06/23/2011
Oztek Corp. a leader in developing and manufacturing technologically advanced inverter, DC/DC, and motor drive controls, celebrates the operation of the world’s first 20-megawatt flywheel energy storage plant in Stephenstown, New York. Oztek is a strategic partner and exclusive supplier of power control electronics to Beacon Power Corporation, owner and operator of the plant. The facility, which provides grid-stabilizing commercial frequency regulation services to the New York State electricity grid, is currently operating at its full 20 MW capacity.
Oztek’s grid tie inverter and sensorless motor control technologies enable the transfer of power to and from the utility grid within Beacon’s Smart Energy Matrix. Dave Zendzian, Oztek CTO, said: “Oztek is extremely proud of its contributions to this milestone in sustainable, utility scale, frequency regulation services. Developing hardware and software solutions to control the 2,800-pound flywheels, as well as operating hundreds of power inverters in parallel, has provided no shortage of technical challenges. Due to the high power nature of the installation, many of the algorithms employed in the controllers needed to be designed using simulation coupled with design verification on smaller scale hardware platforms. As such, there are always risks and challenges when you attempt to bring up the full scale system. To see the system up and running at full capacity is very satisfying for all of us.
Since 1997, Oztek has been providing innovative power control solutions for use in Utility Grid Tie and Distributed Energy systems. They continue to develop and build technologically advanced controls for demanding applications that also include: Hybrid Vehicles, Fuel Cells and Traction Drives. Oztek’s unique advantage of resident multi disciplinary expertise enables them to develop unprecedented solutions for demanding power control applications such as Beacon’s Smart Energy Matrix.
