System for optimizing electricity use from an electric grid and related method

• US 10,065,520 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2015
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Original Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: Zhang, Li, Jabbari, Faryar, Samuelsen, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Drew A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Robbins, Jerry D
• Application Number:
  US14/745,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20160009192A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,173 Days
• Field of Search: 320109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/64 Optimising energy costs, e.g. responding to electricity rates
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/005 dispensed for the electrical charging of vehicles electrical charging as such, B60L50/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A method of optimizing electricity use from an electric grid is disclosed. The method includes formulating a target load using a cost function for the electric grid, broadcasting a cost signal to the electric device based on the target load, receiving a charging profile from the electric device based on the cost signal, aggregating a demand profile for the electricity use based on the charging profile, determining an updated cost signal based on the demand profile, and broadcasting the updated cost signal to another electric device. The electric device is chargeable electric device, such as a plug-in electric vehicle (PEV). The electric device determines the charging profile only once based on the cost signal, and is charged at maximum power.

Claims

1. A system for optimizing electricity use from an electric grid, said system comprising:

a grid operator configured to formulate a target load using a cost function for said electric grid;

said grid operator configured to broadcast a cost signal to a first chargeable electric device based on said target load;

a server in said grid operator receiving a charging profile for charging said first chargeable electric device from said first chargeable electric device, said charging profile determined by said first chargeable electric device based on said cost signal, wherein said charging profile includes at most one partial time period during which charging stops partly through said one partial time period;

an aggregator in said grid operator aggregating a demand profile for said electricity use based on said charging profile;

said grid operator configured to determine an updated cost signal based on said demand profile;

said grid operator configured to broadcast said updated cost signal to a second chargeable electric device, but not to said first chargeable electric device;

said system further comprising a means for plugging said first chargeable electric device into said electric grid;

said grid operator further configured to control charging of said first chargeable electric device based on said charging profile.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising another means for plugging said second chargeable electric device into said electric grid.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said first chargeable electric device is a plug-in electric vehicle (PEV).

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said target load is configured by said grid operator to fill a primary electricity demand valley.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said target load is configured by said grid operator to fill a secondary electricity demand valley.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said target load is configured by said grid operator to reduce a ramp rate for said electric grid.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said first chargeable electric device determines said charging profile only once based on said cost signal.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said system is configured to charge said first chargeable electric device at a maximum charging rate.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said grid operator is configured to determine said updated cost signal at set time intervals.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said grid operator is configured to determine said updated cost signal for a set number of registered electric devices.

11. A method of optimizing electricity use from an electric grid, said method comprising:

formulating a target load using a cost function for said electric grid;

broadcasting a cost signal to a first chargeable electric device based on said target load;

receiving a charging profile for charging said first chargeable electric device from said first chargeable electric device, said charging profile determined by said first chargeable electric device based on said cost signal, wherein said charging profile includes at most one partial time period during which charging stops partly through said one partial time period;

aggregating a demand profile for said electricity use based on said charging profile;

determining an updated cost signal based on said demand profile;

broadcasting said updated cost signal to a second chargeable electric device but not to said first chargeable electric device;

controlling charging of said first chargeable electric device based on said charging profile.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising plugging in said first chargeable electric device to said electric grid prior to said formulating said target load.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said first chargeable electric device is a plug-in electric vehicle (PEV).

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said first chargeable electric device determines said charging profile only once based on said cost signal to avoid iterative communication between said first chargeable electric device and said grid operator.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising said target load filling a primary electricity demand valley.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising said target load filling a secondary electricity demand valley.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein said determining said updated cost signal is performed at set time intervals.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein said determining said updated cost signal is performed for a set number of registered electric devices.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein said target load is configured to reduce a ramp rate for said electric grid.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising charging said first chargeable electric device at a maximum charging rate.