CONTROL METHOD, CONTROL SERVER, AND COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20140249793A1
• Filed: 02/28/2014
• Published: 09/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited, University of Tokyo
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited, University of Tokyo
• Inventors: Yanami, Hitoshi, Iwane, Hidenao, Sasaki, Tomotake, Hara, Shinji, Fujita, Suguru, Anai, Hirokazu, Kaneko, Junji
• Granted Patent: US 9,614,401 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/18
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/109 Scheduling or re-scheduling the operation of the DC sources in a particular order, e.g. connecting or disconnecting the sources in sequential, alternating or in subsets, to meet a given demand
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00026 involving a local wireless network, e.g. Wi-Fi, ZigBee or Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/12 The local stationary network supplying a household or a building
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/002 Flicker reduction, e.g. compensation of flicker introduced by non-linear load
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence

Abstract

A control server according to an embodiment sorts a plurality of notebook PCs into a plurality of groups so that the total value of the remaining amounts is a value similar to the total value of the remaining amounts of the rechargeable batteries of a plurality of notebook PCs included in a different group. The control server according to the embodiment performs local search individually on the sorted groups, and generates a control plan for the individual notebook PCs.

Claims

1. A control method executed by a computer, the method causing the computer to execute the processes of:

sorting a plurality of devices into a plurality of groups based on remaining amounts of rechargeable batteries included in the plurality of devices, the plurality of groups being virtual hierarchical structure;

generating a virtual control plan for the individual groups, the virtual control plan being equal to a plan that a state of a part of devices is switched with respect to a control plan specifying a charging state and a discharging state on individual time zones for the devices including the rechargeable batteries;

simulating an electric power demand for the individual time zones using the virtual control plan, for the individual groups;

updating the control plan to the virtual control plan when a simulated result is improved more than a simulated result of the control plan, for the individual;

outputting the control plan when a termination condition whether a predetermined time elapses is satisfied; and

updating the control plan repeatedly until the termination condition is satisfied when the termination condition is not satisfied.

2. The control method according to claim 1, wherein the sorting sorts the plurality of devices into the plurality of groups based on remaining amounts of rechargeable batteries included in the plurality of devices as a distribution of remaining amounts of rechargeable batteries of a plurality of devices included in a group is equal to a distribution of remaining amounts of rechargeable batteries of a plurality of devices included in a different group.

3. The control method according to claim 2, the method causing the computer further to execute the process of

calculating electric power allocated to individual groups by dividing a total of electric power allocated to the plurality of devices by a number of the groups, wherein

the updating updates the control plan to the virtual control plan when a simulated result is improved more than a simulated result of the control plan and electric power of the virtual control plan does not exceed the electric power allocated to the group.

4. The control method according to claim 1, wherein the sorting sorts the plurality of devices into a plurality of groups by grouping the plurality of devices including rechargeable batteries into devices with similar remaining amounts of the rechargeable batteries based on remaining amounts of the rechargeable batteries of the devices and the generating generates the virtual control plan that a state of a part of devices is switched with respect to a control plan specifying a charging state and a discharging state on individual time zones for the devices by considering a plurality of devices included in individual groups as a single device and a total value of capacitances of rechargeable batteries of a plurality of devices included in the group as a capacitance of a rechargeable battery of a single device.

5. The control method according to claim 4, the method causing the computer further to execute the process of determining electric power in individual time zones that is usable in the group based on states allocated to individual time zones in a control plan by considering a plurality of devices included in the group as a single device and determining a control plan for the devices in the group

6. A control server comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor executes a process comprising;

sorting a plurality of devices into a plurality of groups based on remaining amounts of rechargeable batteries included in the plurality of devices, the plurality of groups being virtual hierarchical structure;

generating a virtual control plan for the individual groups, the virtual control plan being equal to a plan that a state of a part of devices is switched with respect to a control plan specifying a charging state and a discharging state on individual time zones for the devices including the rechargeable batteries;

simulating an electric power demand for the individual time zones using the virtual control plan, for the individual groups;

updating the control plan to the virtual control plan when a simulated result is improved more than a simulated result of the control plan, for the individual;

outputting the control plan when a termination condition whether a predetermined time elapses is satisfied; and

updating the control plan repeatedly until the termination condition is satisfied when the termination condition is not satisfied.

7. The control server according to claim 6, wherein the sorting sorts the plurality of devices into the plurality of groups based on remaining amounts of rechargeable batteries included in the plurality of devices as a distribution of remaining amounts of rechargeable batteries of a plurality of devices included in a group is equal to a distribution of remaining amounts of rechargeable batteries of a plurality of devices included in a different group.

8. The control server according to claim 7, wherein the process further comprises calculating electric power allocated to individual groups by dividing a total of electric power allocated to the plurality of devices by a number of the groups and the updating updates the control plan to the virtual control plan when a simulated result is improved more than a simulated result of the control plan and electric power of the virtual control plan does not exceed the electric power allocated to the group.

9. The control server according to claim 6, wherein the sorting sorts the plurality of devices into a plurality of groups by grouping the plurality of devices including rechargeable batteries into devices with similar remaining amounts of the rechargeable batteries based on remaining amounts of the rechargeable batteries of the devices and the generating generates the virtual control plan that a state of a part of devices is switched with respect to a control plan specifying a charging state and a discharging state on individual time zones for the devices by considering a plurality of devices included in individual groups as a single device and a total value of capacitances of rechargeable batteries of a plurality of devices included in the group as a capacitance of a rechargeable battery of a single device.

10. The control server according to claim 9, wherein the process further comprises determining electric power in individual time zones that is usable in the group based on states allocated to individual time zones in a control plan by considering a plurality of devices included in the group as a single device and determining a control plan for the devices in the group.

11. A computer-readable recording medium having stored therein a program for causing a computer to execute a control process comprising:

sorting a plurality of devices into a plurality of groups based on remaining amounts of rechargeable batteries included in the plurality of devices, the plurality of groups being virtual hierarchical structure;

generating a virtual control plan for the individual groups, the virtual control plan being equal to a plan that a state of a part of devices is switched with respect to a control plan specifying a charging state and a discharging state on individual time zones for the devices including the rechargeable batteries;

simulating an electric power demand for the individual time zones using the virtual control plan, for the individual groups;

updating the control plan to the virtual control plan when a simulated result is improved more than a simulated result of the control plan, for the individual;

outputting the control plan when a termination condition whether a predetermined time elapses is satisfied; and

updating the control plan repeatedly until the termination condition is satisfied when the termination condition is not satisfied.

12. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 11, wherein the sorting sorts the plurality of devices into the plurality of groups based on remaining amounts of rechargeable batteries included in the plurality of devices as a distribution of remaining amounts of rechargeable batteries of a plurality of devices included in a group is equal to a distribution of remaining amounts of rechargeable batteries of a plurality of devices included in a different group.

13. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 12, wherein the process further comprises calculating electric power allocated to individual groups by dividing a total of electric power allocated to the plurality of devices by a number of the groups and the updating updates the control plan to the virtual control plan when a simulated result is improved more than a simulated result of the control plan and electric power of the virtual control plan does not exceed the electric power allocated to the group.

14. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 11, wherein the sorting sorts plurality of devices into a plurality of groups by grouping the plurality of devices including rechargeable batteries into devices with similar remaining amounts of the rechargeable batteries based on remaining amounts of the rechargeable batteries of the devices and the generating generates the virtual control plan that a state of a part of devices is switched with respect to a control plan specifying a charging state and a discharging state on individual time zones for the devices by considering a plurality of devices included in individual groups as a single device and a total value of capacitances of rechargeable batteries of a plurality of devices included in the group as a capacitance of a rechargeable battery of a single device.

15. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 14, wherein the process further comprises determining electric power in individual time zones that is usable in the group based on states allocated to individual time zones in a control plan by considering a plurality of devices included in the group as a single device and determining a control plan for the devices in the group.