Method and system for managing a power grid

• US 20090281673A1
• Filed: 02/11/2009
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Taft, Jeffrey D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,534,928 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/286
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/12 Determination or prediction of behaviour, e.g. likely power consumption or unusual usage patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/002 Remote reading of utility meters
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/063 related to remote communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• 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 13/00026 involving a local wireless network, e.g. Wi-Fi, ZigBee or Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• 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: Y04S 10/30 State monitoring, e.g. fault, temperature monitoring, insulator monitoring, corona discharge
• 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 20/00 Management or operation of end-user stationary applications or the last stages of power distribution; Controlling, monitoring or operating thereof
• 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 20/30 : Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 : using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 : using wireless data transmission

Abstract

A smart grid for improving the management of a power utility grid is provided. The smart grid as presently disclosed includes using sensors in various portions of the power utility grid, using communications and computing technology to upgrade an electric power grid so that it can operate more efficiently and reliably and support additional services to consumers. The smart grid may include distributed intelligence in the power utility grid (separate from the control center intelligence) including devices that generate data in different sections of the grid, analyze the generated data, and automatically modify the operation of a section of the power grid. Further, the intelligent devices in the power utility grid may cooperate together to analyze and/or control the state of the power grid. Finally, the distributed intelligence may further include distributed storage.

Claims

1. A data management system for a power grid, the power grid comprising a central power grid authority for managing the power grid and a plurality of devices within the power grid, the data management system comprising:

data storage associated with a device positioned in a section of the grid, the data storage being proximate to the device, the device sensing an electrical parameter in the section of the grid, the data storage comprising a plurality of memory locations for storing the sensed electrical parameter; and

a central data storage associated with the central power grid authority, wherein the central data storage comprises links to the memory locations in the data storage.

2. The data management system of claim 1, wherein the device within the power grid comprises a substation.

3. The data management system of claim 2, wherein the data storage associated with the substation comprises a memory that is located in or on the substation.

4. The data management system of claim 2, wherein the substation sends the link to the central power grid authority;

and

wherein the central power grid authority stores the link in the central data storage.

5. The data management system of claim 4, wherein the central power grid authority accesses the link in the central data storage;

wherein the central power grid authority sends a request to the substation requesting data associated with the link; and

wherein the central power grid authority receives a response from the substation comprising the data associated with the link.

6. The data management system of claim 4, wherein the substation further sends at least one header associated with the link;

and

wherein the central power grid authority comprises;

a first portion of a bus for communicating operational data to the central power grid authority, the operational data comprising at least one real-time measurement of voltage, current, real power, or reactive power for at least a part of the power grid; and

a second portion of a bus for communicating event data to the central power grid authority, the second portion being separate from the first portion, the event data being distinct from and derived from the real-time measurement and comprising at least one analytical determination as to operation of the power grid based on the at least one real time measurement,

wherein the operational data is communicated via the first portion and not communicated via the second portion, and

wherein the event data is communicated via the second portion and not communicated via the first portion.

7. The data management system of claim 1, wherein data is stored in the memory location in the data storage;

wherein the central data storage stores the link to the memory location in the data storage and does not store the data stored in the memory location.

8. The data management system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the plurality of devices within the power grid comprises a meter at a customer premises.

9. A power grid management system for managing a power grid, the power grid comprising a plurality of grid devices, the power grid management system comprising:

a central power grid authority for managing the power grid;

a first grid device positioned in a first section of the grid, the first device comprising;

a first sensor for sensing an electrical parameter in the first section of the grid;

a first processor for analyzing the sensed electrical parameter in the first section of the grid and determining an event based on the sensed electrical parameter, and

a second grid device positioned in a second section of the grid, the second device comprising;

a second processor for receiving the event determined by the first grid device, for modifying at least a section of the grid comprising the second section based on the event, and for transmitting to the central power grid authority information indicative of the modification of the at least a section of the grid.

10. The power grid management system of claim 9, wherein the second grid device modifies the section of the power grid without intervention of the central power grid authority.

11. The power grid management system of claim 9, wherein the second grid device comprises a substation.

12. The power grid management system of claim 11, wherein at least one feeder circuit emanates from the substation;

and

wherein the first sensor of the first grid device senses the electrical parameter for at least a part of the feeder circuit.

13. The power grid management system of claim 12, wherein the second grid device further comprises a second sensor for sensing an electrical parameter in the second section of the grid;

and

wherein the second processor analyzes the event determined by the first grid device and the sensed electrical parameter in the second section of the grid in order to modify the at least a section of the grid.

14. The power grid management system of claim 13, wherein the substation further comprises data storage associated with and proximate to the substation, the data storage comprising a plurality of memory locations for storing the sensed electrical parameter in the second section of the grid.

15. A method for data management system for a power grid, the power grid comprising a central power grid authority for managing the power grid and a plurality of devices within the power grid, the method comprising:

sensing, using an electrical device positioned in a section of the grid, an electrical parameter in the section of the grid;

storing the sensed electrical parameter in a memory location of a data storage device, the data storage device associated with the electrical device and proximate to the device;

sending to a central data storage associated with the central power grid authority the memory location of the data storage device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the device within the power grid comprises a substation.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the data storage associated with the substation comprises a memory that is located in or on the substation.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the substation sends the link to the central power grid authority;

and

wherein the central power grid authority stores the link in the central data storage.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the central power grid authority accesses the link in the central data storage;

wherein the central power grid authority sends a request to the substation requesting data associated with the link; and

wherein the central power grid authority receives a response from the substation comprising the data associated with the link.