In 2023, Rimac Technology launched Rimac Energy, applying its considerable experience in battery and electric vehicle technology to the rapidly developing stationary energy storage market. Its first flagship product, SineStack, was developed as a highly integrated Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), combining battery storage, power conversion and intelligent control within a remarkably compact package.
As part of the development programme, Rimac approached Amcanu with an ambitious and highly stylised concept for the prototype BESS enclosure. Amcanu’s challenge was to translate the functional requirements behind that concept into a practical fabricated enclosure – bringing together structural engineering, battery installation, cooling, servicing and manufacture within a single design.
One of the most significant challenges was simply the scale of the battery system. The individual battery modules are heavy on their own, and each needed to be front-loaded into the enclosure, requiring Amcanu to design and manufacture a substantial internal racking structure capable of supporting them safely and accurately.
At the same time, the enclosure itself had to cope with the exceptional weight of the complete system. A finished Rimac SineStack weighs less than 8,250kg, with a footprint of just 2,150×1,420mm.
Although the normal installation sequence would see the BESS enclosure positioned before being populated with batteries, Amcanu engineered the structure to withstand the possibility of the complete BESS needing to be moved at its full operating weight.
Finite Element Analysis (FEA) was used to assess the enclosure structure at a load exceeding 8,000kg. Forklift pockets were incorporated into the base to provide a practical means of handling the unit. The result was an enclosure and internal racking system designed around enormous static loads and the realities of manufacturing, installation and potential future handling.
This was a really enjoyable project. There was a lot going on with the weight of the batteries, the racking and the cooling, so it provided some good engineering problems to get stuck into. It took a fair bit of thought to get everything working together, but I was really pleased to see the finished Rimac unit come together.
Thermal management presented a very different design challenge. Air conditioning equipment needed to be integrated into the top of the enclosure while remaining readily accessible for inspection and servicing.
Amcanu incorporated the air conditioning equipment into the enclosure structure and designed a hinged perforated access panel – providing the necessary ventilation and maintenance access while keeping the cooling system neatly contained within the overall form of the BESS enclosure.
The completed prototype brought Rimac Energy’s technology together within a robust, manufacturable enclosure, incorporating Amcanu-designed battery racking, structural engineering, handling provisions and integrated access to the cooling system.
Rimac Energy has since taken SineStack to market as a complete, fully integrated commercial and industrial battery energy storage system. In 2024, the first SineStack was commissioned and announced as ready for deployment in the UK, with Rimac now looking to scale production and deployment across Europe.
Amcanu are very proud to have supported Rimac Energy with enclosure design and BESS enclosure manufacture during the product development of its SineStack battery energy storage system.
If you’re developing a battery energy storage system and are looking for an enclosure that performs and looks smart – we’re ready to help!
