Virtual Mass Emulator

• US 20130173243A1
• Filed: 06/21/2012
• Published: 07/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bradley D. Laronde, Bradley Kayton, Jacob Stuart Michael Beal, Jon Rappaport, Vinayak V. Ranade
• Original Assignee: Bradley D. Laronde, Bradley Kayton, Jacob Stuart Michael Beal, Jon Rappaport, Vinayak V. Ranade
• Inventors: Kayton, Bradley, Rappaport, Jon, Beal, Jacob Stuart Michael, Ranade, Vinayak V., LaRonde, Bradley D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,111,055 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2119/06 Power analysis or power optimisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 15/00 Arrangements characterised by the use of multiplexing for the transmission of a plurality of signals over a common path
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system and method for emulating smart grid devices in a smart grid for demand-response program analysis and optimization. Smart grid devices may be emulated in a virtual environment on a server, and can also be emulated individually on smart grid devices themselves. Demand-response programs can be simulated in a virtual environment with virtual emulated smart grid devices, or they can be simulated in a hybrid real-virtual environment with both real smart grid devices and virtual emulated smart grid devices. Demand-response programs can be simulated serially or in parallel. Additionally, such hybrid demand-response program simulations can be enhanced and optimized by including data obtained from the real smart grid devices into the simulation feed-back loop.

Claims

1. A system for performing demand-response program simulations, said system comprising:

a database containing a plurality of parameters related to a demand-response program simulation;

an emulator controller instantiating at least one network emulator capable of receiving a control broadcast message based on said parameters obtained from said database;

wherein each said network emulator emulates a network interfacing with an array of at least one emulated smart grid device capable of receiving, processing and responding to said control broadcast message.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one smart grid device located at a consumer facility wherein

a. each said smart grid device hosts one of said emulated smart grid devices and each said smart grid device is communicatively connected to said emulator controller over a network.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said network comprises the public Internet.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein said network comprises an AMI network

5. The system of claim 2, further comprising a software agent located at each said consumer facility wherein

a. said software agent is communicatively connected to said emulator controller over said network;

and wherein

b. said software agent is communicatively connected to each said smart grid device; and

wherein

c. said software agent mediates distribution of said control broadcast message to each said smart grid device; and

wherein

d. said software agent receives a response to said control broadcast message from each said smart grid device and transmits an aggregated response message to said emulator controller over said network.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said software agent is hosted in a Home Area Network gateway, an Internet gateway, a smart meter, or one of said smart grid devices.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein said software agent is communicatively connected to each said smart grid device over a Home Area Network.

8. The system of claim 5, further comprising at least one non-emulating smart grid device wherein

a. said non-emulating smart grid device does not host an emulated smart grid device;

and wherein

b. each said non-emulating smart grid device is communicatively connected to said software agent; and

wherein

c. said software agent mediates distribution of said control broadcast message to each said smart grid device and each said non-emulating smart grid device; and

wherein

d. said software agent receives a response to said control broadcast message from each said smart grid device and each said non-emulating smart grid device and transmits an aggregated response message to said emulator controller over said network.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the state of said smart grid device may be changed to said non-emulating smart grid device, or the state of said non-emulating smart grid device may be changed to smart grid device, by said control broadcast message

10. The system of claim 2, further comprising at least one aggregation node wherein

a. said aggregation node is communicatively connected to more than one of said smart grid devices;

and wherein

b. said aggregation node is communicatively connected to said emulation controller; and

wherein

c. said aggregation node receives responses to said control broadcast message from more than one of said smart grid devices; and

wherein

d. said aggregation node aggregates said responses from said smart grid devices into a single aggregation response message; and

wherein

e. said aggregation node transmits said aggregation response message to said emulation controller.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising at least one upstream aggregation node wherein

a. said upstream aggregation node is communicatively connected to more than one of said aggregation nodes;

and wherein

b. said upstream aggregation node is communicatively connected to either said emulation controller or another upstream aggregation node; and

wherein

c. said upstream aggregation node receives said aggregated response messages from more than one of said aggregation nodes; and

wherein

d. said upstream aggregation node further aggregates said aggregated response messages from said aggregation nodes; and

wherein

e. said upstream aggregation node transmits said aggregation response message to said emulation controller or to another upstream aggregation node.

12. A method for emulating one or a plurality of smart grid devices in a smart energy grid, said method comprising:

receiving a plurality of parameters related to a demand-response program simulation;

creating a control broadcast message based on said parameters;

emulating one or a plurality of networks capable of receiving said control broadcast message;

emulating one or a plurality of smart grid devices capable of receiving, processing and responding to said control broadcast message, said smart grid devices communicatively connected to one of said emulated networks;

transmitting said control broadcast message to said smart grid devices over said emulated network wherein said smart grid devices receive said control broadcast message, emulate an action based thereon, and return the result of said action in a response message; and

receiving said response message and reporting results.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising evaluating said results to determine compliance with said parameters related to said demand-response program simulation, and if said results are not in compliance, generating a new control broadcast message and initiating another simulation cycle.

22. The non-transitory computer readable media as recited in claim 12 claim, further comprising programming instructions for transmitting said control broadcast message over a network to a software agent located at a consumer facility wherein said software agent distributes said control broadcast message to at least one smart grid device located at said consumer facility hosting one of said emulated smart grid devices, receives said response message from each said smart grid device, combines the results of the response messages into an aggregated response message, and returns said aggregated response message.

26. The non-transitory computer readable media as recited in claim 12, further comprising programming instructions for evaluating said results to determine compliance with said parameters related to said demand-response program simulation, and if said results are not in compliance, generating a new control broadcast message and initiating another simulation cycle.

13. The method of 12 claim, further comprising transmitting said control broadcast message over a network to at least one smart grid device located at a consumer facility wherein said smart grid device hosts one of said emulated smart grid devices, receives said control broadcast message, emulates an action based thereon, and returns the result of said action in a response message.

14. The method of 12 claim, further comprising transmitting said control broadcast message over a network to a software agent located at a consumer facility wherein said software agent distributes said control broadcast message to at least one smart grid device located at said consumer facility hosting one of said emulated smart grid devices, receives said response message from each said smart grid device, combines the results of the response messages into an aggregated response message, and returns said aggregated response message.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising transmitting said aggregated response messages from a plurality of said software agents to an aggregation node, wherein said aggregation node combines the results said aggregated response messages and returns a further aggregated response message.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising transmitting said further aggregated response messages from a plurality of said aggregation nodes to an upstream aggregation node, wherein said upstream aggregation node combines the results of said further aggregated response messages and returns a new further aggregated response message or transmits said further aggregated response message to another upstream aggregation node.

23. The non-transitory computer readable media as recited in claim of 14 claim, further comprising programming instructions for said software agent distributing said control broadcast message to at least one non-emulating smart grid device not hosting an emulated smart grid device located at said consumer facility, receiving said response message from each said non-emulating smart grid device, combining the results of the response messages said non-emulating smart grid devices and smart grid devices into an aggregated response message, and returning said aggregated response message.

24. The non-transitory computer readable media as recited in claim of claim 14, further comprising programming instructions for transmitting said aggregated response messages from a plurality of said software agents to an aggregation node, wherein said aggregation node combines the results said aggregated response messages and returns a further aggregated response message.

25. The non-transitory computer readable media as recited in claim 14, further comprising programming instructions for transmitting said further aggregated response messages from a plurality of said aggregation nodes to an upstream aggregation node, wherein said upstream aggregation node combines the results of said further aggregated response messages and returns a new further aggregated response message or transmits said further aggregated response message to another upstream aggregation node.

15. The method of 14 claim, further comprising said software agent distributing said control broadcast message to at least one non-emulating smart grid device not hosting an emulated smart grid device located at said consumer facility, receiving said response message from each said non-emulating smart grid device, combining the results of the response messages said non-emulating smart grid devices and smart grid devices into an aggregated response message, and returning said aggregated response message.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising evaluating and comparing said results attributable to said non-emulating smart grid devices to said results attributable to emulated smart grid devices in order to optimize said parameters related to said demand-response program simulation.

27. The non-transitory computer readable media as recited in claim 15, further comprising programming instructions for evaluating and comparing said results attributable to said non-emulating smart grid devices to said results attributable to emulated smart grid devices in order to optimize said parameters related to said demand-response program simulation.

20. A non-transitory computer readable media to store programming instructions for emulating one or a plurality of smart grid devices in a smart energy grid, the non-transitory computer readable media comprising:

programming instructions for receiving a plurality of parameters related to a demand-response program simulation;

programming instructions for creating a control broadcast message based on said parameters;

programming instructions for emulating one or a plurality of networks capable of receiving said control broadcast message;

programming instructions for emulating one or a plurality of smart grid devices capable of receiving, processing and responding to said control broadcast message, said smart grid devices communicatively connected to one of said emulated networks;

programming instructions for transmitting said control broadcast message to said smart grid devices over said emulated network wherein said smart grid devices receive said control broadcast message, emulate an action based thereon, and return the result of said action in a response message; and

programming instructions for receiving said response message and reporting results.

21. The non-transitory computer readable media as recited in claim 21 claim, further comprising programming instructions for transmitting said control broadcast message over a network to at least one smart grid device located at a consumer facility wherein said smart grid device hosts one of said emulated smart grid devices, receives said control broadcast message, emulates an action based thereon, and returns the result of said action in a response message.