Raytheon Corp. studying ways to store electricity generated by wind farm

Driving a tanker truck laden with fuel can be a dangerous job. Driving the same truck through a war zone can be deadly. Truck drivers delivering fuel to the frontlines of battle in Afghanistan and Iraq have been shot at, kidnapped and killed. So Raytheon Corp., led by a team at its Portsmouth facility, wants to reduce the need for tankers to trek hundreds of miles through perilous turf.
The defense contractor is developing technology to store electricity generated by wind turbines, solar panels and other renewable energy systems. Storing the electricity would allow the military to rely on renewable energy systems even when the wind fails to blow or the sun does not shine. Ultimately, the systems could displace the need for diesel-fired generators and the fuel the military must deliver to power them.
But the storage systems will likely find their start far from the battlefield. Raytheon engineers are looking to the wind farm industry as a sort of sandbox to experiment with the technology. In Rhode Island, the company’s Integrated Defense Systems division wants to study mechanisms to store electricity from a wind farm proposed off Block Island.
John Finkenaur, a senior program manager, said the proposed farm appealed to engineers for two primary reasons. First, Raytheon keeps many of its employees focused on power systems at its Portsmouth facility, which works closely with a facility in Tewksbury, Mass., where Finkenaur works.
Second, the wind farm proposed by Providence-based Deepwater Wind would connect to Block Island. Without a power connection to the mainland, the island relies on pricey diesel generators, leading to some of the highest electricity rates in the nation. But to take advantage of potentially cheaper electricity from a wind farm, the island needs to find a way to store the energy for when the wind does not blow. (Deepwater Wind has also discussed connecting the island to the mainland electric grid via an underwater cable.)
Last year Raytheon asked the Rhode Island Renewable Energy Fund to finance a study of how to store power from a Deepwater Wind farm. Much more than a battery, the system would need technological intelligence to handle fluctuating electricity generation and demand. Finkenaur said engineers submitted the application after meeting state and local officials at energy-related forums.
“They [the engineers] saw an area where we could help and said, ‘Well, let’s see if they want our help,’ ” Finkenaur said. Last week the R.I. Economic Development Corporation, which administers the energy fund financed by a surcharge on electric bills, rejected the request.
Despite not getting the financing, Finkenaur said Raytheon would continue to pursue research in the field after identifying it as a strategic opportunity, well-suited for the military.
The Rocky Mountain Institute – a Colorado-based think tank that studies energy issues – said that attacks on fuel convoys between Oct. 1, 2006 and Sept. 30, 2007 killed 132 U.S. Army soldiers.
The fuel also hits the bottom line. The institute estimated that for every $10 increase in the cost of a barrel of oil, the military spends an additional $1.3 billion a year. One-fifth of all the oil purchased by the U.S. Department of Defense each year heads to bases in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Elsewhere, military installations have made reducing reliance on fossil fuels part of their missions. And remote radar stations need a way to stay powered.
The technology could even spill over to the consumer market with homeowners incorporating it into renewable energy systems and carmakers looking to use it in eclectic vehicles.
“There’s a play for other markets and other customer demand out there,” Finkenaur said.
There’s also a chance for Rhode Island businesses to play a role. Finkenaur said Raytheon has reached out to local companies that specialize in designing or manufacturing power systems and related components. The company has also requested money from the EDC to work with small Rhode Island businesses to develop the technology.
“This is something that could spur a lot of different industries and a lot of involvement with a lot of different companies,” Finkenaur said. “It’s not necessarily going to be one player.”
University of Rhode Island chemistry professor Brett Lucht said Rhode Island could play a sizable role in developing energy-storage technology. The Block Island wind farm provides a good testing ground. And the combination of the wind farm and Raytheon’s initiatives could put the state’s companies at the forefront of the market, said Lucht, who studies battery technology.
“If you’re on the leading edge of making it and manufacturing and knowing how the thing ticks … you’re an early adopter, so you’re in an advantageous situation,” he said. •