Method and system for managing a power grid

• US 20090281674A1
• 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 8,509,953 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, such as additional bus structures, to upgrade an electric power grid so that it can operate more efficiently and reliably and support additional services to consumers. Specifically, the additional bus structures may comprise multiple buses dedicated to the different types of data, such as operational/non-operational data, event processing data, grid connectivity data, and network location data. The multiple buses may comprise different segments in a single bus or may comprise separate buses. The multiple buses may be used to transport the various types of data to other smart grid processes (such as at a centrally located controller).

Claims

1. An integration framework for facilitating communication with a central power grid that manages a power grid, the integration framework comprising:

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.

2. The integration framework of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the bus comprises a first segment and the second portion of the bus comprises a second segment, the first and second segments being different segments on the same bus.

3. The integration framework of claim 2, further comprising at least one switch for analyzing at least a part of data received and for routing the data to one of the first segment and the second segment.

4. The integration framework of claim 2, wherein the first portion of the bus comprises a first dedicated segment dedicated exclusively to communicating the operational data;

and

wherein the second portion of the bus comprises a second dedicated segment dedicated exclusively to communicating the event data

5. The integration framework of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the bus comprises a first bus and the second portion of the bus comprises a second bus, and

wherein the first bus is physically separate from the second bus.

6. The integration framework of claim 5, further comprising a router for analyzing at least a part of data received and for routing the data to one of the first bus and the second bus.

7. The integration framework of claim 6, wherein the router analyzes at least one header in the data to determine whether to route the data to the first bus or to the second bus.

8. The integration framework of claim 6, wherein the router is located at the central power grid authority.

9. The integration framework of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the bus further communicates non-operational data, the non-operational data comprising at least one of power quality, power reliability, asset health, and stress data.

10. The integration framework of claim 9, further comprising a third bus for communicating between the central power grid authority and a billing system, the third bus being separate from the first portion of the bus and the second portion of the bus.

11. The integration framework of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the bus is operatively connected to an operational data storage database and to at least one of an outage management system, an energy management system, and a distribution management system.

12. The integration framework of claim 11, wherein the first portion of the bus is operatively connected to the operational data storage database and to the outage management system, the energy management system, and to the distribution management system.

13. The integration framework of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the bus is operatively connected to an event log storage database and to at least one of an outage management system, an energy management system, and to a distribution management system.

14. The integration framework of claim 10, wherein the second bus is operatively connected to the event log storage database and to the outage management system, the energy management system, and to the distribution management system.

15. A method for communicating data to a central power grid that manages a power grid, the method comprising:

communicating operational data to the central power grid authority on a first portion of a bus, 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

communicating event data to the central power grid authority on a second portion of a bus, 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.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first portion of the bus comprises a first segment and the second portion of the bus comprises a second segment, the first and second segments being different segments on the same bus.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first portion of the bus comprises a first dedicated segment dedicated exclusively to communicating the operational data;

and

wherein the second portion of the bus comprises a second dedicated segment dedicated exclusively to communicating the event data

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the first portion of the bus comprises a first bus and the second portion of the bus comprises a second bus, and

wherein the first bus is physically separate from the second bus.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

analyzing at least a part of data received; and

routing the data to one of the first bus and the second bus.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the first portion of the bus further communicates non-operational data, the non-operational data comprising at least one of power quality, power reliability, asset health, and stress data.