Dynamic control system for power sub-network

• US 7,231,280 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2004
• Issued: 06/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brian Costa
• Original Assignee: Costa Enterprises, LLC
• Inventors: Costa, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Philogene, Haissa
• Application Number:
  US11/011,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20060125421A1
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• Field of Search: 700/7, 700/12, 700/286, 700/287, 700/297, 700/291, 700/295, 307/31, 307/38, 307/115, 307/126, 307/39, 315/307, 315/362, 315/294, 703/18, 703/21
• US Class Current: 700/286
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00006 characterised by information or instructions transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated power network element or electrical equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/64 The condition being economic, e.g. tariff based load management
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• 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

A dynamic power control system for controlling power utilization on a local level in a power sub-network of a power grid is presented. The power sub-network is configured with switchable power nodes, each having a switch element that operates to switch coupling and uncoupling of first and second subsets of power lines in the sub-network. A sub-network controller monitors utility information that is associated with one of a plurality of switch state configurations of the respective switch states of the switchable power nodes in the power sub-network, and effects the switch states of the switchable power nodes to comply with the switch state configuration associated with the received utility information.

Claims

1. A dynamic power control system for a power network, comprising:

a plurality of switchable power nodes, each comprising a switch element that operates in a first state to electrically couple a first subset of a plurality of power lines and a second subset of said plurality of power lines and that operates in a second state to electrically isolate said first subset of said plurality of power lines from said second subset of said plurality of power lines, and a switch actuator that actuates said switch element to a switch state, said switch state comprising one of said first state, said second state, and zero or more additional states; and

a control function which receives utility information that is associated with one of a plurality of switch state configurations, each of said plurality of switch state configurations comprising a predetermined switch state for each of said plurality of switchable power nodes, and actively selects which, if any, of said switchable power nodes requires a change in its respective switch state in order to comply with said switch state configuration associated with said received utility information, and effects actuation of said respective switch actuators, if any, of said selected switchable power nodes to comply with said respective switch state configuration associated with said received utility information.

2. The dynamic power control system of claim 1, wherein:

said utility information comprises electricity rate information.

3. The dynamic power control system of claim 1, wherein:

said utility information indicates a present level of available power to said system.

4. The dynamic power control system of claim 1, wherein:

said utility information comprises a command to effect compliance with one of said plurality of switch state configurations.

5. The dynamic power control system of claim 1, further comprising:

a utility information communication interface comprising a data communication channel over which said utility information is transmitted from a utility information generator.

7. The dynamic power control system of claim 1, further comprising:

a policy configuration function for configuring associations between a plurality of possible utility information for receipt by said control function and said respective one or more switch state configurations of said respective switch states of said switchable power nodes in said power network, and/or configuring said respective one or more switch state configurations of said respective switch states of said switchable power nodes in said power network; and

wherein said control function associates said received utility information with an associated switch state configuration in accordance with said configured associations between said plurality of possible utility information and said respective one or more switch state configurations.

8. The dynamic power control system of claim 7, wherein:

said policy configuration function comprises a web server that obtains configuration information from a user and uses said obtained configuration information to configure said system.

9. The dynamic power control system of claim 1, further comprising:

a utility information communication interface comprising a data communication channel implemented over an active power line coupled to said dynamic power control system which receives said utility information over said communication channel.

6. The dynamic power control system of claim , wherein:

each of said one or more switchable power nodes respectively comprise a respective local control function which determines whether a respective change in said respective switch state of said respective switch element is required based on said respective switch state configuration associated with said received utility information, and which effects actuation of said respective actuator of said respective switch element to change said respective switch state of said respective switch element if said change in said respective switch state is determined to be necessary.

10. A dynamic power control system for a power network, comprising:

a plurality of switchable power nodes, each comprising a switch element that operates in a first state to electrically couple a first subset of a plurality of power lines and a second subset of said plurality of power lines and that operates in a second state to electrically isolate said first subset of said plurality of power lines from said second subset of said plurality of power lines, and a switch actuator that actuates said switch element to a switch state, said switch state comprising one of said first state, said second state, and zero or more additional states; and

a control function which receives utility information that is associated with one of a plurality of switch state configurations, each of said plurality of switch state configurations comprising a predetermined switch state for each of said plurality of switchable power nodes in said power network, and effects actuation of said respective switch actuators of corresponding one or more of said one or more switchable power nodes that require actuation to comply with said respective switch state configuration associated with said received utility information;

wherein at least one of said plurality of switchable power nodes comprises a respective local control function which determines whether a change in said switch state of said respective switch element is required based on said switch state configuration associated with said received utility information, and which effects actuation of said respective actuator of said respective switch element to change said switch state of said respective switch element if said change in said respective switch state is determined to be necessary.

11. A method for dynamically controlling power usage in a power network, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving utility information;

associating said utility information with one of a plurality of switch state configurations, each of said plurality of switch state configurations comprising a predetermined switch state for each of a plurality of switchable power nodes in said power network, each said plurality of switchable power nodes comprising a switch element that operates in a first state to electrically couple a first subset of a plurality of power lines and a second subset of said plurality of power lines and that operates in a second state to electrically isolate said first subset of said plurality of power lines from said second subset of said plurality of power lines, and a switch actuator that actuates said switch element to a switch state, said switch state comprising one of said first state, said second state, and zero or more additional states;

actively selecting which, if any, of said plurality of switchable power nodes requires a change in its respective switch state in order to comply with said switch state configuration associated with said received utility information; and

effecting actuation of said respective switch actuators, if any, of said selected switchable power nodes to comply with said respective switch state configuration associated with said received utility information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

said utility information comprises electricity rate information.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein:

said utility information indicates a present level of available power to said system.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein:

said utility information comprises a command to effect compliance with one of said plurality of switch state configurations.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

configuring said respective one or more switch state configurations of said respective switch states of said switchable power nodes in said power network.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein said step for effecting actuation further comprises:

informing said one or more switchable power nodes of said respective switch state configuration associated with said received utility information;

wherein each of said one or more switchable power nodes respectively comprises a respective local control function which determines whether a respective change in said respective switch state of said respective switch element is required based on said respective switch state configuration associated with said received utility information, and which effects actuation of said respective actuator of said respective switch element to change said respective switch state of said respective switch element if said change in said respective switch state is determined to be necessary.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

configuring associations between a plurality of possible utility information for receipt by said control function and said respective one or more switch state configurations of said respective switch states of said switchable power nodes in said power network.

18. A dynamic power control system for a power network, comprising:

a plurality of switchable power nodes, each comprising a switch element that operates in a first state to electrically couple a first subset of a plurality of power lines and a second subset of said plurality of power lines and that operates in a second state to electrically Isolate said first subset of said plurality of power lines from said second subset of said plurality of power lines, and a switch actuator that actuates said switch element to a switch state, said switch state comprising one of said first state, said second state, and zero or more additional states; and

a control function which receives utility information that is associated with one of a plurality of switch state configurations, each of said plurality of switch state configurations comprising a predetermined switch state for each of said plurality of switchable power nodes in said power network, and effects actuation of said respective switch actuators of corresponding one or more of said one or more switchable power nodes that require actuation to comply with said respective switch state configuration associated with said received utility information; and

a policy configuration function for configuring associations between a plurality of possible utility information for receipt by said control function and said respective one or more switch state configurations of said respective switch states of said plurality of switchable power nodes in said power network;

wherein said control function associates said received utility information with an associated switch state configuration in accordance with said configured associations between said plurality of possible utility information and said respective one or more switch state configurations.

19. A computer readable storage medium tangibly embodying program instructions implementing a method for dynamically controlling power usage in a power network, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving data input that represents utility information;

associating said utility information with one of a plurality of switch state configurations each representing a particular configuration representing respective switch states of one or more switchabie power nodes in said power network, each said one or more switchable power nodes comprising a switch element that operates in a first state to electrically couple a first subset of a plurality of power lines and a second subset of said plurality of power lines and that operates in a second state to electrically isolate said first subset of said plurality of power lines from said second subset of said plurality of power lines, and a switch actuator that actuates said switch element to a switch state, said switch state comprising one of said first state, said second state, and zero or more additional states; and

generating computer instructions to effect actuation of said respective switch actuators of corresponding one or more of said one or more switchable power nodes that require actuation to comply with said respective switch state configuration associated with said received utility information.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, the method further comprising the steps of:

actively determining which, if any, of said respective one or more switchable power nodes requires a respective change in its respective switch state in order to comply with said respective switch state configuration associated with said received utility information; and

generating computer instructions to effect actuation of said respective switch actuators, if any, of said respective one or more switchable power nodes that require said respective change in its respective switch state to comply with said respective switch state configuration associated with said received utility information.