| The purpose of this thesis is to perform analysis on the Xcel Wind2Battery project system. The Xcel Wind2Battery system, located in Luverne, MN, is comprised of an 11.5 MW wind farm, coupled with a 1 MW sodium-sulfur battery. This is the first such installation of wind coupled to a sodium-sulfur battery in the United States.;The system analysis is accomplished in three primary ways. The first of these is to look at the actual data from the system and draw conclusions from the analysis of this data. The second method for system analysis arises from a sodium-sulfur battery model which was developed. Having an accurate sodium-sulfur battery model will allow researchers to see how the battery performs under various operating conditions without having to use the actual system.;The third method was to develop a website which other researchers can use to better perform data analysis on the system. The method of analyzing the system was developed by looking at the most significant parts affecting the overall efficiency of the system, including the mode of operation of the battery, heaters, transformers, and power electronics. Also, an investigation was done to determine if ambient weather effects significantly changed the system performance. |
