Distributed hierarchical control architecture for integrating smart grid assets during normal and disrupted operations

• US 10,498,141 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2017
• Issued: 12/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
• Original Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
• Inventors: Kalsi, Karanjit, Fuller, Jason C., Somani, Abhishek, Pratt, Robert G., Chassin, David P., Hammerstrom, Donald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Masinick, Michael D
• Application Number:
  US15/693,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20180026445A1
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 5/00 Systems for regulating electric variables by detecting deviations in the electric input to the system and thereby controlling a device within the system to obtain a regulated output
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00017 using optical fiber
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/20 The dispersed energy generation being of renewable origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/008 involving trading of energy or energy transmission rights
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/06 Controlling transfer of power between connected networks; Controlling sharing of load between connected networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/16 by adjustment of reactive power
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/46 Controlling of the sharing of output between the generators, converters, or transformers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/70 Smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the energy generation sector
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/12 Monitoring or controlling equipment for energy generation units, e.g. distributed energy generation [DER] or load-side generation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/123 the energy generation units being or involving renewable energy sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/50 Systems or methods supporting the power network operation or management, involving a certain degree of interaction with the load-side end user applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

Disclosed herein are representative embodiments of methods, apparatus, and systems for facilitating operation and control of a resource distribution system (such as a power grid). Among the disclosed embodiments is a distributed hierarchical control architecture (DHCA) that enables smart grid assets to effectively contribute to grid operations in a controllable manner, while helping to ensure system stability and equitably rewarding their contribution. Embodiments of the disclosed architecture can help unify the dispatch of these resources to provide both market-based and balancing services.

Claims

1. A system for coordinating distribution of electricity according to a distributed hierarchical control architecture (DHCA), comprising:

one or more device-level transactive controllers at a device level of the DHCA;

one or more feeder-level transactive controllers at a feeder level of the DHCA;

one or more area-level transactive controllers at an area level of the DHCA; and

one or more system-level transactive controllers of the DHCA,

at least one of the device-level transactive controllers and at least one of the feeder-level transactive controllers being configured to communicate with one another,

at least one of the feeder-level transactive controllers and at least one of the area-level transactive controllers being configured to communicate with one another,

at least one of the area-level transactive controllers and at least one of the system-level transactive controllers being configured to communicate with one another,

wherein the device-level transactive controllers, feeder-level transactive controllers, area-level transactive controllers, and system-level transactive controllers are configured to participate in a real-time market for settling a price for electricity in one or more upcoming time intervals for the real-time market, and

wherein at least some of the device-level transactive controllers, feeder-level transactive controllers, area-level transactive controllers, and system-level transactive controllers are also configured to participate in a balancing market different than the real-time market, the balancing market being configured to maintain system stability during periods of imbalance in the system, reduce deviations in system frequency, and reduce deviations in inter-area power flow from a desired level.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the device-level transactive controllers operate at a faster frequency in the balancing market than in the real-time market.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the device-level transactive controllers participating in the balancing market are configured to control a controllable load or a controllable energy supply.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the device-level transactive controllers participating in the balancing market are configured to control discharging and charging of an electric battery.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the device-level transactive controllers participating in the balancing market are configured to provide balancing services by reacting autonomously to one or more of a frequency of the power system, voltage of the power system, a broadcast imbalance signal, current real-time market price, day-ahead price, or device conditions.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the device-level transactive controllers, feeder-level transactive controllers, area-level transactive controllers, and system-level transactive controllers are further configured to participate in a day-ahead market for settling a price for electricity for a following day.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the real-time market is configured to operate at a first time scale and the balancing market is configured to operate at a second time scale faster than the first time scale, wherein, for the first time scale, the upcoming time intervals for the real-time market occur every 5 to 15 minutes, and wherein the second time scale is less than 60 seconds.

8. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for causing one or more processing units, when programmed thereby, to perform operations to coordinate distribution of electricity according to a distributed hierarchical control architecture (DHCA), the operations comprising:

providing one or more device-level transactive controllers at a device level of the DHCA;

providing one or more feeder-level transactive controllers at a feeder level of the DHCA;

providing one or more area-level transactive controllers at an area level of the DHCA;

providing one or more system-level transactive controllers of the DHCA;

configuring at least one of the device-level transactive controllers and at least one of the feeder-level transactive controllers to communicate with one another;

configuring at least one of the feeder-level transactive controllers and at least one of the area-level transactive controllers to communicate with one another;

configuring at least one of the area-level transactive controllers and at least one of the system-level transactive controllers to communicate with one another;

configuring the device-level transactive controllers, feeder-level transactive controllers, area-level transactive controllers, and system-level transactive controllers to participate in a real-time market for settling a price for electricity in one or more upcoming time intervals for the real-time market; and

configuring at least some of the device-level transactive controllers, feeder-level transactive controllers, area-level transactive controllers, and system-level transactive controllers to participate in a balancing market different than the real-time market, the balancing market being configured to maintain system stability during periods of imbalance in the system, reduce deviations in system frequency, and reduce deviations in inter-area power flow from a desired level.

9. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein the device-level transactive controllers operate at a faster frequency in the balancing market than in the real-time market.

10. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein one or more of the device-level transactive controllers participating in the balancing market are configured to control a controllable load or a controllable energy supply.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein one or more of the device-level transactive controllers participating in the balancing market are configured to control discharging and charging of an electric battery.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein one or more of the device-level transactive controllers participating in the balancing market are configured to provide balancing services by reacting autonomously to one or more of a frequency of the power system, voltage of the power system, a broadcast imbalance signal, current real-time market price, day-ahead price, or device conditions.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein the device-level transactive controllers, feeder-level transactive controllers, area-level transactive controllers, and system-level transactive controllers are further configured to participate in a day-ahead market for settling a price for electricity for a following day.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein the real-time market is configured to operate at a first time scale and the balancing market is configured to operate at a second time scale faster than the first time scale, wherein, for the first time scale, the upcoming time intervals for the real-time market occur every 5 to 15 minutes, and wherein the second time scale is less than 60 seconds.

15. A method for coordinating distribution of electricity according to a distributed hierarchical control architecture (DHCA), the method comprising:

providing one or more device-level transactive controllers at a device level of the DHCA;

providing one or more feeder-level transactive controllers at a feeder level of the DHCA;

providing one or more area-level transactive controllers at an area level of the DHCA;

providing one or more system-level transactive controllers of the DHCA;

configuring at least one of the device-level transactive controllers and at least one of the feeder-level transactive controllers to communicate with one another;

configuring at least one of the feeder-level transactive controllers and at least one of the area-level transactive controllers to communicate with one another;

configuring at least one of the area-level transactive controllers and at least one of the system-level transactive controllers to communicate with one another;

configuring the device-level transactive controllers, feeder-level transactive controllers, area-level transactive controllers, and system-level transactive controllers to participate in a real-time market for settling a price for electricity in one or more upcoming time intervals for the real-time market; and

configuring at least some of the device-level transactive controllers, feeder-level transactive controllers, area-level transactive controllers, and system-level transactive controllers to participate in a balancing market different than the real-time market, the balancing market being configured to maintain system stability during periods of imbalance in the system, reduce deviations in system frequency, and reduce deviations in inter-area power flow from a desired level.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the device-level transactive controllers operate at a faster frequency in the balancing market than in the real-time market.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein one or more of the device-level transactive controllers participating in the balancing market are configured to control a controllable load or a controllable energy supply.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein one or more of the device-level transactive controllers participating in the balancing market are configured to control discharging and charging of an electric battery.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein one or more of the device-level transactive controllers participating in the balancing market are configured to provide balancing services by reacting autonomously to one or more of a frequency of the power system, voltage of the power system, a broadcast imbalance signal, current real-time market price, day-ahead price, or device conditions.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the device-level transactive controllers, feeder-level transactive controllers, area-level transactive controllers, and system-level transactive controllers are further configured to participate in a day-ahead market for settling a price for electricity for a following day.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the real-time market is configured to operate at a first time scale and the balancing market is configured to operate at a second time scale faster than the first time scale, wherein, for the first time scale, the upcoming time intervals for the real-time market occur every 5 to 15 minutes, and wherein the second time scale is less than 60 seconds.