OPTIMIZATION OF ENERGY STORAGE DEVICE USAGE IN WIND ENERGY APPLICATIONS

• US 20120053750A1
• Filed: 08/31/2010
• Published: 03/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
• Original Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
• Inventors: Viassolo, Daniel, Hesselbaek, Bo
• Granted Patent: US 8,688,281 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/297
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 15/10 using gearing not limited to rotary motion, e.g. with oscillating or reciprocating members
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 80/88 of mechanical components
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/11 storing electrical energy
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/257 the wind motor being part of a wind farm
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/20 to optimise the performance of a machine
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin

Abstract

System, method, and computer program product for optimally scheduling energy storage devices in wind energy applications. The power production system includes an energy storage device configured to service a first energy storage application at the first wind farm and a supervisory controller configured to determine if an attribute of the energy storage device is less than or equal to a threshold for the first energy storage application. In response to the attribute being less than or equal to a threshold for the first energy storage application, the supervisory controller schedules the energy storage device for a second energy storage application at the first wind farm or at a second wind farm different than the first wind farm. The optimization of the scheduling may be implemented in a computer-implemented method or as a computer program product.

Claims

1. A power production system comprising:

a wind farm comprising a plurality of wind turbines;

an energy storage device configured to service a first energy storage application at the first wind farm; and

a supervisory controller configured to determine if an attribute of the energy storage device is less than or equal to a threshold for the first energy storage application and to schedule the energy storage device for a second energy storage application at the first wind farm or at a second wind farm different than the first wind farm.

2. The power production system of claim 1 wherein the energy storage device is a battery, and the attribute is battery capacity.

3. The power production system of claim 2 further comprising:

a sensor operatively coupled with battery, the sensor configured to acquire readings of voltage or current during the operation of the battery in the first wind farm and to communicate the readings to the supervisory controller for use in determining if the battery capacity of the battery is less than or equal to the threshold for the first energy storage application.

4. The power production system of claim 1 wherein the second wind storage application is at the first wind farm, and the supervisory controller is configured to cause the installation of the energy storage device at the first wind farm to provide stored energy for the second wind farm application.

5. The power production system of claim 1 wherein the second wind storage application is at the second wind farm, and the supervisory controller is configured to cause the installation of the energy storage device at the second wind farm to provide stored energy for the second wind farm application.

6. The power production system of claim 1 wherein the first energy storage application is power fluctuation suppression, grid power stabilization, power forecast accuracy improvement, transmission curtailment power storage, power capacity firming, or power production time shifting, and the second energy storage application is power fluctuation suppression, grid power stabilization, power forecast accuracy improvement, transmission curtailment power storage, power capacity firming, or power production time shifting.

7. A computer-implemented method for optimizing energy storage device scheduling in wind energy applications, the method comprising:

comparing an attribute of a first energy storage device at a first wind farm with a threshold for a first energy storage application served by the first energy storage device at the first wind farm; and

in response to the attribute being less than or equal to the threshold, scheduling the first battery to serve a second energy storage application at the first wind farm or at a second wind farm different than the first wind farm.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 wherein the energy storage device is a battery, and the attribute is battery capacity.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 further comprising:

sensing voltage or current during the operation of the battery in the first wind farm; and

in response to changes in the sensed voltage or the sensed current, determining if the battery capacity of the battery is less than or equal to the threshold for the first energy storage application.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 wherein the second energy storage application is at the first wind farm, and scheduling the first energy storage device for the second energy storage application further comprises:

causing the first energy storage device to be uninstalled from the first energy storage application;

causing a second energy storage device to be installed at the first wind farm to serve the first energy storage application; and

causing the first energy storage device to be installed at the first wind farm to serve the second energy storage application.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 wherein the first energy storage device is scheduled to serve the second energy storage application until an end of life of the first wind farm.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 wherein the second energy storage application is at a second wind farm different than the first wind farm, and scheduling the first energy storage device for the second energy storage application further comprises:

causing the first energy storage device to be uninstalled from the first energy storage application;

causing a second energy storage device to be installed at the first wind farm to serve the first energy storage application; and

causing the first energy storage device to be installed at the second wind farm to serve the second energy storage application.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 wherein the first energy storage device is scheduled to serve the second energy storage application until an end of life of the second wind farm.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 wherein the first energy storage device cooperates with a second energy storage device to serve the second energy storage application at the second wind farm.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 wherein the first energy storage application is power fluctuation suppression, grid power stabilization, power forecast accuracy improvement, transmission curtailment power storage, power capacity firming, or power production time shifting, and the second energy storage application is power fluctuation suppression, grid power stabilization, power forecast accuracy improvement, transmission curtailment power storage, power capacity firming, or power production time shifting.

16. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium; and

program instructions for performing the computer-implemented method of claim 7,

wherein the program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium.