Systems and methods for monitoring power devices

• US 8,175,755 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2009
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Kirchner, Andreas, Ubben, Enno
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnes-Bullock, Crystal J
• Application Number:
  US12/620,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20110118883A1
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• Field of Search: 700/286, 700/287, 700291-293, 700/295, 700/297, 700/298, 307 85- 87, 290/43, 290/44
• US Class Current: 700/293
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/0012 Contingency detection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00125 Transmission line or load transient problems, e.g. overvoltage, resonance or self-excitation of inductive loads H02J3/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/38 Arrangements for parallely feeding a single network by two or more generators, converters or transformers

Abstract

Systems and methods for monitoring power devices that are connecting in a loop to a main power line are provided. A plurality of power devices that are connected in a loop to a power grid line may be provided. The loop may include a plurality of power lines. A disturbance within the plurality of power devices may be identified, and an impact of the identified disturbance on the plurality of power lines may be determined. A power output of one or more of the plurality of power devices may be adjusted based at least in part on the determined impact.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring power devices, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of power devices that are connected in a loop to a power grid line, the loop comprising a plurality of power lines;

identifying a disturbance within the plurality of power devices;

determining an impact of the identified disturbance on the plurality of power lines; and

adjusting, based at least in part on the determined impact, a power output of one or more of the plurality of power devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a plurality of power devices comprises providing a plurality of devices comprising at least one of a wind turbine, a photovoltaic cell, a gas turbine, or a steam turbine.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a disturbance within the plurality of power devices comprises identifying an open circuit breaker within the plurality of power devices, and further comprising:

identifying at least one of the plurality of power devices that is associated with the open circuit breaker.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining an impact of the identified disturbance on the plurality of power lines comprises determining whether a power signal transmitted in at least one power line of the plurality of power lines exceeds a power capacity of the at least one power line.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein adjusting a power output of one or more of the plurality of power devices comprises reducing a power output of at least one of the plurality of power devices that provides power to the at least one power line.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

increasing a power output of another of the plurality of power devices.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of power devices comprises a first plurality of power devices, and further comprising:

adjusting the power output of one or more of a second plurality of power devices based at least in part on the determined potential impact.

8. A system for monitoring power devices, the system comprising:

a plurality of power devices;

a plurality of power lines that connect the plurality of power devices in a loop to a power grid line; and

at least one controller operable to (i) identify a disturbance within the plurality of power devices, (ii) determine an impact of the identified disturbance on the plurality of power lines, and (iii) adjust, based at least in part on the determined impact, a power output of one or more of the plurality of power devices.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of power devices comprises at least one of a wind turbine, a photovoltaic cell, a gas turbine, or a steam turbine.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one controller is operable to identify a disturbance by identifying an open circuit breaker within the plurality of power devices, and is further operable to identify at least one of the plurality of power devices that is associated with the open circuit breaker.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one controller is operable to determine an impact of the identified disturbance on the plurality of power lines by determining whether a power signal transmitted in at least one power line of the plurality of power lines exceeds a power capacity of the at least one power line.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one controller is operable to adjust a power output of one or more of the plurality of power devices by reducing a power output of at least one of the plurality of power devices that provides power to the at least one power line.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one controller is further operable to increase a power output of another of the plurality of power devices.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of power devices comprises a first plurality of power devices and wherein the loop comprises a first loop, and further comprising:

a second plurality of power devices that are connected in a second loop to the power grid Line,

wherein the at least one controller is further operable to adjust the power output of one or more of the second plurality of power devices based at least in part on the determined potential impact.

15. A system for monitoring a power device, the system comprising:

a power device;

one or more connections operable to connect the power device to a loop, wherein the loop comprises a plurality of power lines operable to connect a plurality of power devices, including the power device, to a main power line;

at least one circuit breaker operable to control the transmission of power through the one or more connections; and

at least one controller operable to (i) identify an open condition within the at least one circuit breaker, (ii) determine an impact of the identified condition on the plurality of power lines, and (iii) adjust, based at least in part on the determined impact, a power output of the power device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the power device comprises one of a turbine, a photovoltaic cell, a photovoltaic array, a gas turbine, or a steam turbine.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one controller is operable to determine an impact of the identified disturbance by determining whether the power signal transmitted in at least one power line of the plurality of power lines exceeds a power capacity of the at least one power line.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one controller is operable to adjust the power output of the power device based at least in part on the power capacity of the at least one power line.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one controller is further operable to transmit a communication associated with the identified condition to at least one other power device included in the plurality of power devices.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one controller is further operable to direct, based at least in part on the determined impact, a power output of at least one other power device included in the plurality of power devices.