POWER CONNECTION CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20140052306A1
• Filed: 09/26/2012
• Published: 02/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Motobayashi, Toshihiko
• Granted Patent: US 9,583,941 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/0073 for providing alternative feeding paths between load and source when the main path fails, e.g. transformers, busbars
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/06 with automatic change-over , e.g. UPS systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/061 for DC powered loads
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/00 Management or operation of end-user stationary applications or the last stages of power distribution; Controlling, monitoring or operating thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/12 Energy storage units, uninterruptible power supply [UPS] systems or standby or emergency generators, e.g. in the last power distribution stages
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 Home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/248 UPS systems or standby or emergency generators

Abstract

For each of consumers, a connection control apparatus is provided that includes an opening/closing device capable of connecting or disconnecting an electric power system and a consumer, that, when a power outage occurs in the electric power system, disconnects the electric power system and the consumer from each other by the opening/closing device at a command from an outage management apparatus or the like, and that connects the electric power system and the consumer to each other by the opening/closing device upon receiving a command from the outage management apparatus or the like at the time of restoration from the power outage. A power supply control apparatus supplies electric power from energy provision equipment to electrical appliances during a power outage in the electric power system.

Claims

1. A power connection control system provided with energy provision equipment to be linked to an electric power system, the energy provision equipment that can supply electric power to electrical appliances that a consumer owns, the power connection control system comprising:

a connection control apparatus that includes an opening/closing device capable of connecting or disconnecting the electric power system and the consumer, and that, when a power outage occurs in the electric power system, disconnects the electric power system and the consumer from each other by the opening/closing device at a command received from the outside; and

a power supply control apparatus that, when the power outage occurs in the electric power system, supplies electric power from the energy provision equipment to the electrical appliances.

2. The power connection control system according to claim 1, wherein when the power outage occurs in the electric power system, said power supply control apparatus obtains an amount of electric power providable from the energy provision equipment and power consumption of the electrical appliances, and supplies electric power from the energy provision equipment to part of the electrical appliances having a higher degree of importance within a range in which electric power can be provided from the energy provision equipment, based on the amount of electric power providable from the energy provision equipment and the power consumption of the electrical appliances obtained and degree of importance set for the electrical appliances in advance.

3. The power connection control system according to claim 1, wherein, at the time of restoration from the power outage in the electric power system, said connection control apparatus connects the electric power system and the consumer to each other by the opening/closing device at a command received from the outside.

4. The power connection control system according to claim 3, further comprising an outage management apparatus that, when the power outage occurs in the electric power system, transmits to said connection control apparatus a parallel-off command for disconnecting the electric power system and the consumer from each other, and transmits a predicted outage time period, which is a predicted value of an outage time period, and that, at the time of restoration from the power outage, transmits to said connection control apparatus a linkage command for linking the electric power system and the consumer to each other,

wherein said connection control apparatus disconnects the electric power system and the consumer from each other by the opening/closing device at the parallel-off command, and connects the electric power system and the consumer to each other by the opening/closing device at the linkage command, and

wherein upon receiving the predicted outage time period through said connection control apparatus, said power supply control apparatus determines to which of the electrical appliances the electric power is to be supplied based on the amount of electric power providable from the energy provision equipment in the predicted outage time period, the power consumption of the electrical appliances in the predicted outage time period and the degree of importance of the electrical appliances.

5. The power connection control system according to claim 4, wherein, when the predicted outage time period is updated by an operator, said outage management apparatus transmits the updated predicted outage time period to said connection control apparatus.

6. The power connection control system according to claim 4, wherein, at the time of restoration from the power outage, when outage restoration is notified from said outage management apparatus, said connection control apparatus notifies said power supply control apparatus of the outage restoration while maintaining the opening/closing device in the open state and, when the linkage command is transmitted from said outage management apparatus, closes the opening/closing device to connect the electric power system and the consumer to each other,

wherein, when the outage restoration is notified from said connection control apparatus, said power supply control apparatus notifies said outage management apparatus of a linkage operation time representing the time period from receiving the linkage command to actually enabling linkage of the energy provision equipment to the electric power system and a predicted amount of reverse power flow representing the amount of electric power of a reverse power flow to the electric power system expected to be caused at the time of linkage, and

wherein said outage management apparatus schedules a time to transmit the linkage command for each consumer based on the linkage operation time and the predicted amount of reverse power flow so that the adjustment load on the electric power system is minimized, and transmits the linkage command to said connection control apparatus according to the scheduled time.

7. A power connection control method for disconnecting, from an electric power system, energy provision equipment that can supply electric power to electrical appliances that a consumer owns, the method comprising:

providing an opening/closing device that connects or disconnects the electric power system and the consumer;

a control apparatus disconnecting, when a power outage occurs in the electric power system, the electric power system and the consumer from each other by the opening/closing device at a command received from the outside; and

a first computer supplying electric power from the energy provision equipment to the electrical appliances during the power outage in the electric power system.

8. The power connection control method according to claim 7, wherein when the power outage occurs in the electric power system, the first computer obtains an amount of electric power providable from the energy provision equipment and power consumption of the electrical appliances, and supplies electric power from the energy provision equipment to part of the electrical appliances with a higher degree of importance within a range in which electric power can be provided from the energy provision equipment, based on the amount of electric power providable from the energy provision equipment and the power consumption of the electrical appliances obtained and degree of importance set for the electrical appliances in advance.

9. The power connection control method according to claim 7, wherein, at the time of restoration from the power outage in the electric power system, the first computer connects the electric power system and the consumer to each other by the opening/closing device at a command received from the outside.

10. The power connection control method according to claim 9, wherein when the power outage occurs in the electric power system, a second computer transmits to a connection control apparatus a parallel-off command for disconnecting the electric power system and the consumer from each other, and transmits a predicted outage time period, which is a predicted value of an outage time period, and, at the time of restoration from the power outage, transmits to the control apparatus a linkage command for linking the electric power system and the consumer to each other,

wherein the control apparatus disconnects the electric power system and the consumer from each other by the opening/closing device at the parallel-off command, and connects the electric power system and the consumer to each other by the opening/closing device at the linkage command, and

wherein upon receiving the predicted outage time period through the control apparatus, the first computer determines to which of the electrical appliances the electric power is to be supplied based on the amount of electric power providable from the energy provision equipment in the predicted outage time period, the power consumption of the electrical appliances in the predicted outage time period and the degree of importance of the electrical appliances.

11. The power connection control method according to claim 10, wherein, when the predicted outage time period is updated by an operator, the second computer transmits the updated predicted outage time period to the control apparatus.

12. The power connection control method according to claim 10, wherein, at the time of restoration from the power outage, when outage restoration is notified from the second computer, the control apparatus notifies the first computer of the outage restoration while maintaining the opening/closing device in the open state and, when the linkage command is transmitted from the second computer, closes the opening/closing device to connect the electric power system and the consumer to each other,

wherein, when the outage restoration is notified from the control apparatus, the first computer notifies the second computer of a linkage operation time representing the time period from receiving the linkage command to actually enabling linkage of the energy provision equipment to the electric power system and a predicted amount of reverse power flow representing the amount of electric power of a reverse power flow to the electric power system expected to be caused at the time of linkage, and

wherein the second computer schedules a time to transmit the linkage command for each consumer based on the linkage operation time and the predicted amount of reverse power flow so that the adjustment load on the electric power system is minimized, and transmits the linkage command to the control apparatus according to the scheduled time.

13. A power connection control system provided with energy provision equipment to be linked to an electric power system, the energy provision equipment that can supply electric power to electrical appliances that a consumer owns, the power connection control system comprising:

an outage management apparatus that, when a power outage occurs in the electric power system, transmits a parallel-off command to disconnect the electric power system and the consumer from each other and, at the time of restoration from the power outage, transmits a linkage command for linking the electric power system and the consumer to each other;

a connection control apparatus that includes an opening/closing device capable of connecting or disconnecting the electric power system and the consumer, and that, when the power outage occurs in the electric power system, disconnects the electric power system and the consumer from each other by the opening/closing device upon receiving the parallel-off command from the outage management apparatus; and

a power supply control apparatus that, when the power outage occurs in the electric power system, supplies electric power from the energy provision equipment to the electrical appliances.

14. A power supply control apparatus that supplies electric power from energy provision equipment that can supply electric power to electrical appliances that a consumer owns, the apparatus comprising:

a processing section that when a power outage occurs in an electric power system, obtains an amount of electric power providable from the energy provision equipment and power consumption of the electrical appliances, and supplies electric power from the energy provision equipment to part of the electrical appliances with a higher degree of importance within a range in which electric power can be provided from the energy provision equipment, based on the amount of electric power providable from the energy provision equipment and the power consumption of the electrical appliances obtained and degree of importance set for the electrical appliances in advance;

a storage section that holds the amount of electric power providable from the energy provision equipment, the power consumptions of the electrical appliances and the degrees of importance set for the electrical appliances in advance; and

a communication section that communicates information to or from the energy provision equipment and the electrical appliances.

15. The power supply control apparatus according to claim 14, wherein upon receiving a predicted outage time period from the outside in a power outage in the electric power system, said processing section determines to which of the electrical appliances the electric power is to be supplied based on the amount of electric power providable from the energy provision equipment in the predicted outage time period, the power consumption of the electrical appliances in the predicted outage time period and the degree of importance of the electrical appliances.

16. A connection control apparatus comprising:

an opening/closing device that connects or disconnects an electric power system and a consumer;

a control device that, when a power outage occurs in the electric power system, disconnects the electric power system and the consumer from each other by the opening/closing device upon receiving a parallel-off command supplied from the outside as a command for disconnecting a consumer accommodated in a power distribution section in which the power outage is occurring; and

a communication device that receives the parallel-off command and a linkage command through a predetermined communication line and outputs the commands to said control device.

17. The connection control apparatus according to claim 16, wherein, at the time of restoration from the power outage, said control device connects the electric power system and the consumer to each other by the opening/closing device at the linkage command supplied from the outside as a command for linking the consumer to the electric power system.

18. An outage management apparatus comprising:

a storage section that, when a power outage occurs in an electric power system, holds outage section information provided from the outside and indicating a distribution section where the power outage is occurring, and system consumer accommodation information as information indicating consumers accommodated in the electric power system;

a processing section that extracts some of the consumers accommodated in the outage section where the power outage is occurring based on the outage section information and the system consumer accommodation information, transmits to the extracted consumer a parallel-off command for disconnecting the consumer in the outage section from the electric power system and a predicted outage time period input by an operator as a predicted value of an outage time period, and transmits to the consumer in the outage section a linkage command for linking the consumer to the electric power system at the time of restoration from the power outage; and

a communication section that, under the control of said processing section, receives the outage section information and the system consumer accommodation information through a predetermined communication line, and transmits the parallel-off command and the linkage command to the consumer accommodated in the distribution section where the power outage is occurring.

19. The outage management apparatus according to claim 18, wherein when said processing section receives, from the consumer, with respect to a notice of restoration from the power outage, a linkage operation time representing the time period from receiving the linkage command to actually enabling linkage of energy provision equipment that can supply electric power to electrical appliances to the electric power system and a predicted amount of reverse power flow representing the amount of electric power of a reverse power flow to the electric power system expected to be caused at the time of linkage of the energy provision equipment to the electric power system, said processing section schedules a time to transmit the linkage command for each consumer based on the linkage operation time and the predicted amount of reverse power flow so that the adjustment load on the electric power system is minimized, and transmits the linkage command to the consumer according to the scheduled time.