Method and a device for balancing electric consumption

• US 10,374,425 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2018
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roberto Quadrini
• Original Assignee: Roberto Quadrini
• Inventors: Quadrini, Roberto
• Primary Examiner(s): Kasenge, Charles R
• Application Number:
  US15/937,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20180219375A1
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/041 in which a variable is automatically adjusted to optimise the performance
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2203/20 Simulating, e g planning, reliability check, modelling or computer assisted design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/24 Arrangements for preventing or reducing oscillations of power in networks by control effected upon a single generator H02P9/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

A method for balancing electric consumption generated by a plurality of electric loads includes: estimating an absorbed energy (E_k) by the loads in a predetermined time interval, and if a value of the estimation of absorbed energy by the loads is not within an interval defined by a minimum and a maximum consumption threshold, calculating a quantity of energy to be varied in accordance with a difference between the value of the estimation of the absorbed energy and an expected value of energy, determining a strategy comprising at least an action to be carried out to vary the energy supplied to the single loads, with an aim of reducing the difference between the estimated absorbed energy and the expected value thereof, actuating a scheduling of electric consumption in accordance with a determined strategy.

Claims

1. A method for balancing electric consumption generated by a plurality of electric loads, the method comprising following steps:

estimating an absorbed energy (E_k) by the loads in a predetermined time interval, and

if a value of the estimation of absorbed energy (E_k) by the loads is not within an interval defined by a minimum (THR_k,min) and a maximum (THR_k,max) consumption threshold,

calculating a quantity of energy to be varied in accordance with a difference (Δ

_h) between the value of the estimation of the absorbed energy (E_k) and an expected value of energy (THR_k,exp),

determining a strategy comprising at least an action (Vr_i) to be carried out to vary the energy supplied to the single loads, in order to reduce the difference (Δ

_h) between the estimated absorbed energy (E_k) and the expected value (THR_k,exp) thereof, and

actuating a scheduling of electric consumption in accordance with a determined strategy,

wherein the step of determining the variation strategy of the energy supplied to the loads comprises a step of determining available variations (Vr_i) of energy which can be supplied to the loads, and

wherein the variations (Vr_i) of the energy supplied to the loads are made by selecting the loads to be varied so as to minimize an impact on the perceived comfort based on a following criterion;

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the available variations (Vr_i) of energy which can be supplied to the loads are ordered in a decreasing order with respect to the absolute value of variation and in an increasing order in accordance with an impact that the variations (Vr_i) have on perceived comfort.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the variations (Vr_i,j) selected internally of each temporal interval j, satisfy following constraints:

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a verification step is included of the effects of a scheduling of electric consumption and, in a case where the verification has a negative outcome,

a step of determining a new energy variation strategy of the energy supplied to the single loads.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the verification step of the effects of a scheduling of electric consumption comprises calculating a difference between the effects of the scheduling in action and a theoretical forecast of the effects, where the verification has a negative outcome if the difference is greater than a margin of tolerance.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a step of estimating the absorbed energy (E_ID,k) by each single load is included, and if the value of the estimation of the absorbed energy (E_ID,k) from each single load is not within a range defined by a minimum threshold (LoadTHR_ID,k,min) and a maximum threshold (LoadTHR_ID,k,max) of consumption for each load, a step is included of determining a strategy comprising at least an action to be performed so as to vary the energy supplied to the single load which does not respect the minimum threshold (LoadTHR_ID,k,min) or maximum threshold (LoadTHR_ID,k,max) of consumption.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium for carrying out the method of claim 1.

8. A control apparatus comprising a control unit, a memory and the non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 stored in the memory.

9. A device for balancing electric consumption generated by a plurality of electric loads, the device comprising:

means for estimating an absorbed energy (E_k) by the loads in a predetermined time interval,

means for comparing the absorbed energy (E_k) by the loads with a minimum threshold (THR_k,min) and a maximum load (THR_k,max) of consumption,

means for calculating a quantity of energy to be varied in accordance with a difference (Δ

_h) between the value of the estimation of the absorbed energy (E_k) and an expected value of energy (THR_k,exp),

means for determining a strategy comprising at least an action (Vr_i) to be carried out to vary the energy supplied to the single loads, with an aim of reducing the difference (Δ

_h) between the estimated absorbed energy (E_k) and the expected value (THR_k,exp) thereof, and

means for actuating a scheduling of electric consumption in accordance with a determined strategy, wherein the means for determining the variation strategy of the energy supplied to the loads are configured to determine available variations (Vr_i) of energy which can be supplied to the loads, and

wherein the variations (Vr_i) of the energy supplied to the loads are made by selecting the loads to be varied so as to minimize an impact on the perceived comfort based on a following criterion;

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the device comprises a power sub-system (45) able to operate on the distribution of the energy to the electric loads located downstream of a distribution point of the electric energy.