System and method for providing power distribution system information

• US 8,280,656 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2011
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Current Communications Services LLC (Widewall Investments SL)
• Original Assignee: Current Communications Services LLC (Widewall Investments SL)
• Inventors: Kreiss, David G., Brancaccio, Daniel S.
• Primary Examiner(s): TSAI, CAROL S W
• Application Number:
  US13/184,466
• Publication Number:
  US 20110270454A1
• Time in Patent Office: 445 Days
• Field of Search: 702/58, 702/59, 702/60, 702/62, 324/552, 324/551, 324/522, 324/512, 324/535, 361/79, 361/80, 361/86, 361/78, 361/72, 700/277, 700/286, 700/297, 700/295, 340/870.01, 340/870.03, 340/3.1, 340/12.32, 307/4, 307/31, 307/35, 307/40
• US Class Current: 702/60
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/60 Limiting power consumption in the network or in one section of the network, e.g. load shedding or peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/62 The condition being non-electrical, e.g. temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/144 Demand-response operation of the power transmission or distribution network

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product for processing utility data of a power grid is provided. In one embodiment, the system includes a datamart comprised of a plurality of physical databases storing utility data, a plurality of applications comprising an automated meter application configured to process power usage data from a plurality of automated meters, a power outage application configured to identify a location of a power outage, and a power restoration application configured to identify a location of a power restoration. The system may include an analysis engine comprising a plurality of analysis objects with each analysis object configured to process data to provide a specific analysis, wherein said analysis engine is accessible via one or more of the plurality of applications, and the system may include a report module configured to receive an output from the analysis engine and to output a report. The plurality of applications may also include a fault analysis application, a transformer analysis application, a theft detection application, a power flow application, a substation automation application, a load shed application and others.

Claims

1. A system for processing utility data of a power grid, comprising:

an automated meter module configured to process power usage utility data from a plurality of automated meters;

a load control module configured to perform load shedding based on the utility data;

a voltage control module configured to decrease an output voltage of one or more substations, based on the utility data, to reduce power consumption;

wherein said voltage control module is configured to receive voltage data from one or more of the plurality of automated meters; and

wherein said voltage control module is configured to increase the output voltage of one or more substations in response to determining that a voltage at the one or more of the plurality of automated meters is below a threshold value.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a theft detection module configured to identify a location of a power theft based on the utility data.

3. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a load forecasting module configured to output a forecast of power demand based on the utility data.

4. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a report module configured to receive information from said load control module, said automated meter module and said conservation voltage reduction module and to output a report.

5. The system according to claim 1, further comprising an alarm module configured to output a notification if processing of the utility data satisfies one of a plurality of predetermined conditions.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein said one of the plurality of predetermined conditions comprises a condition in which a voltage is beyond a threshold voltage.

7. The system according to claim 1, further comprising an alarm module configured to process the utility data and to output a first notification if a voltage is below a first threshold and to output a second notification if the voltage is above a second threshold.

8. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a datamart comprised of a plurality of physical databases storing the utility data.

9. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a power flow module configured to control the flow of power through the power grid based on the utility data.

10. A system for processing utility data of a power grid, comprising:

an automated meter module configured to process power usage utility data from a plurality of automated meters;

a load control module configured to perform load shedding based on the utility data;

an alarm module configured to output a notification if processing of the utility data satisfies one of a plurality of predetermined conditions;

a voltage control module configured to decrease an output voltage of one or more substations, based on the utility data, to reduce power consumption;

wherein said voltage control module is configured to receive voltage data from one or more of the plurality of automated meters; and

wherein said voltage control module is configured to increase the output voltage of one or more substations in response to determining that a voltage at the one or more of the plurality of automated meters is below a threshold value.

11. The system according to claim 10, further comprising a load forecasting module configured to output a forecast of power demand based on the utility data.

12. The system according to claim 11, further comprising a power flow module configured to control the flow of power through the power grid based on the utility data.

13. The system according to claim 10, further comprising a theft detection module configured to identify a location of a power theft based on the utility data.

14. The system according to claim 10, further comprising a power flow module configured to control the flow of power through the power grid based on the utility data.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein said power flow module is configured to provide a model of at least a portion of the power grid that includes representations of switches in the power grid and an indication as to whether each switch is open or closed;

and

wherein said power flow module is configured to transmit control messages to the switches to control the flow of power through the power grid.

16. The system according to claim 10, wherein said one of the plurality of predetermined conditions comprises a condition in which a voltage is beyond a threshold voltage.

17. A system for processing utility data of a power grid that delivers power to a plurality of power customers, comprising:

an automated meter module configured to process power usage utility data from a plurality of automated meters;

a load forecasting module configured to output a forecast of power demand based on the utility data;

a power flow module configured to provide a model of at least a portion of the power grid that includes representations of switches in the power grid and an indication as to whether each switch is open or closed;

said power flow module configured to transmit control messages to the switches to control the flow of power through the power grid; and

an alarm module configured to output a notification if processing of the utility data satisfies one of a plurality of predetermined conditions.

18. The system according to claim 17, further comprising a voltage control module configured to decrease an output voltage of one or more substations, based on the utility data, to reduce power consumption.

19. The system according to claim 17, further comprising a theft detection module configured to identify a location of a power theft based on the utility data.

20. The system according to claim 17, further comprising a load control module configured to perform load shedding based on the utility data.

21. The system according to claim 17, wherein said alarm module is configured to process the utility data and to output a first notification if a voltage is below a first threshold and to output a second notification if the voltage is above a second threshold.

22. The system according to claim 17, wherein said voltage control module is configured to receive voltage data from one or more of the plurality of automated meters;

and

wherein said voltage control module is configured to increase the output voltage of one or more substations in response to determining that a voltage at the one or more of the plurality of automated meters is below a threshold value.