SMART-GRID ADAPTIVE POWER MANAGEMENT METHOD AND SYSTEM WITH POWER FACTOR OPTIMIZATION AND TOTAL HARMONIC DISTORTION REDUCTION

• US 20110071695A1
• Filed: 09/15/2010
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volta Energy, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Networked Power, Inc.
• Inventors: Kouroussis, Denis, Kulali, Emre
• Granted Patent: US 8,874,277 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/021 in which a variable is automatically adjusted to optimise the performance
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• 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 3/01 Arrangements for reducing harmonics or ripples
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/144 Demand-response operation of the power transmission or distribution network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/18 Arrangements for adjusting, eliminating or compensating reactive power in networks for adjustment of voltage H02J3/16
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/1892 the arrangements being an integral part of the load, e.g. a motor, or of its control circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/4233 using a bridge converter comprising active switches
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 5/458 using semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving

Abstract

A method and system of power factor optimization and total harmonic distortion are provided under the premise of efficient power management and distribution on an electrical grid. The method and system include a novel optimization technique based on a novel current profiling methodology enabling real-time power management with power factor correction as a function of the optimization. The optimization can be performed under dynamic current constraints. When deployed on an electrical grid, the method and system can provide a new technique for power management targeting an efficiency of the electrical grid. The method and system can thus provide for reduced costs of energy production and reduced carbon emissions into the atmosphere.

Claims

1. A method of power factor correction in a power delivery system, the method comprising:

determining a total current requirement of a load coupled to a current supply;

determining a current available beyond the total current requirement;

determining whether a non-critical load is coupled to the current supply; and

calculating an optimal switch configuration to deliver available current to the non-critical load when a current requirement of the non-critical load exceeds the current available beyond the total current requirement.

2. The method in claim 1, wherein the calculating of the optimal switch configuration comprises referencing a power library, wherein the power library comprises current requirement information of the load.

3. The method in claim 2, wherein the power library comprises RMS values of the total current requirement of the load.

4. The method in claim 2, wherein the power library comprises current waveforms of the load.

5. The method in claim 3, wherein the power library comprises a Fourier transform representation of the total current requirement of the load.

6. The method in claim 1, wherein the total current requirement of the load comprises a plurality of currents, each current having a current profile, wherein the current profile comprises information regarding a use pattern of a current of the plurality of currents.

7. The method in claim 1, wherein the calculating of the optimal switch configuration comprises referencing user defined constraints of a total current.

8. The method in claim 1, wherein the calculating of the optimal switch configuration comprises referencing user defined constraints of a current of at least one load.

9. An apparatus for power factor correction in a power delivery system, the apparatus comprising:

a total current determining unit configured to determine a total current requirement of a load coupled to a current supply;

a current determining unit configured to determine a current available beyond the total current requirement;

a non-critical load determining unit configured to determine whether a non-critical load is coupled to the current supply; and

a calculating unit configured to calculate an optimal switch configuration to deliver available current to the non-critical load when a current requirement of the non-critical load exceeds the current available beyond the total current requirement.

10. The apparatus in claim 9, wherein the calculating unit is further configured to reference a power library, wherein the power library comprises current requirement information of the at least one load.

11. The apparatus in claim 10, wherein the power library comprises RMS values of the total current requirement of the at least one load.

12. The apparatus in claim 10, wherein the power library comprises current waveforms of the at least one load.

13. The apparatus in claim 11, wherein the power library comprises means for forming a Fourier transform representation of the total current requirement of the at least one load.

14. The apparatus in claim 9, wherein the total current requirement of the at least one load comprises a plurality of currents, each current having a current profile, wherein the current profile comprises information regarding a use pattern of the plurality of currents.

15. The apparatus in claim 9, wherein the calculating unit is further configured to reference user defined constraints of a total current.

16. The apparatus in claim 9, wherein the calculating unit is further configured to reference user defined constraints of a current of a load.

17. A method of power factor correction in a power delivery system, the method comprising:

determining a total current requirement of at least one load coupled to a current supply;

determining a current available beyond the total current requirement;

determining whether a non-critical load is coupled to the current supply; and

comparing a current requirement of the non-critical load to a plurality of current profiles within a database to determine an optimal switch configuration to deliver current to all loads within the power delivery system when the current requirement of the non-critical load exceeds the current available beyond the requirement of the at least one load,

wherein the plurality of current profiles corresponds to a plurality of loads coupled to the power delivery system.

18. An apparatus for power factor correction in a power delivery system, the apparatus comprising:

means for determining a total current requirement of a load coupled to a current supply;

means for determining a current available beyond the total current requirement;

means for determining whether a non-critical load is coupled to the current supply; and

means for calculating an optimal switch configuration to deliver available current to the non-critical load when a current requirement of the non-critical load exceeds the current available beyond the total current requirement.

19. A system for power factor correction in a power delivery system, the system comprising:

a total current determining unit configured to determine a total current requirement of a load coupled to a current supply;

a current determining unit configured to determine a current available beyond the total current requirement;

a non-critical load determining unit configured to determine whether a non-critical load is coupled to the current supply; and

a calculating unit configured to calculate an optimal switch configuration to deliver available current to the non-critical load when a current requirement of the non-critical load exceeds the current available beyond the total current requirement.