METHOD AND APPARATUS IN AN ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION NETWORK

• US 20140142767A1
• Filed: 04/20/2011
• Published: 05/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Hjelm, Johan, Fikouras, Ioannis
• Granted Patent: US 9,678,527 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/286
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 5/00 Systems for regulating electric variables by detecting deviations in the electric input to the system and thereby controlling a device within the system to obtain a regulated output
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/60 Limiting power consumption in the network or in one section of the network, e.g. load shedding or peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/144 Demand-response operation of the power transmission or distribution network
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving

Abstract

There is provided a network element in an electricity distribution network, the network element arranged to: identify a plurality of controllable devices connected to the electricity distribution network; determine the capabilities of the plurality of controllable devices; receive an indication of a target power consumption value; calculate which, if any, of the plurality of controllable devices connected to the electricity distribution network should be activated and which, if any, should be inactivated to meet the target power consumption value; and send instructions towards each controllable device that should be activated and each controllable device that should be inactivated to meet the target power consumption value.

Claims

1. A network element in an electricity distribution network, the network element arranged to:

identify a plurality of controllable devices connected to the electricity distribution network;

determine the capabilities of the plurality of controllable devices;

receive an indication of a target power consumption value;

calculate which, if any, of the plurality of controllable devices connected to the electricity distribution network should be activated and which, if any, should be inactivated to meet the target power consumption value; and

send instructions towards each controllable device that should be activated and each controllable device that should be inactivated to meet the target power consumption value.

2. The network element according to claim 1, wherein the network element is further arranged to send instructions direct to controllable devices.

3. The network element according to claim 1, wherein the network element is further arranged to sends instructions to at least one advanced meter.

4. The network element according to claim 1, wherein the network element is further arranged to calculate the order of activation and inactivation of the controllable devices.

5. The network element according to claim 1, wherein the network element is arranged to calculate a plurality of sequence skeletons comprising which of the plurality of controllable devices connected to the electricity distribution network should be activated and which should be inactivated to meet each of a respective plurality of possible target power consumption values.

6. The network element according to claim 5, wherein a sequence skeleton is calculated for responding to at least one of:

a failure of an element in the generation infrastructure giving a reduction in electricity generating capacity;

an increase in consumption of electricity from the electricity distribution network; and

a failure of a node of the distribution infrastructure.

7. The network element according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the controllable devices is at least one of the following:

an electricity consumer;

an electricity storage device; and

an electricity generator.

8. A method of controlling an electricity distribution network, the method comprising:

identifying a plurality of controllable devices connected to the electricity distribution network;

determining the capabilities of the plurality of controllable devices;

receiving an indication of a target power consumption value;

calculating which, if any, of the plurality of controllable devices connected to the electricity distribution network should be activated and which, if any, should be inactivated to meet the target power consumption value; and

sending instructions towards each controllable device that should be activated and each controllable device that should be inactivated to meet the target power consumption value.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the sending of instructions towards each controllable device comprises sending instructions to the controllable devices.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the sending of instructions towards each controllable device comprises sending instructions to at least one advanced meter.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising calculating the order of activation and inactivation of the controllable devices.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising calculating a plurality of sequence skeletons, wherein a sequence skeleton defines which of the plurality of controllable devices connected to the electricity distribution network should be activated and which should be inactivated to meet each of a respective plurality of possible target power consumption values.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein a sequence skeleton is calculated for responding to at least one of:

a failure of an element in the generation infrastructure giving a reduction in electricity generating capacity;

an increase in consumption of electricity from the electricity distribution network; and

a failure of a node of the distribution infrastructure.

14. The method according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the controllable devices is at least one of the following:

an electricity consumer;

an electricity storage device; and

an electricity generator.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, which, when executed by a computer, causes said computer to:

identify a plurality of controllable devices connected to the electricity distribution network;

determine the capabilities of the plurality of controllable devices;

receive an indication of a target power consumption value;

calculate which, if any, of the plurality of controllable devices connected to the electricity distribution network should be activated and which, if any, should be inactivated to meet the target power consumption value; and

send instructions towards each controllable device that should be activated and each controllable device that should be inactivated to meet the target power consumption value.