Method and circuit arrangement to cover peak energy demands in electrical alternating or three-phase current networks

• US 5,917,251 A
• Filed: 02/12/1998
• Issued: 06/29/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bayernwerk AG (E.ON SE), HAGEN Batterie AG (Exide Technologies)
• Original Assignee: Bayernwerk AG (E.ON SE), HAGEN Batterie AG (Exide Technologies)
• Inventors: Schermann, Dietolf, Heindlmeier, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): Paladini, Albert W.
• Application Number:
  US08/952,377
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• Field of Search: 307/18, 307/64, 307/66, 307/44, 307/45, 307/46, 307/19-26, 307/29, 320/100
• US Class Current: 307/20
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/32 using batteries with converting means
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/062 for AC powered loads

Abstract

A method and circuit arrangement for covering peak energy demand in an electrical AC or three-phase current network having a plurality of consumers of which at least some of the consumers are equipped with a stand-by power supply network having accumulators and at least one rectifier fed from the electrical network. The method includes feeding a fraction of energy from the accumulators of each individual stand-by power supply network into the electrical network via inverters for a short term peak demand of the electrical network. The fraction of energy is fed from the accumulators as long as peak demand is present and sufficient energy for the stand-by power supply is still available in the accumulators.

Claims

1. A method of covering peak energy demand in an electrical AC or three-phase current network having a plurality of consumers of which at least some of the consumers are equipped with a stand-by power supply network having accumulators and at least one rectifier fed from the electrical network, the method comprising feeding, for a short term peak demand of the electrical network, a fraction of energy from the accumulators of each individual stand-by power supply network into the electrical network via an inverter as long as a peak demand is present and sufficient energy of the stand-by power supply networks is still available in the accumulators.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the energy of each stand-by supply network is made available within milliseconds.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein energy from the accumulators is made available for the peak load demand only for minutes.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the consumer is the low voltage level of, for example, 400 V in a substation.

5. A circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 1, wherein the rectifier and the inverter are united into a two-way converter which can be selectively switched as a rectifier or inverter by the control apparatus via the control line.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising taking, in peak demand delivery operation, a current at the level of substantially 100% of the hour capacity from the accumulators, in stand-by supply operation a current with a level of up to a maximum of 20% of the hour capacity.

7. A method in accordance with claim 6 wherein the current is up to a maximum of 10% of the hour capacity.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising keeping the voltage of each stand-by supply network at an at least substantially constant desired value, independent of the accumulator voltage, by a DC voltage regulating apparatus.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8, further comprising providing a rectifier arrangement poled in the forward direction that is arranged parallel to the DC regulating apparatus and at least partly takes on the current conduction when a stand-by current consumption is demanded, which lies above the maximum current of the DC regulating apparatus.

10. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein only so much energy is fed from the accumulators to cover the peak demand of the electrical network that the energy content of each stand-by supply network sinks by at most 50%.

11. A method in accordance with claim 10 wherein the energy content of each stand-by supply network sinks by at most 20%.

12. A method in accordance with claim 10 wherein the energy content of each stand-by supply network sinks by at most 20%.

13. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the capacity of the accumulators is increased by 2 to 10 times the normal capacity provided for the stand-by power supply network.

14. A method in accordance with claim 13 wherein the capacity of the accumulators is increased by 4 to 8 times the normal capacity provided for the stand-by power supply network.

15. A method in accordance with claim 14 wherein the capacity of the accumulators is increased by approximately 6 times the normal capacity provided for the stand-by power supply network.

16. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising taking in peak load delivery operation, a current from the accumulators, which is so high that the accumulators can only give up a fraction of their capacity while maintaining a voltage which is still sufficient for the operation of the inverter.

17. A method in accordance with claim 4, wherein the fraction amounts to 10 to 50%.

18. A method in accordance with claim 17 wherein the fraction amounts to between 20 and 40%.

19. A method in accordance with claim 17 wherein the fraction amounts to approximately 30%.

20. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein energy extraction from the accumulators in peak demand delivery operation takes place within a short time with such an intensity that the accumulator voltage sinks significantly below the nominal value envisaged for the operation of each stand-by power supply network.

21. A method in accordance with claim 9, wherein the energy extraction from the accumulators in peak demand delivery operation takes place within a short time with such an intensity that the accumulator voltage has sunk by 10 to 20% the fully charged accumulator voltage provided for the operation of each stand-by power supply network.

22. A method in accordance with claim 21 having at least one set of accumulators delivering a DC voltage of substantially 220 V, wherein energy removal from the accumulators in peak delivery operation takes place within a short time up until a reduction of the DC accumulator voltage to 170 to 190 V.

23. A method in accordance with claim 21 wherein the accumulator voltage has sunk by 20% beneath the nominal value.

24. A method in accordance with claim 22 wherein the reduction of the DC accumulator voltage is approximately 180 V.

26. A circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 23, wherein the control apparatus is connected via control lines to a network center and to the accumulators and connects the inverter via a further control line to the electrical network when

a short term peak demand of the electrical network has to be covered, and

the state of charge of the accumulators, permits this, and wherein the inverter is disconnected from the electrical network when one of the above named conditions is no longer satisfied.

25. A circuit arrangement for covering the peak energy demand in an electrical AC or three-phase current network having a plurality of consumers, of which at least some of the consumers are equipped with a stand-by power supply network which has accumulators and at least one rectifier fed from the electrical network for the charging of the accumulators, wherein at least a substantial part of all the consumers equipped with a stand-by power supply network is additionally equipped with at least one inverter fed from the electrical accumulators, which, by means of a control apparatus, can be applied to the electrical network instead of the rectifier, and which has a current conducting capacity such that the accumulators can transmit a substantial fraction of their energy of 10 to 15% to the electrical network within a short period of time of a few minutes when the inverters are applied to the electrical network.

27. A circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 25, wherein the inverter can be connected to the electrical network in place of the rectifier by actuation of a controlled switch.

28. A circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 25, wherein the consumer is the low voltage level of, for example, 400 V in a substation.

29. A circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 25 wherein the accumulators can transmit a substantial fraction of their energy of between 30 to 40% to the electrical network within a short period of time.

30. A circuit arrangement is accordance with claim 25 wherein the accumulators can transmit 30% of their energy to the electrical network within a short period of time of a few minutes.

31. A circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 25 wherein the transmission of a substantial fraction of the energy from the accumulators is within between 1 and 20 minutes.

32. A circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 31 wherein the transmission of substantial fraction of the energy from the accumulators takes place within between 2 and 10 minutes.

33. A circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 25, wherein the capacity of the accumulators is increased by 2 to 10 times the normal capacity provided for the stand-by power supply network.

34. A circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 33 wherein the capacity of the accumulators is increased by 4 to 8 times the normal capacity provided for the stand-by power supply network.

35. A circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 25, wherein the electrical network is a medium voltage three-phase current network to which the consumers are connected via transformers which transmit a low AC voltage or three-phase voltage.

36. A circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 35 wherein the three-phase current network is of 20 k.

37. A circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 35 wherein the low AC voltage or three-phase voltage is approximately 400 V.

38. A circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 35, wherein the accumulators, deliver a low DC voltage to the stand-by power supply network.

39. A circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 38 wherein the accumulators deliver a DC voltage of approximately 220 V.

40. A circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 25, wherein a DC regulating apparatus is inserted between the accumulators and the stand-by power load, which maintains the voltage applied to the stand-by power load or loads at least substantially constant up to a predetermined reduction of the accumulator voltage.

41. A circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 40, wherein the DC regulating apparatus is a step-up setter.

42. A circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 40, wherein the DC regulating apparatus keeps the voltage applied to the stand-by power load or loads at least substantially constant until the accumulator voltage has sunk by 10 to 30% beneath the full charge value.

43. A circuit arrangement in accordance with the claim 42 wherein the accumulator voltage has sunk by approximately 20% beneath the full charge value.

44. A circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 40, having at least one set of accumulators delivering a DC voltage of substantially 220 V, wherein the DC regulating apparatus is so designed that the energy extraction from the accumulators in peak demand delivery operation takes place up to a reduction of the accumulator DC voltage to 170 to 190 V.

45. A circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 44 wherein the energy extraction from the accumulators in peak demand delivery operation takes place up to a reduction of the accumulator DC voltage to approximately 180 V.

46. A circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 40, wherein a rectifier arrangement is arranged parallel to the DC voltage regulating apparatus, and at least partly takes on the DC current conduction when a stand-by power consumption lying above the maximum current of the DC regulating apparatus is required.

47. A circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 46 wherein the rectifier arrangement consists of a diode poled in the forward direction.

48. A circuit arrangement in accordance with claim 47 wherein the capacity of the accumulators is increased by approximately 6 times normal capacity provided for the stand-by power supply network.