SINGLE PHASE POWER FACTOR CORRECTION SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20120104850A1
• Filed: 10/20/2009
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deborah Lynn Fallis, Mischa Warren Beuthling
• Original Assignee: Deborah Lynn Fallis, Mischa Warren Beuthling
• Inventors: Fallis, Deborah Lynn, Beuthling, Mischa Warren
• Granted Patent: US 10,396,594 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/31
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00024 by means of mobile telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/1828 with stepwise control, the possibility of switching in or out the entire compensating arrangement not being considered as stepwise control
• 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 10/22 Flexible AC transmission systems [FACTS] or power factor or reactive power compensating or correcting units
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 using wireless data transmission

Abstract

A single phase grid correction system for correcting the power factor of an electrical power grid. The grid has a generator, transmission lines connecting the generator to distribution nodes, feeder lines radiating from each node, and groups of consumers connected to each feeder line. A capacitor bank is located at a number of consumer'"'"'s premises, indoors, either beside or forming part of the consumer'"'"'s normal single phase electric panel. A set of remotely controlled switches at the consumer'"'"'s premises permits the capacitor banks to be switched in and out of grid connection and also allows non-essential high energy consuming loads, not necessarily inductive, to be switched on and off the grid. The grid correction systemic are widely distributed at consumer'"'"'s premises throughout the grid. By remotely controlling the switches, the utility operator can switch capacitor banks at selected consumer premises in or out of the grid to provide or remove reactive power as needed, and can also selectively remove load from the grid to reduce the likelihood of sudden uncontrollable load shedding.

Claims

1. A single phase grid correction system for correcting the power factor of an electrical power grid, said grid having an electricity supply, at least one transmission line connecting said supply to a distribution node, a number of feeder lines radiating from the node, a plurality of consumers connected to each feeder line, said consumers each having individual premises with a single phase consumer electrical panel therein for receiving power from the feeder line, said system comprising:

a capacitor bank connected to the panel of at least a plurality of said consumers, each capacitor bank being located at a consumer'"'"'s premises, and

a remotely controlled switch connected to said capacitor bank for connecting or disconnecting the capacitor bank from the feeder line, said remotely controlled switch including a receiver for receiving instructions for connecting the capacitor bank to or disconnecting it from the feeder line and for operating the switch according to such instructions, said capacitor bank and remotely controlled switch being housed indoors inside the relevant consumer'"'"'s premises proximate to or within said electrical panel.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein said capacitor bank is contained in a module proximate to said electrical panel.

3. A system according to claim 1 wherein said capacitor bank is mounted within said electrical panel.

4. A system according to claim 1 and having a utility operator, the utility operator having a controller for sending signals to cause selected capacitor banks to be connected to or disconnected from the grid.

5. A system according to claim 4 wherein said controller includes a computer programmed to compare circumstances existing at the time when the switches are to be operated with circumstances at prior times and for locating similar circumstances which existed at one or more prior times, and for determining the power factor correction which was provided at such prior time or times and for then using such information to determine the number and distribution of capacitor banks which if connected to the grid would supply reactive power sufficient to correct the power factor of the grid to a selected value, and for then switching on the required number of capacitor banks at the locations as determined by said computer.

6. A system according to claim 1 and including a plurality of load connect/disconnect remotely controlled switches each connected to a high energy consuming load at the consumer'"'"'s premises, for disconnecting loads at the consumer'"'"'s premises to reduce power demand on said grid and thereby to reduce the likelihood of uncontrolled load shedding in said grid, said load connect/disconnect switches being housed indoors inside the relevant consumer'"'"'s premises, said load connect/disconnect switches being located proximate to or within the consumer electrical panel.

8. A method according to claim 6 wherein said capacitor bank at said selected number of consumers'"'"' premises is operated to achieve a corrected power factor of between about 0.90 and 1.0.

7. A method for correcting the power factor of an electrical power grid, said power grid having an electricity supply, at least one transmission line connecting said supply to a distribution node, a number of feeder lines radiating from the distribution node, each feeder line having a plurality of consumers connected thereto, each consumer having premises and a single phase electrical panel within said premises, said method comprising:

placing a capacitor bank proximate to or within the electrical panel of a selected number of said consumers'"'"' premises, wherein said selected number of consumers'"'"' premises are connected to a number of said feeder lines with said capacitor bank being indoors at the selected number of consumers'"'"' premises,

determining whether power factor correction is needed, and

if power factor correction is needed, then controlling said capacitor bank to connect said capacitor bank at said selected number of consumers'"'"' premises to the grid or to disconnect said capacitor bank from the grid.

9. A method according to claim 7 wherein the corrected power factor is equal to or greater than about 0.95.

10. A method according to claim 7 and including providing a plurality of load connect/disconnect remotely controlled switches indoors at the consumers'"'"' premises, connecting said load connect/disconnect switches to high energy consuming loads at the consumer'"'"'s premises, and remotely operating the load connect/disconnect switches to disconnect selected items of load from the grid to reduce power demand on said grid and thereby to reduce the likelihood of uncontrolled load shedding in said grid.

11. A method for reducing load in a controlled manner in an electrical power grid to reduce the likelihood of uncontrolled load shedding in said grid, said grid having an electricity supply, a transmission line connecting said supply to a distribution node, a number of feeder lines radiating from the distribution node, each feeder line having a plurality of consumers connected thereto, each consumer having premises and a single phase electrical panel within said premises, said method comprising:

selecting a set of consumers, said set comprising a number of consumers connected to a number of feeder lines,

placing a plurality of remotely controlled load connect/disconnect switches adjacent to or within the electrical panels at the premises of said set of consumers with said load connect/disconnect switches being indoors at the consumer'"'"'s premises and being connected to high energy consuming loads at the consumer'"'"'s premises,

determining whether load reduction is needed, and

if load reduction is needed, then remotely controlling said load connect/disconnect switches to disconnect selected items of the load at the premises of said set of consumers from the grid or to reconnect them to the grid.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein control of said load connect/disconnect switches is statistical control.

13. A method according to claim 12 wherein said statistical control comprises determining relevant factors at the time when the control is to be exercised, finding a time or times in the past when circumstances at such time in the past were similar to those at the current time of control, and determining how much load reduction is needed from a grid to improve the stability of the grid and reduce the likelihood of uncontrolled load shedding, and then using such information to control selected loads connect/disconnect switches to reduce the load on the grid.

14. A method according to claim 13 wherein the similar circumstances are selected from at least one member of the group of factors comprising:

temperature, wind direction and speed, time of day, date, weather forecast, the existence of holidays, and the existence of special events which may affect the use of energy on the grid.