News & Events

With funding from Hydro One Networks Inc., Ryerson is investing $7 million over four years in the development and research of a large energy-storage battery system to facilitate future energy management, an investment that will simultaneously provide a research laboratory for the university's Centre for Urban Energy (CUE).  

Similar types of battery systems provide energy storage for today's communications satellites and moon probes and CUE is at the forefront of research to determine how they can be best implemented to meet the energy challenges that urban cities will face in the near future. 

At a recent CUE ceremony celebrating student researchers, Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Science Dean Mohamed Lachemi underscored the importance of energy for city building: "We all know the importance of energy. It is the lifeblood of any city.  It fuels businesses and industry, keeps public transit running, and keeps the light and screens on in millions of homes. But today, cities around the world face major challenges in meeting their energy needs in reliable and sustainable ways." CUE's research into energy storage will help cities meet reliability challenges.

Professor Dewei (David) Xu is CUE principal investigator for two projects funded by Hydro One Networks Inc.: "System Integration of Large Scale Energy Storage System Using Lithium Batteries", and "Electrical Impact on Transformer Station Components Due to Energy Storage."

Modern electric power systems are now investing in the integration of more energy from renewable sources such as wind and solar power.  Storage systems, including lithium-ion batteries, have a vital role to play, because renewable energy sources provide intermittent and variable power due to their dependence on weather factors.  Xu, working with CUE Academic Director Bala Venkatesh, will investigate lithium battery systems with high-efficiency power converters, with a view to providing reliable and uninterrupted energy supply for smooth distribution and consumption, while reducing energy costs. Xu will work with Venkatesh and Bob Singh to investigate energy storage impact on transformer stations.
 
Lithium batteries vary in size and shape from the size of a flat loaf of bread to a large-storage capacity battery the size of a household washer or dryer which can hold several megawatt hours of energy.  Ensuring the lithium battery's ability to safely store energy during non-peak times and distribute it as needed during peak load periods is the focus of the CUE research project.  According to Xu, the research challenge is "when and how to control energy storage, how to distribute storage capacity throughout the system in smaller concentrations rather than investing in very expensive central energy storage systems like most often exist today, and how to ensure aged power lines do not overheat as peak loads dramatically rise into the future."

The research project will also examine where to locate storage capacity on the distribution system, either closer to the source of energy or the source of consumption, as well as how best to integrate storage technologies with existing electrical transformer stations. 

As the city of Toronto continues to grow, Ryerson's CUE researchers will be working with the province and the private sector to solve the urban energy challenges presented by increased population density and electricity demand.  One solution may be a household storage battery similar to the one currently being researched in the CUE's new lab facilities on Dalhousie Street.