Energy management system
First Claim
1. A control system for an energy-related system including at least a first energy consumer and a first energy producer, the control system comprising:
- a first agent in communication with the first energy consumer for the purpose of at least one of controlling and monitoring an operation of the first energy consumer;
a second agent in communication with the first energy producer for the purpose of at least one of controlling and monitoring an operation of the first energy producer; and
a network at least indirectly coupling the first and second agents and allowing for communication therebetween, wherein the first and second agents are capable of negotiating with one another to determine an amount of energy to be delivered from the first energy producer to the first energy consumer.
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Abstract
A control system for an energy-related system including at least a first energy consumer and a first energy producer, and related method, are disclosed. The control system includes a first agent in communication with the first energy consumer for the purpose of at least one of controlling and monitoring an operation of the first energy consumer, a second agent in communication with the first energy producer for the purpose of at least one of controlling and monitoring an operation of the first energy producer, and a network at least indirectly coupling the first and second agents and allowing for communication therebetween. The first and second agents are capable of negotiating with one another in order to determine an amount of energy to be delivered from the first energy producer to the first energy consumer.
285 Citations
60 Claims
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1. A control system for an energy-related system including at least a first energy consumer and a first energy producer, the control system comprising:
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a first agent in communication with the first energy consumer for the purpose of at least one of controlling and monitoring an operation of the first energy consumer;
a second agent in communication with the first energy producer for the purpose of at least one of controlling and monitoring an operation of the first energy producer; and
a network at least indirectly coupling the first and second agents and allowing for communication therebetween, wherein the first and second agents are capable of negotiating with one another to determine an amount of energy to be delivered from the first energy producer to the first energy consumer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A control system for an energy-related system including a plurality of system components including at least two of a first energy consumer, a second energy consumer, a first energy producer, a second energy producer, a first energy transporter, a second energy transporter, a first energy production enabler, a second energy production enabler, and an external energy source, the control system comprising:
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a first agent in communication with at least a first of the system components for the purpose of at least one of controlling and monitoring a first operation of the first system component;
a second agent in communication with at least a second of the system components for the purpose of at least one of controlling and monitoring a second operation of the second system component; and
a network at least indirectly coupling the first and second agents and allowing for communication therebetween, wherein the first and second agents are capable of communicating with one another to arrive at an agreed-upon interoperation of the first and second system components, the agreed-upon interoperation relating to at least one of consuming, distributing, generating and supporting generation of energy. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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31. A method of controlling operation of an energy-related system including at least a first energy consumer and a first energy producer, the method comprising:
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determining, at a first agent-based control device associated with the first energy consumer, that a need for energy exists at the first energy consumer;
generating at the first agent-based control device a first bid concerning the need;
sending the first bid from the first agent-based control device to a second agent-based control device associated with the first energy producer;
processing the first bid at the second agent-based control device to determine a first bid response;
sending the first bid response from the second agent-based control device to the first agent-based control device; and
if the first bid response is favorable, determining at the first agent-based control device whether to execute a plan based at least in part upon at least one of bid information in the first bid and bid response information in the first bid response, wherein execution of the plan results in at least a portion of the need being met. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A control device for implementation in conjunction with at least one component of an energy-related system, the energy-related system including at least one of a first energy consumer, a first energy producer, a first energy transporter, a first energy production enabler, and an external energy source, the control device comprising:
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a controller configured to operate as an agent, the controller including at least one memory device on which is stored generalized agent operational programming and application-specific agent programming, wherein the generalized agent operational programming is capable of constructing outbound messages intended to be sent to, and interpreting inbound messages received from, at least one other agent, whereby the controller operating as the agent is able to intercommunicate with the at least one other agent to negotiate a plan of operation concerning at least one of energy consumption, energy distribution, energy production, and support of energy production, and then execute the plan of operation. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40)
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41. A system for performing an energy-related process including at least one of consuming, distributing, producing and supporting the production of energy, and controlling the process, the system comprising:
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first components for performing the energy-related process including at least two of a first energy consumer, a second energy consumer, a first energy producer, a second energy producer, a first energy transporter, a second energy transporter, a first energy production enabler, a second energy production enabler, and an external energy source; and
second components for controlling the respective first components, wherein the second components include at least two agent-based controllers respectively in association with respective ones of the at least two first components, the at least two agent-based controllers being in communication with one another by way of a network, the at least two agent-based controllers being configured to negotiate with one another to arrive at plans to satisfy requirements of the first components. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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- 48. A control system for an energy-related system, the control system comprising a plurality of agent-based control elements respectively coupled to respective components of the energy-related system, the plurality of agent-based control elements being in communication with each other by way of at least one network.
Specification