Configuration of a part of an electrical power distribution network

• US 6,885,915 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2002
• Issued: 04/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ABB Power Grids Switzerland AG (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB Research Ltd. (ABB Ltd.)
• Inventors: Westermann, Dirk, Bosshart, Peter, Rehtanz, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Gandhi, Jayprakash N.
• Application Number:
  US10/161,652
• Publication Number:
  US 20030014234A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 700/90, 700/286, 700/291, 703/13, 703/18
• US Class Current: 700/291
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2203/20 Simulating, e g planning, reliability check, modelling or computer assisted design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/0075 for providing alternative feeding paths between load and source according to economic or energy efficiency considerations, e.g. economic dispatch
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/12 for adjusting voltage in ac networks by changing a characteristic of the network load
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

The method according to the invention is based on a configuration model of a part of an electrical power distribution network, describing a totality of possible configurations of appliances. The configuration model is used to systematically produce (2) all the possible configurations which satisfy a predetermined set of functional requirements, in which case each possible configuration may have at least one associated characteristic value, and a solution configuration is defined which optimizes this characteristic value. It is thus possible to produce an optimum configuration automatically, without any need for expert knowledge about the appliances used in the configuration. In one preferred embodiment of the invention, a simulation model for simulation of a technical response of the solution configuration is produced automatically (3). It is thus possible to test one or more solution configurations by simulations (4), without any need for expert knowledge about the characteristics and simulation models of the appliances used in the solution configuration.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a part of an electrical power distribution network wherein the part of the electrical power distribution network is configurable and comprises a number of appliances and wherein a totality of possible configurations of the part of the electrical power distribution network is described by a configuration model, in which case the method comprising:

defining a set of requirements for a configuration to be defined,

producing all the possible configurations which satisfy the set of requirements, wherein each possible configuration may have at least one associated characteristic value, and

defining a solution configuration which optimizes a predetermined characteristic value.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a simulation model for simulation of a technical response of the solution configuration is defined automatically.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined characteristic value which is optimized by the solution configuration is one of the following:

procurement costs of the configuration,

space required by the configuration,

reliability of the configuration,

risk of the configuration,

efficiency of the configuration, or

maintenance costs of the configuration

or is calculated as a weighted sum of a number of these characteristic values.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the part of the power distribution network is used as a node in the power distribution network, as a connecting line, for transformation of voltages, for compensation for a wattless component, for conversion of DC voltage to AC voltage or vice versa, for harmonic filtering, for controlling a power flow or for current limiting.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the part of the power distribution network is described by its technical function as a network function, and wherein requirements for a network function are formulated as functional requirements and are used as requirements for a configuration to be defined for implementation of this network function.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein a higher-level network function has a number of hierarchically subordinate network functions.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein a network function has an associated program function which defines the solution configuration on the basis of parameters which specify requirements for the network function, and wherein a higher-level program function calls a number of hierarchically subordinate program functions.

8. A computer program product for configuration of a part of an electrical power distribution network, which can be loaded into an internal memory in a digital data processing unit and has computer program code means which, when embodied in a digital data processing unit, cause the digital data processing unit to:

define a set of requirements for a configuration to be defined,

produce all the possible configurations which satisfy the set of requirements, in which case each possible configuration may have at least one associated characteristic value, and

define a solution configuration which optimizes a predetermined characteristic value.

9. A system for configuring a part of an electrical power distribution network wherein the part of the electrical power distribution network is configurable and comprises a plurality of appliances, the system comprising:

means for transmitting configuration models to a configurator, wherein a configuration model describes a totality of possible configurations, and

means for defining a set of requirements for a configuration to be defined,

wherein the configurator has means for systematic production of all the possible configurations which satisfy the set of requirements, in which case each possible configuration may have at least one associated characteristic value, and means for defining a solution configuration which optimizes a predetermined characteristic value.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the system has a model generator for for producing a simulation model from one configuration.