DEVELOPING A HYBRID BATTERY GENERATOR SYSTEM
In Colorado’s Denver-Julesburg (DJ) Basin, Occidental’s operations team faced the challenge of powering a remote oil production location without electric grid access and relied on a diesel generator to run operations. Due to varied equipment usage throughout the day, which created fluctuations in power demands, the generator operated continuously. This variability in load demand led to inefficiencies, which resulted in the generator frequently ramping up and down. To address concerns with operational inefficiencies and associated emissions, a hybrid battery-generator system was designed and successfully implemented. The facility now operates on battery power, which can effectively manage fluctuating demands, and a generator powers the battery with significantly less runtime required. Occidental’s operations team was able to downsize and upgrade to a more efficient model that uses Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) in addition to diesel, which has reduced diesel usage and corresponding emissions by 79% annually. The hybrid system operates efficiently with fewer runtime issues and is capable of charging during peak time or supplying energy based on peak demand charges. Furthermore, it functions as a surge protector, voltage regulator, and energy storage system, offering a wide range of applications.
