SYSTEM, METHOD, AND APPARATUS FOR OPERATING A POWER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

• US 20120323388A1
• Filed: 06/16/2011
• Published: 12/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Digital Holdings LLC (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Littrell, Nathan Bowman, Schmid, James Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 9,172,274 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/292
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2203/20 Simulating, e g planning, reliability check, modelling or computer assisted design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/64 The condition being economic, e.g. tariff based load management
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/144 Demand-response operation of the power transmission or distribution network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/1878 using tap changing or phase shifting transformers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• 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 10/30 State monitoring, e.g. fault, temperature monitoring, insulator monitoring, corona discharge
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/50 Systems or methods supporting the power network operation or management, involving a certain degree of interaction with the load-side end user applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

A power distribution system includes a plurality of node devices and a computer communicatively coupled to the node devices. The computer includes a memory area configured to store at least one operating parameter of each of the node devices, and a processor that is programmed to determine a desired operating limitation of the power distribution system to be optimized, calculate an effect on the operating limitation based on a modification of the operating parameter of at least one of the node devices, and transmit a command to the node device to cause the node device to modify the operating parameter.

Claims

1. A method of operating a power distribution system including a plurality of node devices, said method comprising:

determining, by a computer, a desired operating limitation of the power distribution system to be optimized;

calculating, by the computer, an effect on the operating limitation based on a modification of at least one operating parameter of at least one node device of the plurality of node devices; and

transmitting a command, from the computer to the at least one node device, to cause the at least one node device to modify the at least one operating parameter.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising detecting an event, wherein the command transmitted from the computer to the at least one node device facilitates optimizing the desired operating limitation to resolve the event.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2, wherein detecting an event comprises detecting the event based on at least one of a current time and an energy demand within the power distribution system.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising modifying at least one of a voltage profile of the at least one node device and a power factor profile of the at least one node device in response to the command.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein calculating an effect comprises calculating a time-based cost function for modifying the at least one operating parameter of the at least one node device.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein calculating an effect comprises calculating a time-based cost function for initiating a demand response event in the power distribution system.

7. A method in accordance with claim 6, further comprising determining an effect of the demand response event on the at least one operating parameter of the at least one node device.

8. A power distribution system comprising:

a plurality of node devices;

a computer communicatively coupled to said plurality of node devices, said computer comprising a memory area configured to store at least one operating parameter of each of said plurality of node devices, said computer further comprising a processor programmed to;

determine a desired operating limitation of said power distribution system to be optimized;

calculate an effect on the operating limitation based on a modification of the at least one operating parameter of at least one node device of said plurality of node devices; and

transmit a command to said at least one node device to cause said at least one node device to modify the at least one operating parameter.

9. A power distribution system in accordance with claim 8, wherein said processor is further programmed to detect an event, wherein the command transmitted from said computer to said at least one node device facilitates optimizing the desired operating limitation to resolve the event.

10. A power distribution system in accordance with claim 9, wherein said processor is programmed to detect the event based on at least one of a current time and an energy demand within said power distribution system.

11. A power distribution system in accordance with claim 8, wherein said at least one node device is configured to modify at least one of a voltage profile of said at least one node device and a power factor profile of said at least one node device in response to the command.

12. A power distribution system in accordance with claim 8, wherein said processor is further programmed to calculate a time-based cost function for modifying the at least one operating parameter of said at least one node device.

13. A power distribution system in accordance with claim 8, wherein said processor is further programmed to calculate a time-based cost function for initiating a demand response event in said power distribution system.

14. A power distribution system in accordance with claim 13, wherein said processor is further programmed to determine an effect of the demand response event on the at least one operating parameter of said at least one node device.

15. A computer for use with a power distribution system including a plurality of node devices, said computer comprising:

a memory area configured to store at least one operating parameter of each of the plurality of node devices; and

a processor communicatively coupled to said memory area and configured to;

determine a desired operating limitation of the power distribution system to be optimized;

calculate an effect on the operating limitation based on a modification of the at least one operating parameter of at least one node device of the plurality of nodes devices; and

transmit a command to the at least one node device to cause the at least one node device to modify the at least one operating parameter.

16. A computer in accordance with claim 15, wherein said processor is further programmed to detect an event, wherein the command transmitted from said processor to the at least one node device facilitates optimizing the desired operating limitation to resolve the event.

17. A computer in accordance with claim 16, wherein said processor is further programmed to detect the event based on at least one of a current time and an energy demand within the power distribution system.

18. A computer in accordance with claim 15, wherein said processor is further programmed to calculate a time-based cost function for modifying the at least one operating parameter of the at least one node device.

19. A computer in accordance with claim 15, wherein said processor is further programmed to calculate a time-based cost function for initiating a demand response event in the power distribution system.

20. A computer in accordance with claim 19, wherein said processor is further programmed to determine an effect of the demand response event on the at least one operating parameter of the at least one node device.