CONTROLLER FOR ENERGY SUPPLY SYSTEMS

• US 20110166718A1
• Filed: 08/21/2009
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vito NV
• Original Assignee: Vito NV
• Inventors: De Ridder, Fjo, Hoes, Hans, Van Bael, Johan
• Granted Patent: US 9,618,215 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/287
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 19/10 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices only the heater being controlled F24H9/20
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 19/1009 for central heating
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 19/1048 Counting of energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: F24T 2201/00 Prediction; Simulation
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 20/0043 specially adapted for long-term heat storage; Underground tanks; Floating reservoirs; Pools; Ponds F28D20/0052 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 20/0052 using the ground body or aquifers as heat storage medium
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 20/028 Control arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/40 Geothermal heat-pumps
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/14 Thermal energy storage

Abstract

The present invention relates to energy supply systems which comprise an energy storage unit and an energy production unit. Control methods according to the invention advantageously allow to calculate an operational cost of the energy supply system based on the energy flux that can be supplied by the system and the energy flux that is demanded externally from the system. The operational cost can be calculated for all possible values of the above parameters in advance. The calculated parameters can be stored in an array in a device implementing methods of the invention. Methods of the invention allow to operate an energy supply system so as to guarantee that at any instant a predetermined (nonzero) amount of energy flux can be supplied by the energy storage unit.

Claims

1-15. -15. (canceled)

16. A method of operating an energy supply system comprising an energy storage unit and an energy production unit, comprising the steps of:

predetermining a time frame in which the energy supply system will be functioning, and

controlling the amount of energy supplied by the energy storage unit so as to guarantee that at any time instant of the predetermined time frame, the energy storage unit is adapted to supply energy.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the step of controlling the amount of energy supplied by the storage unit comprises:

calculating a cost for operating the storage unit and optionally the production unit at a time instant of the predetermined time frame and from said time instant till the end of the predetermined time frame, and

selecting the optimal amount of energy supplied by the storage unit which minimises the cost for operating the energy supply system.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the cost for operating is calculated for each portion of demanded flux that can be supplied by the energy storage unit.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the cost for operating is calculated for each value of the demanded flux within a predetermined range of said demanded flux.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the step of calculating the cost for operating is carried out in advance for all time instants within the time frame and stored in a table and wherein the selecting step comprises looking up the portion of demanded flux in the table.

21. The method according to claim 16, wherein the energy storage unit is an underground thermal energy storage system.

22. A controller adapted to operate an energy supply system comprising an energy storage unit and an energy production unit, the controller being configured to carry out a method according to claim 16.

23. A controller according to claim 22, wherein the system is a system for heating and/or air conditioning a building.

24. A controller according to claim 22, wherein the system is a system for providing power to a vehicle.

25. A method of operating, over a time frame, an energy supply system comprising an energy production unit and an energy storage unit, the method comprising, at least one time instant in the time frame:

selecting the energy flux to be removed from the energy storage unit as a function selected from at least one of;

(i) a function wherein for at least one time instant in the time frame, the energy flux is selected from at least two values determined as a function of an indication of the energy contained within the energy storage unit, and

(ii) a function wherein for at least one indication of the energy contained within the energy storage unit, the energy flux is selected from at least two values determined as a function of the time instant in the time frame, and

extracting the selected energy flux from the energy storage unit.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the system is a system for heating and/or air conditioning a building.

27. The method according to claim 25, wherein the energy storage unit is a thermal energy storage system.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the energy storage unit is an underground thermal energy storage system.

29. The method according to claim 25, wherein the indication of the energy contained within the energy storage unit is the temperature of the thermal energy storage system.

30. A controller adapted to operate, over a time frame, an energy supply system comprising an energy storage unit and an energy production unit so as to, at least one time instant in the time frame:

select the energy flux to be removed from the energy storage unit as a function selected from at least one of;

(i) a function wherein for at least one time instant in the time frame, the energy flux is selected from at least two values determined as a function of an indication of the energy contained within the energy storage unit, and

(ii) a function wherein for at least one indication of the energy contained within the energy storage unit, the energy flux is selected from at least two values determined as a function of the time instant in the time frame.