PS&C INTELLIGENT MICRO GRID IN AFGHANISTAN
March 26, 2011
In the summer of 2011, the 1 MW Intelligent Micro Grid was deployed to Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan to support a FOB. The United States Army Materials Systems Analysis Activity (AMSAA) performed a detailed study on the Intelligent Micro Grid in real time. Below are unedited findings by the AMSAA report:
Start of AMSSA Findings: ONE-MEGAWATT AFGHANISTAN MICROGRID PROJECT
1. Executive Summary
The Afghanistan Microgrid Project (AMP) One-Megawatt (1MW) Microgrid is a system of power generating components that actively matches supply capacity to the demanded load. The main goal of this system is to save fossil fuel consumption in austere environments. This report documents the data collection methods and analyzes critical metrics such as fuel consumption and generator operational hours. The baseline used for comparison is the existing thirteen 60kW Tactical Quiet Generators (TQG) that were already in place before the microgrid (MG) was installed.
2. Microgrid Analysis Results:
Start of AMSSA Findings: ONE-MEGAWATT AFGHANISTAN MICROGRID PROJECT
1. Executive Summary
The Afghanistan Microgrid Project (AMP) One-Megawatt (1MW) Microgrid is a system of power generating components that actively matches supply capacity to the demanded load. The main goal of this system is to save fossil fuel consumption in austere environments. This report documents the data collection methods and analyzes critical metrics such as fuel consumption and generator operational hours. The baseline used for comparison is the existing thirteen 60kW Tactical Quiet Generators (TQG) that were already in place before the microgrid (MG) was installed.
2. Microgrid Analysis Results:
- Insertion of the Microgrid with existing controls resulted in a 17% (7,344 gal) decrease in fuel consumption over the baseline during the test period (August 19, 2011 to November 5) at the test location, Bagram Airfield (BAF) Afghanistan.
- The Microgrid with existing controls reduced the amount of generator operational hours by 85% during the study period, which resulted in 67% lower maintenance costs.
- The Microgrid with existing controls improved the availability of power relative to Tactical Quiet Generator (TQG) operation from 97.9% to 100% during the study period.
- Simulations show the Microgrid with existing controls could be optimized and would have saved an additional 20% (8,644 gal) of fuel and 7% of operation hours' y reprogramming the generator controls
- Optimized Microgrid simulations show that the addition of 200kW of solar panels would have resulted in a 12% reduction in fuel relative to the optimized microgrid simulation over the test period
- Simulations show that the addition of energy storage when used to reduce the amount of spinning reserve would have saved only an additional 2% of fuel.
- Simulations of solar set-up (flat, inclined, single-axis tracing, dual-axis tracking) show minimal differences in total fuel consumption savings (+/- 3%).
- While the Microgrid generally made areas of the camp less noisy, the immediate area surrounding the Microgrid was subjected to noticeably loud intermittent generator operation instead of steady TQG operation
PS&C's advanced Intelligent Micro Grid is a proven, tested, and independently validated technology. Our PS&C Family is proud to bring this new technology to the forefront, showing our technical abilities and persistence in achieving excellence. PS&C looks forward to the future, and the new technologies that we will help create.
Learn more about Who We Are !