ELECTRIC POWER LEVELING CONTROLLER

• US 20110218693A1
• Filed: 03/01/2011
• Published: 09/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: TSUNODA, Tadanobu, USHIKI, Kazumasa, OSHIMA, Hirotaka, FUJINO, Nobutsugu, FUNAKUBO, Toshiaki, YAMAMOTO, Hiroshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,433,453 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/297
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 9/12 characterised by the use of electric means
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/32 using batteries with converting means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/14 Energy storage units

Abstract

An electric power leveling controller includes an information acquisition unit that acquires information of electric energy consumption from a power consuming device consuming electric energy from the power source and electric energy charged into a power storage device, a storage unit that stores a specific threshold value for each power storage device, and a control unit that causes a first power consuming device to be power-supplied by the power source, causing the power storage device corresponding to the first power consuming device to be charged with a difference between the specific threshold value and the electric energy consumption, causing the power source to supply to a second power consuming device electric energy corresponding to the specific threshold, and causing the power storage device corresponding to the second power consuming device to discharge to the second power consuming device the difference between the electric energy consumption and the specific threshold value.

Claims

1. A controller for leveling power supplied from a power source, comprising:

an information acquisition unit that acquires information of electric energy consumption from a power consuming device consuming electric energy from the power source and electric energy charged into a power storage device, the power consuming device arranged for a plurality of power storage devices charged by the power source;

a storage unit that stores a specific threshold value for each power storage device; and

a control unit that causes a first power consuming device to be power-supplied by the power source, the first power consuming device consuming electric energy lower than the specific threshold value of the power consuming device, causing the power storage device corresponding to the first power consuming device to be charged with a difference between the specific threshold value and the electric energy consumption, causing the power source to supply to a second power consuming device electric energy corresponding to the specific threshold, the second power consuming device consuming electric energy larger than the specific threshold value of the power consuming device, and causing the power storage device corresponding to the second power consuming device to discharge to the second power consuming device the difference between the electric energy consumption of the power consuming device and the specific threshold value.

2. The controller according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second information acquisition unit that acquires information about stored electric energy of each power storage device,

wherein the control unit causes the power source to supply the entire electric energy consumption to the power consuming device corresponding to a first power storage device having dischargeable electric energy based on the stored electric energy, the dischargeable electric energy being exceeded by the difference between the electric energy consumption and the specific threshold value, and causes the power storage device other than the first power storage device to reduce a charged amount and/or increase a discharged amount in response to electric energy by which the dischargeable electric energy based on the stored electric energy is exceeded by the difference between the electric energy consumption and the specific threshold value.

3. The controller according to claim 2, wherein the control unit causes power storage devices from among the power storage devices other than the first power storage device, in the order of long to short remaining time of stored electric energy, to reduce the charged amount and/or increase the discharged amount in response to the electric energy by which the dischargeable electric energy based on the stored electric energy is exceeded by the difference between the electric energy consumption and the specific threshold value.

4. The controller according to claim 1, further comprising:

an information storage unit that stores information of electric energy consumption of each power consuming device responsive to time elapse; and

a search unit that searches for a value, as the specific threshold value, minimizing a maximum electric energy from the power source when the control unit controls the electric energy consumption recorded on the information storage unit.

5. A controller for leveling power supplied from a power source, comprising:

an information acquisition unit that acquires information of electric energy consumption from a power consuming device consuming electric energy from the power source and electric energy charged into a power storage device, the power consuming device arranged for a plurality of power storage devices charged by the power source;

a storage unit that stores a specific threshold value; and

a control unit that causes the power source to supply electric energy to all the power consuming devices, and causing a part of the power storage devices to be charged with a difference between the sum of electric energy consumption and the specific threshold value when the sum of electric energy consumption is smaller than the specific threshold value.

6. The controller according to claim 5, wherein the control unit causes the part of the power storage devices to discharge to the power consuming device excess electric energy by which the sum of electric energy consumption exceeds the specific threshold value when the sum of electric energy consumption exceeds the specific threshold value.

7. The controller according to claim 6, further comprising a second information acquisition unit for acquiring information about stored electric energy of the power storage device,

wherein the control unit selects a power storage device having a long remaining discharge time of the stored electric energy as the power storage device which discharges the excess electric energy.

8. The controller according to claim 5, further comprising:

an information storage unit for storing information of electric energy consumption of each power consuming device in response to time elapse; and

a setting unit for setting, as the specific threshold value, a value minimizing a maximum electric energy from the power source when the control unit controls the electric energy consumption recorded on the information storage unit.

9. A power leveling method implemented in a computer, comprising:

acquiring information of electric energy consumption from a power consuming device consuming electric energy from a power source and electric energy charged into a power storage device, the power consuming device arranged for a plurality of power storage devices charged by the power source; and

causing the power source to supply electric energy to all the power consuming devices, and causing at least a part of the power storage devices to be charged with a difference between the sum of electric energy consumption and a specific threshold value when the sum of electric energy consumption is smaller than the specific threshold value.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium in which a program for causing a computer to execute a process of leveling power supplied from a power source is stored, the process comprising:

acquiring information of electric energy consumption from a power consuming device consuming electric energy from the power source and electric energy charged into a power storage device, the power consuming device arranged for a plurality of power storage devices charged by the power source; and

causing the power source to supply electric energy to all the power consuming devices, and causing at least a part of the power storage devices to be charged with a difference between the sum of electric energy consumption and a specific threshold value when the sum of electric energy consumption is smaller than the specific threshold value.