load flow/short
circuit/arc flash studies and consider construction logistics.

Keeping on task: We will create a detailed timeline with dates and goals (minor tasks and major
deadlines) to keep on task. Oksana will hold us accountable for this and update the dates/goals as needed.
Cole will be responsible for being the point of contact between the company and setting up meetings.

Assigning individual and teamwork: To decide who will work on different tasks, we will discuss the
responsibilities with our point of contact. The work will be divided up based on our roles and availability.

Consequences for not adhering to the contract

We will be lenient for occasional infractions. We understand that this course will not always be the top
priority.

For repeated offenses, problems will be discussed as a team. If behavior does not improve in a timely
manner, the course instructor will be notified. We will communicate with the entire team before any
actions are taken.

************************************************************************************************

a) I participated in formulating the standards, roles, and procedures as stated in this contract.

b) I understand that I am obligated to abide by these terms and conditions.

c) I understand that if I do not abide by these terms and conditions, I will suffer the

consequences as stated in this contract.

1) Oksana Grudanov DATE: 16 Apr 2024

2) Sarah Ebert DATE: 16 Apr 2024

3) Cole J Dustin DATE: 16 Apr 2024

4) James Mendenhall DATE: 16 Apr 2024

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35