Method and apparatus for control of an electric power distribution system in response to circuit abnormalities

• US 20050251296A1
• Filed: 04/08/2005
• Published: 11/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Eddie W. Brasher, Kenneth James Biallas, Thomas Chapman Fix, William Christian Tracy Nelson
• Original Assignee: Eddie W. Brasher, Kenneth James Biallas, Thomas Chapman Fix, William Christian Tracy Nelson
• Inventors: Tracy Nelson, William Christian, Fix, Thomas Chapman, Biallas, Kenneth James, Brasher, Eddie W.
• Application Number:
  US11/102,379
• Publication Number:
  US 20050251296A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/292
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 1/0092 concerning the data processing means, e.g. expert systems, neural networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/063 Details concerning the co-operation of many similar arrangements, e.g. in a network sectionalised protection H02H7/26
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/261 involving signal transmission between at least two stations transmission of signals in general H02H1/0061
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/28 for meshed systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00 Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00016 using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00022 using wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/0004 involved in a protection system
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2203/10 Power transmission or distribution systems management focussing at grid-level, e.g. load flow analysis, node profile computation, meshed network optimisation, active network management or spinning reserve management
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2203/20 Simulating, e g planning, reliability check, modelling or computer assisted design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/10 The network having a local or delimited stationary reach
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/0012 Contingency detection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/0073 for providing alternative feeding paths between load and source when the main path fails, e.g. transformers, busbars
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/82 : Energy audits or management systems therefor
• 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 10/52 : Outage or fault management, e.g. fault detection or location
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/14 : Protecting elements, switches, relays or circuit breakers
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/221 : General power management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 : Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 : using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 : using wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 : Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

A methodology and related system apparatus is provided for using and coordinating the use of information conveyed over communications to most efficiently and flexibly respond to abnormalities to reconfigure and restore service to end customers in commodity distribution systems in a manner to enhance the reconfigurability of the distribution system, e.g. circuit reconfiguration in an electrical power distribution system. Methodology is also provided to appropriately allocate system resources of the distribution system when so desired, e.g. to prevent the potential overloading of electrical power sources. In one illustrative arrangement, the methodology is characterized by resources at each node and communications of source allocation data or messages to other nodes to request and establish an appropriate allocation of system resources. In a preferred arrangement and especially useful for larger distribution systems, “teams” of nodes are defined in the distribution system having associated switching controls with the various teams communicating amongst each other to “negotiate” or work out the most efficient and expeditious reconfiguration of the system in response to fault conditions and other circuit abnormalities.

Claims

1. In an electrical power distribution system having a plurality of defined nodes at points along the distribution system, a methodology for allocating system resources via resources at each node for determining resource allocation requirements and communications of source allocation messages to other nodes to request and establish an appropriate allocation of system resources.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the allocation of system resources includes the prevention of overloading of system power sources.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the source allocation messages include information representing a request for source allocation evaluation and reservation.

4. In an electrical power distribution system having a plurality of defined nodes at points along the distribution system, a system for allocating system sources comprising:

first resources at predetermined nodes for determining source allocation requirements; and

means for communicating source allocation messages to other nodes to request and establish an appropriate allocation of system sources.

5. The system of claim 4 further comprising autonomous distribution control devices located at predetermined ones of the nodes for controlling the flow of electrical power through the system.

6. A method for responding to abnormalities in a commodity distribution system having two or more teams of commodity control devices, the method comprising the steps of:

communicating information between teams via communication between individual team members, the information representing additional information on how to respond to particular detected conditions, one or more team members of a first team responding to detected conditions based on information communicated from a second team, the communicated information representing task identifiers and the status of detected system conditions external to the first team.

7. A method for responding to abnormalities in a commodity distribution system having two or more commodity sources and two or more teams of commodity control devices, the method comprising the steps of:

communicating information between teams via communication between individual team members, the information including functional representations of tasks to respond to detected conditions based on a negotiated plan between teams, a first team acting locally based on the information received from a second team that represents additional information on how to respond to particular detected conditions, one or more team members of a first team responding to detected conditions based on information communicated from a second team, the communicated information representing commodity source allocation data.

8. A system including first resources at nodes and second resources communicated between and used by said first resources to respond to and act on communicated information to reconfigure the system in response to detected conditions.

9. A system for automated reconfiguration of a distribution system, comprising:

a plurality of switches, switches in the plurality of switches being located in the distribution system; and

a plurality of switch controllers;

switch controllers in the plurality of switch controllers controlling respective switches in the plurality of switches and including first resources which monitor the distribution system and respond to predetermined abnormalities; and

second resources communicated between and exchanging information with said switch controllers and determining whether to operate respective switches to perform reconfiguration of the distribution system.

10. A method for controlling the configuration of an electrical power distribution system having a plurality of distribution devices including circuit opening and closing functions, the method comprising the steps of:

responding to detected conditions requiring reconfiguration of the system;

communicating information between the plurality of distribution devices;

at least one of the plurality of distribution devices communicating with at least one device external to the plurality of switch controllers to obtain additional information about the condition of the system that is used to control reconfiguration; and

controlling operation of the plurality of distribution devices to reconfigure the electrical power distribution system based on the information communicated between the plurality of devices and the additional information obtained from the at least one external device.

11. A system for controlling the configuration of an electrical power distribution system comprising:

a plurality of distribution devices including circuit opening and closing functions; and

control means responding to detected conditions requiring a reconfiguration of the system, communicating with at least one device external to the plurality of switch controllers to obtain additional information about the condition of the system that is used to control reconfiguration, communicating information between the plurality of distribution devices, and controlling operation of the plurality of distribution devices to reconfigure the electrical power distribution system.