MICROGRID CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20140252855A1
• Filed: 06/17/2011
• Published: 09/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Watanabe, Tohru, Nakamura, Tomoharu, Hirasawa, Shigeki, Atsumi, Juichiro, Sekoguchi, Masahiro, Kaminaga, Masanori, Aikawa, Kosho, Magoroku, Hisayuki, Nagayama, Yuichi
• Granted Patent: US 9,742,189 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/31
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/10 The dispersed energy generation being of fossil origin, e.g. diesel generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/10 The network having a local or delimited stationary reach
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/003 Load forecast, e.g. methods or systems for forecasting future load demand
• 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: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/70 Smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the energy generation sector
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/123 the energy generation units being or involving renewable energy sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system for controlling microgrid facilities. In particular, the microgrid control system provided is capable of controlling multiple facilities according to characteristics of the facilities in order to achieve economic efficiency, environmental friendliness, and continued operability. The microgrid control system for controlling the operations of the multiple power facilities is provided with: a power supply activation/suspension planning unit that has a prediction unit for predicting outputs or loads of power supply facilities or load facilities and a prediction unit for predicting prediction errors contained therein; and an economical load allocation unit that determines command values related to the distribution of loads to be borne by currently running power supply facilities.

Claims

1. A microgrid control system for controlling operations of a plurality of electric power facilities, comprising:

a power supply machine activating and stopping planning portion; and

an economical load distributing portion for determining command values associated with allocations of a load to the power supply facilities;

wherein said power supply machine activating and stopping planning portion has

an output load forecasting function for forecasting output amounts of the power supply facilities and amounts of load on the load facilities,

output load predictive error forecasting function for forecasting errors of the forecasted outputs and the forecasted amounts of load,

a power supply activation amount determining function for determining a total amount of output of power supply facilities to be activated, based on results of the predictions made by the output load forecasting function and the output load predictive error forecasting function, and

a power supply facility selecting function for selecting power supply facilities to be activated, based on the determined total amount of output and on characteristic information about the power supply facilities.

2. The microgrid control system set forth in claim 1, wherein said characteristic information about the power supply facilities is information about fuel consumption characteristics of the power supply facilities, and wherein said power supply facility selecting function selects the power supply facilities to be activated such that they are selected in turn first from the power supply facility having good fuel consumption characteristics based on said fuel consumption characteristic information.

3. The microgrid control system set forth in claim 2, wherein said fuel consumption characteristic information is fuel consumption characteristic in a load region about which said power supply facilities operate.

4. The microgrid control system set forth in claim 3, wherein solar panels and diesel engines are equipped as said power supply facilities, and wherein said power supply facility selecting function calculates load factors being load ratios of the power supply facilities and limits outputs from the solar panels of the power supply facilities if the load factors are below a given threshold value.

5. The microgrid control system set forth in claim 1, wherein said power supply facility selecting function selects power supply facilities with a priority on power supply facilities currently in operation.

6. The microgrid control system set forth in claim 1, further comprising a facility characteristic identification portion for learning any type of characteristic of variability, responsiveness, fuel consumption, incremental amount of fuel consumption, environmental load characteristics, and environment-friendly operation time range characteristics regarding outputs from the power supply facilities or loads on the load facilities.

7. A microgrid control method for controlling operations of a plurality of electric power facilities, comprising the steps of:

forecasting amounts of output of the power supply facilities and amounts of loads on load facilities;

forecasting errors of the forecasted amounts of outputs and the forecasted amounts of loads;

determining a total amount of output of power supply facilities to be activated, based on the results of the two forecasts;

selecting power supply facilities to be activated, based on the determined total amount of output and on characteristic information about the power supply facilities; and

determining command values associated with allocations of a load to the power supply facilities.

8. The microgrid control method set forth in claim 7, wherein said characteristic information about the power supply facilities is information about fuel consumption characteristic of the power supply facilities, and wherein the step of selecting power supply facilities to be activated selects power supply facilities such that they are selected in turn first from the power supply facility having good fuel consumption characteristics based on said fuel consumption characteristic information.

9. The microgrid control method set forth in claim 8, wherein said fuel consumption characteristic information is fuel consumption characteristic in a load region about which said power supply facilities operate.

10. The microgrid control method set forth in claim 9, wherein solar panels and diesel engines are equipped as said power supply facilities, and wherein the step of selecting said power supply facilities to be activated calculates load factors being load ratios of the power supply facilities and limits outputs from the solar panels of the power supply facilities if the load factors are below a given threshold value.

11. The microgrid control method set forth in claim 7, wherein the step of selecting said power supply facilities to be activated selects power supply facilities with a priority on power supply facilities currently in operation.