TRANSMISSION SYSTEM FOR DELIVERY OF DYNAMIC DEMAND RESPONSE IN A RENEWABLE ENERGY-BASED ELECTRICITY GRID INFRASTRUCTURE

• US 20130213038A1
• Filed: 12/30/2012
• Published: 08/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spyros J. Lazaris
• Original Assignee: Spyros J. Lazaris
• Inventors: LAZARIS, SPYROS JAMES
• Granted Patent: US 9,200,621 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/641.8
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 6/00 Devices for producing mechanical power from solar energy solar boilers F24
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0605 Supply or demand aggregation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• 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 2300/20 The dispersed energy generation being of renewable origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/22 The renewable source being solar energy
• 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 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/46 Controlling of the sharing of output between the generators, converters, or transformers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/46 Conversion of thermal power into mechanical power, e.g. Rankine, Stirling or solar thermal engines
• 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 40/70 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 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 50/00 : Market activities related to the operation of systems integrating technologies related to power network operation or related to communication or information technologies
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 : Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/16 : Energy services, e.g. dispersed generation or demand or load or energy savings aggregation

Abstract

A power transmission system manages a delivery of a power requirement from multiple renewable energy resource components to an intelligent power distribution network. The transmission system includes components capable of variably and independently generating power from the multiple renewable energy resource components to provide a dynamic demand response to a power requirement to one or more microgrids comprising the intelligent power distribution network so that the power requirement is entirely satisfied from multiple renewable energy resources from a common location. The transmission system enables distributed energy generation from the multiple renewable energy resources that is responsive to various types of grid demand situations, such as customer demand, direct current-specific demand, and security issues, and so that power production is substantially balanced with power consumption.

Claims

1. A transmission apparatus in a renewable energy-based electricity grid infrastructure, comprising:

a high voltage direct current transmission link configured to couple a plurality of renewable energy resource components and an intelligent power distribution network over which a response to a power requirement is delivered to one or more microgrids communicating the power requirement over a specific period of time; and

a transmission control system configured to monitor outputs of a plurality of voltage source converters coupling a power output circuit of each renewable energy resource component in the plurality of renewable energy resource components to a common direct current bus to provide the high voltage direct current transmission link with rectified alternating current power output and direct current power output regardless of whether a power output circuit produces alternating current or direct current so that an aggregated generation of power in a combined power output of the plurality of renewable energy resource components that includes a rectified alternating power output portion and a direct current power output portion is modulated so that power outputs having different output characteristics in the aggregated generation of power are substantially consistent with a load capacity of the high voltage direct current transmission link to ensure a specific distributed energy generation of power as direct current to the one or more microgrids communicating the power requirement,

the transmission control system communicating, within a shared, secure and privately-hosted computing environment forming a distributed computing infrastructure, with one or more modules within a renewable energy-based electricity grid infrastructure configured to generate output data instructive of an amount of power to be generated by one or more renewable energy resources from the plurality of renewable energy resource components, wherein the plurality of renewable energy resource components include at least one of a wind component, a photovoltaic component, a hydrokinetic component, and a solar thermal collection component.

2. The transmission apparatus of claim 1, wherein the high voltage direct current transmission link is a sub-surface line coupling an offshore installation at which the plurality of renewable energy resource components are configured to the intelligent power distribution network.

3. The transmission apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wind component comprises at least one wind turbine, the photovoltaic component comprises at least one photovoltaic module, the hydrokinetic component comprises at least one of a surface wave turbine, an oscillating column, and an undersea wave turbine, and the solar thermal energy component comprises at least one high-temperature solar thermal collector, each of the wind component, the photovoltaic component, the hydrokinetic component, and the solar thermal energy component configured at a common installation site.

4. The transmission apparatus of claim 1, wherein the shared, secure and privately-hosted computing environment forming a distributed computing infrastructure enables communication, processing, and storage of data within an renewable energy-based electricity grid infrastructure so that the specific distributed energy generation of power as direct current is securely modeled and delivered as a dynamic demand response to the power requirement and occurs within a secure system that protects data security and minimizes electricity grid service interruptions.

5. The transmission apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power requirement communicated by each microgrid is an aggregated determination of a power need over the specific period of time for each microgrid and includes a plurality of components, including a usage level and a fluctuation amount for the specific period of time, and wherein each microgrid is capable of being segregated within the intelligent power distribution network to communicate a request for a specific distributed energy generation of power as direct current.

6. The transmission apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power produced from the one or more renewable energy resources among the plurality of renewable energy resource components is adapted to match the power requirement so that energy consumption in the renewable energy-based electricity grid infrastructure is substantially balanced for the specific period of time.

7. The transmission apparatus of claim 1, wherein each transmission control system is further configured to model the data instructive of an amount of power to be generated by the plurality of renewable energy resource components with power outputs of the voltage source converters and capacity characteristics of the high-voltage direct current transmission link, and continuously adjust power outputs of the plurality of renewable energy resource components so that voltage drops and frequency variation in the aggregated generation of power is continually minimized to protect against transmission line capacity overload and provide a stable distributed energy generation of power as direct current.

8. A method of distributed energy transmission in a renewable-energy based electricity grid infrastructure, comprising:

receiving, as input data, instructions from within a shared, secure and privately-hosted computing environment forming a distributed computing infrastructure having a grid data analytics module configured to model a dynamic demand response to a power requirement of, and communicated by, at least one microgrid within an intelligent power distribution network;

modeling the input data to determine an appropriate aggregated generation of power in a combined power output from one or more renewable energy sources in a plurality of renewable energy resource components, the plurality of renewable energy resource components including at least two of a wind energy component, a photovoltaic energy component, a hydrokinetic energy component, and a solar thermal energy component;

monitoring a plurality of voltage source converters coupling a power output circuit of each renewable energy resource component in the plurality of renewable energy resource components to a common direct current bus to provide a high voltage direct current transmission link with rectified alternating current power output and direct current power output regardless of whether a power output circuit produces alternating current or direct current so that the aggregated generation of power in the combined power output is substantially consistent with a load capacity of the high-voltage direct current power transmission link;

modulating fluctuations in the power output circuits of each of the renewable energy resource components by continuously adjusting at least one of the power outputs of the of the plurality of renewable energy resource components and outputs of the plurality of voltage source converters so that voltage drops and frequency variation in the aggregated generation of power is continually minimized to protect against transmission line capacity overload and provide the dynamic demand response to the power requirement in a stable distributed energy generation of power as direct current for the specific period of time; and

delivering the dynamic demand response to the power requirement to the at least one microgrid in the intelligent power distribution network.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising communicating with the grid data analytics module to receive data instructive of a modeled dynamic demand response within the shared, secure and privately-hosted computing environment.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising communicating, processing and storing the data within the shared, secure and privately-hosted computing environment so that the specific distributed energy generation of power as direct current is securely modeled and delivered as a dynamic demand response to the power requirement and occurs within a secure system that protects data security and minimizes electricity grid service interruptions in a renewable energy-based electricity grid infrastructure.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising processing the input data from the grid data analytics module in at least one transmission control system configured to communicate with the plurality of voltage source converters and the power output circuit of each renewable energy resource component, so that power produced from plurality of renewable energy resources is adapted to match the power requirement for the specific period of time so that energy consumption in the renewable energy-based electricity grid infrastructure is substantially balanced for the specific period of time.

12. The transmission apparatus of claim 8, wherein delivering the dynamic demand response to the power requirement to one or more microgrids further comprises transmitting the dynamic demand response over a sub-surface line coupling an offshore installation site at which the plurality of renewable energy components are configured to the intelligent power distribution network.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the wind energy component comprises at least one wind turbine, the photovoltaic energy component comprises at least one photovoltaic module, the hydrokinetic energy component comprises at least one of a surface wave turbine, an oscillating column, and an undersea wave turbine, and the solar thermal energy component comprises at least one high-temperature solar thermal collector.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the power requirement represents an aggregated determination of a power need over a specific period of time for each microgrid and includes a plurality of components, including a usage level and a fluctuation amount for the specific period of time, and wherein each microgrid is capable of being segregated within the intelligent power distribution network and capable communicating a separate request for specific distributed energy generation of power as direct current.

15. A transmission system for distributed energy generation in a renewable-energy based electricity grid infrastructure, comprising:

a high voltage direct current transmission system coupling an intelligent power distribution network to a plurality of renewable energy resource components configured to produce power from multiple renewable energy resources, the high-voltage direct current transmission system having a plurality of voltage source converters coupling power output circuits of each renewable energy resource component to a common direct current bus;

a transmission control system configured to monitor the power output circuits of each component in the plurality of renewable energy resource components and an output of each voltage source converter to ensure that a voltage level and combined power output that includes a rectified alternating power output portion and a direct current power output portion is substantially consistent with a power requirement communicated by one or more microgrids in the intelligent power distribution network; and

a power transmission module having one or components configured to process instructions communicated within a shared, secure and privately-hosted computing environment forming a distributed computing infrastructure to securely initiate a dynamic demand response to the power requirement by transferring power generated by the plurality of renewable energy resource components so that an aggregated generation of power in a combined power output of the plurality of renewable energy resource components is modulated so that power outputs having different output characteristics are within a load capacity of the high-voltage direct current transmission link to ensure a stable distributed energy generation of power as direct current,

the plurality of renewable energy resource components including at least two of a wind energy component, a photovoltaic energy component, a hydrokinetic energy component, and a solar thermal energy component.

16. The transmission system of claim 15, wherein the wind energy component comprises at least one wind turbine, the photovoltaic energy component comprises at least one photovoltaic module, the hydrokinetic energy component comprises at least one of a surface wave turbine, an oscillating column, and an undersea wave turbine, and the solar thermal energy component comprises at least one high-temperature solar thermal collector.

17. The transmission system of claim 15, wherein the shared, secure and privately-hosted computing environment enables communication, processing, and storage of data within a renewable energy-based electricity grid infrastructure so that the specific distributed energy generation of power as direct current is securely modeled and delivered as a dynamic demand response to the power requirement and occurs within a secure system that protects data security and minimizes electricity grid service interruptions.

18. The transmission system of claim 15, wherein the power requirement communicated by each microgrid is an aggregated determination of a power need over the specific period of time for each microgrid, and wherein each microgrid is capable of being segregated within the intelligent power distribution network to request a delivery of power as direct current.

19. The transmission system of claim 15, wherein each transmission control system is further configured to model input data instructive of an amount of power to be generated by the plurality of renewable energy resource components with power outputs of the voltage source converters and capacity characteristics of the high voltage direct-current transmission link, and continuously adjust power outputs of the plurality of renewable energy resource components so that voltage drops and frequency variation in the aggregated generation of power are continually minimized.

20. The transmission system of claim 15, wherein the high voltage direct current transmission link is a sub-surface line coupling an offshore installation at which the plurality of renewable energy resource components are configured to the intelligent power distribution network.