Prof. Helmut Weiss – IEEE-PEMC Brasov

Plenary Session Speakers

prof. Helmut Weiss

Prof. Helmut Weiss, Montanuniversitaet Leoben, Austria

Born in 1956 in Klagenfurt (Austria)

Education

1975 – 1982 Diploma Study of Electrical Engineering at Technical University of Graz, Austria, specialization in electrical machines and drives

1982 – 1988 PhD Study at Technical University of Graz, Austria, Institute of Electrical Energy Conversion, “Control Strategy and Power Electronics Circuit for the Energy Conversion System of a Locomotive with Voltage Source DC link at 15 kV – 16 2/3 Hz Grid”, PhD with distinction

Professional Work

1982 – 1988 Assistant at Institute of Electrical Energy Conversion at Technical University of Graz

1988 – 1995 Senior Scientist and Group Leader at SIEMENS AG, Erlangen, Germany, field of Power Electronics and Drives Development

1995 – 2022 Full Professor at Montanuniversitaet Leoben, Austria, head of institute of Electrical Engineering, lectures on basics of electrical engineering, measurement and control methodology, electrical drives, power electronics, electrical energy engineering with emphasis on high efficiency systems and renewable energy, large Lithium-ion battery systems and very high power applications, electrical heating

Industrial Projects with SIEMENS AG (excerpt):

Drive for brown coal motor shovel RBW 292 (Rheinbraun company, Cologne, Germany), peak power 3 x 2 MW, follow-up order RBW 293
Line rectifier control for Joint European Torus (JET), United Kingdom
System variants design for electric vehicles (cars)
Rotating system-tie converter Muldenstein for German Railways (GTO converter with peak power 18 MVA): laboratory model, control system, commissioning, on-site improvement, operation survey
Rotating system-tie converter Hamburg-Harburg for German Railways: (52.5 MW(peak) slipring induction machine drive for frequency-elastic operation of 16.7 Hz single-phase synchronous generator): System design

Industrial projects as professor at Montanuniversitaet Leoben, Austria, head of institute of Electrical Engineering (excerpt):

Rotating system-tie converter Hamburg-Harburg for German Railways: (52.5 MW(peak) slipring induction machine drive for frequency-elastic operation of 16.7 Hz single-phase synchronous generator): Control system design, control system implementation, commissioning of induction machine side, operation support
Re-installation of 18 MVA static system tie converter at Nuremberg for German Railways, system development and improvement, operation support
2 x 30 MW system tie converter Timelkam for Austrian Railways, support in order preparation, short circuit operation, commissioning, power and efficiency measurements, continuous operation measurement, final acceptance test
50 MW system tie converter Uttendorf for Austrian Railways, support in order preparation, short circuit operation, transient operation commissioning, power and efficiency measurements, continuous operation measurement, final acceptance test
System design, Lithium-ion battery re-use test and implementation, battery monitoring and balancer system design, commissioning of battery section, operation support for OeBB 1063.038 locomotive: 200 kWh Lithium-ion battery as add-on on existing shunt locomotive for extensive off-catenary shunting and traction application tests with up to 1600 tons trains
Lithium-ion battery destruction and fire effect handling testing at some locations for different fire brigades and several companies, fire brigade direct information on Lihium-ion battery fires, safety precautions for companies, detection and handling of battery fires
Fault condition detection at excitation coils for 3 MW generator,

Conference chairman at 9^th European Conference Power Electronics and Applications (EPE 2001) in Graz, Austria

About 200 publications as author or co-author at conferences and for journals and in internal restricted/confidential reports for companies.

Applications for Large Lithium-Ion Batteries Including Safety Issues and Precautions

Abstract

Over nearly three decades, Lithium-ion batteries are available for industrial and commercial applications. Now the industrial scale enters the Mega-Watt-hour range in one unit. Lithium-ion batteries are the standard for high power and high energy applications despite their inherent risk for a fast thermal run-away. However, industrial applications demand reasonable prices with corresponding manufacturing technologies under acceptance of a small risk by statistical measures. Absolute safety for a commercial product appears impossible, but getting “hit by statistics” creates big trouble and massive problems when encountering a fast thermal runaway with the own car or own application.

Large Lithium-ion battery systems with e.g. over 100 kWh in mobile or locally fixed applications are realized already. We see battery-operated electrical locomotives in off-catenary service, backed up by fuel cells also. Standard catenary-driven locomotives collect energy by the catenary and use it in off-catenary shunt service or passenger transport at unelectrified tracks. Huge mining vehicles with e.g. 100 tons payload are under design, smaller ones already in operation, being equipped with Lithium-ion batteries for energy recovery in braking. Such a design with general transport of payload down-hill can provide the energy for the next up-move without payload even over the power train efficiency. Some mining areas require transport up-hill. Here, a full-electrical design without diesel engine is feasible by installing a comparably short part of up-hill high power catenary. Horizontal movement und down-hill uses the on-board battery as source, or regenerative storage element, respectively. For any mobile operation, the Lithium-ion batteries will occupy considerable weight as well as volume which are limited within vehicles.

In fixed locations, Lithium-ion battery operated peak power plants appear not having any problem with weight and volume limitations. However, some problems have been seen already with such units.

In any industrial application, cost is also a decisive point. A balance has to be found with cost and risk. We have to pay attention both to the probability of such a fast thermal runaway and to the effect of damage caused by it. In order to reduce risk, we work on both sides. A reliable battery monitoring system is an absolute requirement already for small applications like notebooks and e-bikes. Larger Lithium-ion battery implementations are to be subdivided in separate units with fire walls in between, early fire detection circuits, special cooling and even fire extinguishers. For mobile operation, redundancy in battery power is the key for a successful design. Do our electrical cars have it?

On the effect of damage side, measures are taken to limit the fire to a small part of the whole system, avoid access of oxygen to this space, apply coolants, find ways to move the fire gases to the outside, maybe filter and thin them.

In order to provide the real feeling and an impression about a Lithium-ion battery fire for the conference attendees, it is planned to give a life example by overcharging a 2 kWh unit for starting a fast thermal runaway during the conference (with presence of fire brigade and other safety precautions).