Controls reliability comes from independent peer-reviews & multi-layer testing
While large scale battery energy storage systems (BESS) are new additions to the national electric grid, creation of their control systems requires the same rigor in development and testing as their fossil fuel or nuclear-based predecessors. BESS projects will serve the electricity grid with frequency and voltage regulation, transmission congestion relief, blackout prevention, stabilization, peak shifting, and energy capacity, filling in for intermittency of other sources, therefore they are critical infrastructure and must be treated as such.
In the words of Larry Kane, Vice President of Engineering and Projects at IHI Terrasun:
“I've been in the energy industry for 24 years. My nuclear power plant experience really helps me understand how large power plants in the renewable space should connect to the grid today. Standards and procedures we used for quality assurance of nuclear plant operation, ensuring that they provide safe and reliable energy, is the same approach required now for renewables and BESS in particular.”
To ensure that the IHI Terrasun controller is robust and reliable, our software development team has adopted an independent second-peer review verification method based on standard processes in the nuclear power industry. In a second-peer review structure, one software developer is designated as the preparer and a second, independent developer is designated as the reviewer of the completed work. The reviewer creates their own software testing design based on requirements, and not their peer’s design. This creates a layer of independent verification that produces a high level of redundancy in our software development, ensuring that the power plant software works properly and safely.
In addition to software-based testing, IHI Terrasun utilizes the Typhoon HIL (Hardware in the Loop) simulation environment to test battery and inverter control boards, running real equipment firmware, in conjunction with actual plant control hardware that will be integrated into the BESS solution. This simulation testing ensures that the operational parameters specified in the technical documentation align with observed hardware performance. In addition, the Typhoon HIL system is used to validate communication interfaces and can run thousands of automated tests across the complete set of battery or inverter fault conditions, especially those that may not be possible to test on live hardware.
These layers of testing and validation of power plant software and hardware operation are part IHI Terrasun’s SAFEtm (Simulation Acceptance and Fault Emulation) program, which was put in place to ensure operational compliance and reliability for our integrated energy storage projects.
No discussion of robust software testing would be complete without a deep dive into the Quality Assurance (QA) process. Systemic testing and validation are the base of our integral software QA program. Automated QA testing offers immense value for software development by providing a systematic and efficient approach to ensuring product quality. By automating repetitive and time-consuming testing tasks, our QA team accelerates the testing process, resulting in faster feedback loops and shorter release cycles. This process speeds up delivery and improves overall product quality by detecting bugs and regressions early in the development cycle. Automated tests also offer consistent and reliable results, reducing the risk of human error and increasing the accuracy of testing efforts. Moreover, automated testing enables scalability, allowing teams to run tests across different environments and configurations effortlessly. It serves as a cornerstone for achieving higher levels of efficiency, reliability, and quality in our software development projects.
This strategy ensures that multiple layers of testing create a robust software platform that operates with the utmost efficiency, safety, and reliability. For any BESS developer or owner connecting a project to the national electric grid, it should be the minimum criteria.