Electrical power generation system

• US 7,560,906 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2008
• Issued: 07/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Grid Solutions LLC (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Bebic, Jovan, Bose, Sumit, Liu, Yan, Garces, Luis Jose
• Primary Examiner(s): GONZALEZ, JULIO C
• Application Number:
  US12/123,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20080224670A1
• Time in Patent Office: 420 Days
• Field of Search: 322/7, 322/24, 322/28, 322/44, 322/37, 307/31, 307/18, 307/2, 307/26, 363/15, 363/34, 606/411.5
• US Class Current: 322/7
• 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 2300/28 The renewable source being wind energy wind motors F03D
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/40 wherein a plurality of decentralised, dispersed or local energy generation technologies are operated simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/76 Power conversion electric or electronic aspects

Abstract

An electrical power generation system and method for generating electrical power are provided. The electrical power generation system utilizes a master controller for controlling operation of devices coupled to an AC electrical grid and DC electrical grid based on parameter values associated with a renewable power generator.

Claims

1. An electrical power generation system, comprising:

a first renewable power generator configured to generate a first DC voltage, the first renewable power generator having a first controller configured to transmit a first message having at least a first parameter value associated with the first renewable power generator to a master controller, at least a portion of the first DC voltage being applied to a DC electrical grid;

a DC/AC converter electrically coupled to the first renewable power generator, the DC/AC converter configured to convert a portion of the DC voltage to a first AC voltage that is transmitted through an AC electrical grid;

a second controller configured to receive the first message from the master controller, the second controller further configured to control operation of a first device electrically coupled to at least one of the AC electrical grid and the DC electrical grid based on the first parameter value; and

an AC/DC converter electrically coupled to the first device and the AC electrical grid, the AC/DC converter configured to convert a portion of the first AC voltage from the AC electrical grid to a second DC voltage being applied to the first device.

2. The electrical power generation system of claim 1, wherein the first renewable power generator comprises a photovoltaic cell array.

3. The electrical power generation system of claim 1, wherein the first parameter value comprises a first predicted power value indicating a predicted amount of electrical power to be generated by the first renewable power generator.

4. The electrical power generation system of claim 3, wherein the first device comprises a controllable load device receiving electrical power from at least one of the DC electrical grid and the AC electrical grid.

5. The electrical power generation system of claim 1, wherein the first device further comprises an energy storage device receiving electrical power from at least one of the DC electrical grid and the AC electrical grid.

6. The electrical power generation system of claim 5, wherein the second controller is further configured to determine a first power storage value based on the first predicted power value, the second controller further configured to generate a second message having the first power storage value that is received by the energy storage device, the energy storage device configured to adjust an amount of power stored or delivered to the DC electrical grid from the energy storage device based on the first power storage value.

7. The electrical power generation system of claim 5, wherein the energy storage device comprises a battery array electrically coupled to the AC/DC converter.

8. The electrical power generation system of claim 7, wherein the first device is configured to control the battery array to store electrical energy from at least one of the AC electrical grid and the DC electrical grid or to transfer electrical energy to at least one of the AC electrical grid and the DC electrical grid based on the first message from the master controller.

9. The electrical power generation system of claim 1, further comprising a second DC/AC converter electrically coupled to the AC/DC converter configured to convert the second DC voltage to a second AC voltage.

10. The electrical power generation system of claim 9, wherein the controllable load device comprises at least one of an electrolyzer device, a desalination device, an electrical light, and an electrical motor.

11. The electrical power generation system of claim 1, further comprising a thermal bus fluidly coupled to at least one of the first renewable power generator and a non-renewable power generator, the thermal bus configured to route heat energy generated by the at least one first renewable power generator and the non-renewable power generator to a thermal load.

12. The electrical power generation system of claim 11, wherein the thermal bus comprises a conduit configured to route either a fluid or a gas to the first renewable power generator to extract heat energy from the first renewable power generator and then to route the fluid or gas to the thermal load.

13. The electrical power generation system of claim 1, wherein the first device is electrically coupled to at least one of the AC electrical grid and the DC electrical grid through a power conditioning device.