DYNAMIC DISTRIBUTED POWER GRID CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20120029897A1
• Filed: 05/02/2011
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avista Development, Inc. (Avistar)
• Original Assignee: Spirae, Inc.
• Inventors: Cherian, Sunil, Pacific, Oliver
• Granted Patent: US 9,300,137 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/18
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0421 Multiprocessor system
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00 Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00001 characterised by the display of information or by user interaction, e.g. supervisory control and data acquisition systems [SCADA] or graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00016 using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00017 using optical fiber
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00028 involving the use of Internet protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/10 The dispersed energy generation being of fossil origin, e.g. diesel generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/28 The renewable source being wind energy wind motors F03D
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/40 wherein a plurality of decentralised, dispersed or local energy generation technologies are operated simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/12 The local stationary network supplying a household or a building
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/16 by adjustment of reactive power
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/48 : Controlling the sharing of the in-phase component
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/50 : Controlling the sharing of the out-of-phase component
• 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: Y02E 10/56 : Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/76 : Power conversion electric or electronic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/30 : Reactive power compensation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/70 : Smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the energy generation sector
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 : Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/123 : the energy generation units being or involving renewable energy sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/30 : State monitoring, e.g. fault, temperature monitoring, insulator monitoring, corona discharge
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 : End-user application control systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 : Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 : using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses

Abstract

A control system for a distributed power grid includes a simulation module operative to directly interface with operational control of distributed energy resources (DER) to develop and when necessary dynamically modify control inputs of the distributed power grid. By conducting a decentralized and distributed simulation of DER topology (components and their surrounding infrastructure) each distributed control module can simulate control response characteristics of a plurality of DER to determine a control methodology necessary to achieve a desired target. Once developed the same control inputs can be directly applied to physical DER and thereafter monitored to validate performance. Once validated, operational control of the DER is established while ongoing modifications of the control inputs continues in parallel to maintain desired performance.

Claims

1. A system for distributed energy resource controls in a transmission and distribution power grid, comprising:

a control engine;

a simulation engine operable to produce a model of operational and control response characteristics of a distributed energy resource and communicate results of the model to the control engine; and

a control interface communicatively coupled between the control engine and either the simulation engine and the distributed energy resources.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the distributed energy resource includes a network topology of a plurality of transmission and distribution components and a plurality of energy generation, storage, conditioning and demand components coupled to the transmission and distribution power grid.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the model produced by the simulation engine is operable to represent combined interactions of the distributed energy resources to determine response characteristics of the network topology to various commands.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the control interface is operable to transform results of the model of operational and control response characteristics into a standardized set of communication parameters for dissemination to other control interfaces.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein each control interface is operable to receive operational and control response information regarding other distributed energy resources and queries regarding the ability of the distributed energy resource to meet operational and control response parameters.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein each control interface is operable to communicate operational and control response capabilities of the distributed energy resource to other control interfaces.

8. The system of claim 4 wherein each distributed energy resource includes one or more control loops managed by the control engine.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein responsive to the control engine receiving a request for a specified performance parameter from another control interface that the distributed energy resource is capable of meeting, the control engine determines an execution strategy using the one or more control loops to achieve the specified performance parameter.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein responsive to determining that the distributed energy resource can meet the specified performance parameter using the execution strategy, applying the execution strategy to the disturbed energy resource.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the control interface reports actions taken and results achieved to the control interface sending the request.

12. The system of claim 4 wherein each control interface mediates requests or commands to the control engine.

13. The system of claim 4 wherein each control interface acts as an intermediary to moderate requests and/or commands from other control interfaces and to report results and capabilities of the associated control engine to other control engines without presenting a means by which the results were achieved.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the control engine, the simulation engine and the control interface are included in each of a plurality of control modules.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein each simulation engine operates independently of each other simulation engine.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the simulation engine is operable to receive control queries from other control modules.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the model of operational and control response characteristics changes dynamically based on changes to other distributed energy resources and/or transmission and distribution grid topology.

18. The system of claim 1 further comprising a communication network operable to convey changes in network topology to the simulation engine.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein the distributed energy resource is a virtual distributed energy resource.

20. The system of claim 2 wherein responsive to validation of the results of the model of operational and control response characteristics of the distributed energy resource, applying commands developed by the control engine to control the transmission and distribution power grid without modification.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein operational and control response characteristics of the distributed energy resource is monitored and dynamically modified to meet specified performance parameters.

22. A system for distributed energy resource control, comprising:

a plurality of distributed energy resources in a transmission and distribution power grid;

a distributed energy resource control system associated with at least one of the plurality of distributed energy resources having a control engine and a simulation engine wherein the simulation engine is operable to produce a model of operational and control response characteristics of the at least one distributed energy resource to one or more control loops produced by the control engine; and

a switch interposed between the control engine and coupling to either the simulation engine or the at least one distributed energy resources in the transmission and distribution power grid wherein, responsive to validation of control system performance with the model of operational and control response characteristics, the control engine can apply the one or more control loops to at least one distributed energy resources in the transmission and distribution power grid without modification.

23. The system for distributed energy resource control of claim 22 wherein each distributed energy resource includes a network topology of a plurality of transmission and distribution grid components and a plurality of energy generation, storage, conditioning and demand components.

24. The system for distributed energy resource control of claim 23 further comprising a control interface operable to transform results of the model of operational and control response characteristics into a standardized set of communication parameters for dissemination to other control interfaces.

25. The system for distributed energy resource control of claim 22 wherein responsive to validating distributed energy resource response to the one or more control loops matches the model of operational and control response characteristics, the control engine establishes operational control of the distributed energy resource.

26. The system for distributed energy resource control of claim 25 wherein operational and control response characteristics of the distributed energy resources to the one or more control loops are continually monitored by the control engine.

27. The system for distributed energy resource control of claim 26 wherein responsive to operational and control response characteristics failing to meet expectations, the system is operative to modify the model and/or one or more control loops so as to meet expectations and convey the modification to the control engine for execution.

28. The system for distributed energy resource control of claim 22 wherein each simulation engine of each distributed energy resource control system operates independently of each other simulation engine and wherein each model produced by each simulation engine can be a part of another simulation engine model.

29. The system for distributed energy resource control of claim 22 wherein each distributed energy resource is uniquely associated with a control interface that acts as an intermediary to moderate requests and/or commands from other control interfaces and to report results and capabilities to the other control interfaces without presenting a means by which the results were achieved.

30. The system for distributed energy resource control of claim 22 wherein the system is operable to dynamically model and modify operational and control response characteristics based on changes to other distributed energy resources and/or changes in transmission and distribution grid topology.

31. A method for modeling controls of a distributed energy resource in a transmission and distribution power grid, comprising:

forming a model of the distributed energy resource wherein the distributed energy resource includes a network topology of a plurality of transmission and distribution grid components and a plurality of energy generation, storage, conditioning and demand components;

simulating operational control responses of the network topology comprising the distributed network resource to a plurality of control inputs; and

reporting to a control engine simulated distributed energy resource capabilities prior to issuing control inputs to the distributed energy resource.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein simulating applies a plurality of control loops to the model of the distributed energy resources under control of the control engine wherein each control loop is operable to modify performance and response of the distributed energy resource.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein a means by which distributed energy resource capabilities were achieved is independent of and may or may not be reported to other control engines.

34. The method of claim 31 further comprising moderating requests and/or commands from other distributed energy resources and determining an execution strategy to achieve a specified performance parameter.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein responsive to the control engine validating the plurality of control inputs achieves the specified performance parameters, applying the plurality of control inputs to the distributed energy resources.

36. A method for distributed energy resource modeling and control in a transmission and distribution power grid, comprising:

simulating operational control responses of a distributed energy resource using a simulated power system based on the distributed energy resource;

developing distributed energy resource control inputs based on simulated operational control responses; and

deploying the disturbed energy resource control inputs to control the distributed energy resource.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the simulated power system represents the distributed energy resource and includes a network topology of a plurality of transmission and distribution grid components.

38. The method of claim 36 wherein the distributed energy resource is a compound distributed energy resource.

39. The method of claim 36 further comprising monitoring operational control responses of the distributed energy resource.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein responsive to operational control responses of the distributed energy resources meeting simulated operational control response expectations, establishing operational control of the distributed energy resource using developed distributed energy resource control inputs.

41. The method of claim 36 wherein responsive to operational control responses of the distributed energy resources failing to meet operational control response expectations, replicating in a simulated environment the distributed energy resources and the distributed energy resource control inputs to evaluate one or more modifications while operational control of the distributed energy resources is unaffected.

42. The method of claim 41 further comprising implementing the one or more modifications responsive to operational control response expectations being met in the simulated environment.

43. The method of claim 39 wherein responsive to operational control responses of the distributed energy resources failing to meet simulated operational control response expectations, modifying the simulated power system and/or distributed energy resource control inputs until operational control responses of the distributed energy resources meet simulated operational control response expectations.

44. The method of claim 36 wherein simulating, developing and deploying is conducted independently on a local, regional and enterprise basis.

45. The method of claim 44 wherein each independent instance of simulating, developing and deploying provides informational data for other distributed energy resource modeling and control

46. A distributed energy resource controls modeling system, comprising:

a plurality of distributed energy resources forming a transmission and distribution power grid;

a plurality of control modules, each control module being communicatively coupled to each other control module, wherein each control module includes a control engine and a simulation engine and a machine capable of executing instructions embodied as software and wherein each control module exercises operational control of a portion of the plurality of distributed energy resources; and

a plurality of software portions, wherein

one of said software portions is configured to develop distributed energy resource control inputs for the portion of the plurality of distributed energy resources based on simulated operational control responses, and

one of said software portions is configured to communicate to the other control modules control response characteristics to the developed distributed energy resource control inputs of the portion of the plurality of distributed energy resources.

47. The system of claim 46 wherein each of the plurality of control modules and the portion of distributed energy resources under operational control of that control module can be considered by other control modules as a distributed energy resource.

48. The system of claim 46 wherein control response characteristics includes information regarding the portion of the plurality of distributed energy resources collectively.

49. The system of claim 46 wherein the portion of the plurality of distributed energy resources includes a network topology of a plurality of transmission and distribution grid components and a plurality of energy generation, storage, conditioning and demand components.

50. The system of claim 46 wherein the simulation engine develops the distributed energy resource control inputs for the portion of the plurality of distributed energy resources using a simulation of the portion of the plurality of distributed energy resources.

51. The system of claim 50 wherein the control engine validates the distributed energy resource control inputs on the portion of the plurality of distributed energy resources and responsive to the distributed energy resource control inputs failing to produce an expected response from the portion of the plurality of distributed energy resources, the system modifies the simulation and/or distributed energy resource control inputs.

52. The system of claim 51 wherein responsive to the distributed energy resource control inputs producing the expected response from the portion of the plurality of distributed energy resources, the control engine establishes operational control of the portion of the plurality of distributed energy resources.

53. The system of claim 52 wherein the control engine monitors operational performance of the portion of the plurality of distributed energy resources and dynamically modifies the distributed energy resource control inputs to maintain the expected response.