Packetized Energy Management Control Systems and Methods of Using the Same

• US 20190324415A1
• Filed: 05/23/2019
• Published: 10/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Vermont & State Agricultural College
• Original Assignee: University of Vermont & State Agricultural College
• Inventors: Frolik, Jeffrey, Hines, Paul, Almassalkhi, Mads
• Granted Patent: US 11,150,618 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2639 Energy management, use maximum of cheap power, keep peak load low
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00 Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00022 using wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2203/20 Simulating, e g planning, reliability check, modelling or computer assisted design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/64 The condition being economic, e.g. tariff based load management
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 17/02 Frequency selective networks digital computers for complex mathematical operations G06F17/10
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• 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: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/30 State monitoring, e.g. fault, temperature monitoring, insulator monitoring, corona discharge
• 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 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure include anonymous, asynchronous, and randomized control schemes for distributed energy resources (DERs). Such control schemes may include packetized energy management (PEM) control schemes for managing DERs that may provide near-optimal tracking performance under imperfect information and consumer quality of service (QoS) constraints.

Claims

1. A method of providing ancillary services to a power grid with a packetized energy management (PEM) coordinator, the method comprising:

receiving a reference signal from the power grid;

filtering the reference signal to create a filtered reference signal;

determining, according to the filtered reference signal, whether to grant or deny permission to a plurality of distributed energy resources (DERs) in communication with the PEM coordinator to draw packets of power from or discharge packets of power to the power grid; and

granting or denying permission to the DERs to draw or discharge power packets.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the filtering includes applying at least one of a low-pass filter to the reference signal so that a rate of change of the filtered reference signal is less than a rate of change of the reference signal or a high-pass filter to the reference signal so that a rate of change of the filtered reference signal is greater than a rate of change of the reference signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the filtering includes applying a low-pass filter after a power shortage period to limit a rate of increase in power packet consumption by the DERs to prevent synchronization of the DERs.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the filtering includes receiving a directional prediction of the reference signal and selecting a filtered reference signal to optimize a tracking of the DER'"'"'s net energy load to the directional prediction of the reference signal.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the filtering further comprises:

receiving or determining an estimate of an aggregate need for energy (NFE) of the DERs; and

determining the filtered reference signal according to the NFE;

wherein the NFE is at least one of a measure of an aggregate amount of energy currently stored by the DERs and a prediction of a future need for energy by the DERs.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the filtering includes applying a finite impulse response filter.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the DERs are configured to independently determine, according to a request probability profile, whether to request to draw packets of power from or discharge packets of power to the power grid.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising randomizing a PEM control parameter to minimize synchronization of the drawing or discharging of power packets by the DERs.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the PEM control parameter is at least one of a control epoch length, a communication epoch length, and a minimum off time between control epochs, the method further comprising transmitting the randomized PEM control parameter to the DERs.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the PEM control parameter is a PEM opt-in value for a locally-sensed condition of the DER for opting-in to PEM control of the DER by the coordinator after the locally-sensed condition exceeds a quality of service bound.

11. A method of providing ancillary services to a power grid with a packetized energy management (PEM) coordinator, the method comprising:

determining, with a virtual battery model, an aggregate need for energy (NFE) of a plurality of distributed energy resources (DERs) in communication with the coordinator;

receiving, from a grid operator, a power grid reference signal; and

determining, from the NFE and the power grid reference signal, whether to grant or deny requests from the DERs to receive or discharge power packets.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the NFE is at least one of a measure of an aggregate amount of energy currently stored by the DERs and a prediction of a future need for energy by the DERs.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the power grid reference signal is at least one of an automatic generation control signal, a spinning reserves dispatch signal, or an inverse of wholesale energy prices.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, from the grid operator, a directional prediction of the power grid reference signal;

determining, from the NFE and directional prediction, a packetized energy management (PEM) control signal; and

transmitting the PEM control signal to the plurality of DERs.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the PEM control signal instructs the plurality of DERs to shift to a higher or lower request probability profile, the request probability profile defining a probability a corresponding DER will request a power packet during a communication epoch time interval.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the request probability profile defines a probability a DER will request a power packet during a communication epoch time interval as a function of a locally-sensed condition of the DER.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the locally-sensed condition is a temperature or state of charge of the DER.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the PEM control signal instructs DERs with a locally-sensed condition that exceeds a threshold to transition to a standby mode and not request power packets.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of DERs are located in or electrically proximate a plurality of geographic regions of the power grid, wherein the determining the NFE includes determining an NFE for each geographic region of DERs and the receiving includes receiving a power grid reference signal for each geographic region.

20. A computing device, comprising:

a processor configured to perform a packetized energy management (PEM) application, the PEM application including instructions for causing the processor to;

receive a reference signal from a power grid;

filter the reference signal to create a filtered reference signal;

determine, according to the filtered reference signal, whether to grant or deny permission to a plurality of distributed energy resources (DERs) in communication with the computing device to draw packets of power from or discharge packets of power to the power grid; and

grant or deny permission to the DERs to draw or discharge power packets.

21. The computing device of claim 20, wherein the filtering includes applying at least one of a low-pass filter to the reference signal so that a rate of change of the filtered reference signal is less than a rate of change of the reference signal or a high-pass filter to the reference signal so that a rate of change of the filtered reference signal is greater than a rate of change of the reference signal.

22. The computing device of claim 20, wherein the filtering includes applying a low-pass filter after a power shortage period to limit a rate of increase in power packet consumption by the DERs to prevent synchronization of the DERs.

23. The computing device of claim 20, wherein the filtering includes receiving a directional prediction of the reference signal and selecting a filtered reference signal to optimize a tracking of the DER'"'"'s net energy load to the directional prediction of the reference signal.

24. The computing device of claim 23, wherein the filtering further comprises:

receiving or determining an estimate of an aggregate need for energy (NFE) of the DERs; and

determining the filtered reference signal according to the NFE;

wherein the NFE is at least one of a measure of an aggregate amount of energy currently stored by the DERs and a prediction of a future need for energy by the DERs.

25. The computing device of claim 20, wherein the filtering includes applying a finite impulse response filter.

26. The computing device of claim 20, wherein the DERs are configured to independently determine, according to a request probability profile, whether to request to draw packets of power from or discharge packets of power to the power grid.

27. A computing device, comprising:

a processor configured to perform a packetized energy management (PEM) application, the PEM application including instructions for causing the processor to;

determine, with a virtual battery model, an aggregate need for energy (NFE) of a plurality of distributed energy resources (DERs) in communication with the computing device;

receive, from a grid operator, a power grid reference signal; and

determine, from the NFE and the power grid reference signal, whether to grant or deny requests from the DERs to receive or discharge power packets.

28. The computing device of claim 27, wherein the NFE is at least one of a measure of an aggregate amount of energy currently stored by the DERs and a prediction of a future need for energy by the DERs.

29. The computing device of claim 27, wherein the power grid reference signal is at least one of an automatic generation control signal, a spinning reserves dispatch signal, or an inverse of wholesale energy prices.

30. The computing device of claim 27, the PEM application further including instructions for causing the processor to:

receive, from the grid operator, a directional prediction of the power grid reference signal;

determine, from the NFE and directional prediction, a packetized energy management (PEM) control signal; and

transmit the PEM control signal to the plurality of DERs.

31. The computing device of claim 30, wherein the PEM control signal instructs the plurality of DERs to shift to a higher or lower request probability profile, the request probability profile defining a probability a corresponding DER will request a power packet during a communication epoch time interval.

32. The computing device of claim 31, wherein the request probability profile defines a probability a DER will request a power packet during a communication epoch time interval as a function of a locally-sensed condition of the DER.

33. The computing device of claim 32, wherein the locally-sensed condition is a temperature or state of charge of the DER.

34. The computing device of claim 30, wherein the PEM control signal instructs DERs with a locally-sensed condition that exceeds a threshold to transition to a standby mode and not request power packets.

35. The computing device of claim 27, wherein the plurality of DERs are located in or electrically proximate a plurality of geographic regions of the power grid, wherein the determining the NFE includes determining an NFE for each geographic region of DERs and the receiving includes receiving a power grid reference signal for each geographic region.