For a large order for the production of 30 battery storage systems, the Dutch power grid experts at Alfen were looking for a supplier for a custom system consisting of a transformer and sinusoidal filter. They found it at the Reinhausen subsidiary Hans von Mangoldt.
A supplier of “green electricity” planned to equip its battery park with 30 additional battery storage units in 2020 and was looking for a manufacturer for this job that could offer a system already proven on the market. It was intended to be used across Europe at festivals, large events or markets.
The order went to Alfen, a Dutch company that offers a wide range of products and services concerning intelligent power grids, including substations, energy accumulator systems and charging stations for electric cars. Business Unit Director Andreas Plenk, responsible for storage systems at Alfen, says, “We were very proud that this order was given to us and that we could make a further contribution to environmental protection in this way.”
Custom transformer and sinusoidal filter
The customer’s wish list was as follows: Each of the mobile storage systems should guarantee a capacity of 338 kWh based on a BMW i3 battery. In addition, standard power connections should enable a simple plug-and-play integration at temporary project sites and and remote locations. And, with a charging power of 400 amps, it must be able to to run for one hour at double power of 800 amps.
“Our suppliers also have to deliver top quality in large quantities.” Andreas Plenk is Business Unit Director at Alfen and is responsible for the battery projects.
For this purpose, Alfen needed to start by equipping its own system, “The Battery”, with a transformer in order to achieve galvanic isolation between the input, the energy-accumulator inverter and the output. Plenk adds, “We needed a supplier to deliver a custom system consisting of special transformers and sinusoidal filters according to these specifications on a defined layout.” The Dutch found their match with the Reinhausen subsidiary Hans von Mangoldt in Aachen.
Future system modules
“While price is always the deciding factor in the delivery of technically defined components, we also look very closely at the delivered quality, which for us particularly includes the supplier’s process quality. The supplier must be capable not only of supplying the initial prototypes, but also consistently high quality in series production,” explains Alfen manager Plenk, adding, “Equally important in such a project is a partner who is creative and always thinks a step ahead. We must work together if we want to win over customers in the long term.”
Plenk believes that the future will involve delivering finished system modules. “That is the next step we will take with suppliers, assuming quantities continue to increase going forward.” Plenk considers Mangoldt to be very well positioned for this.
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Michael Esser, Sales Engineer
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