Electric power leveling controller

• US 8,433,453 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2011
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Ushiki, Kazumasa, Oshima, Hirotaka, Yamamoto, Hiroshi, Funakubo, Toshiaki, Fujino, Nobutsugu, Tsunoda, Tadanobu
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, RAMESH B
• Application Number:
  US13/037,695
• Publication Number:
  US 20110218693A1
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: 700/22, 700/286, 700/291, 700/295, 700/297, 702 60- 63
• US Class Current: 700/297
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 9/12 characterised by the use of electric means
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/32 using batteries with converting means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/14 Energy storage units

Abstract

An electric power leveling controller includes an information acquisition unit that acquires information of electric energy consumption from a power consuming device consuming electric energy from the power source and electric energy charged into a power storage device, a storage unit that stores a specific threshold value for each power storage device, and a control unit that causes a first power consuming device to be power-supplied by the power source, causing the power storage device corresponding to the first power consuming device to be charged with a difference between the specific threshold value and the electric energy consumption, causing the power source to supply to a second power consuming device electric energy corresponding to the specific threshold, and causing the power storage device corresponding to the second power consuming device to discharge to the second power consuming device the difference between the electric energy consumption and the specific threshold value.

Claims

1. A controller for leveling power supplied from a power source, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor, the processor configured to;

acquire information of electric energy consumption from a power consuming device consuming electric energy from the power source and electric energy charged into a power storage device, the power consuming device arranged for a plurality of power storage devices charged by the power source;

store a specific threshold value of electric energy for each power storage device in the memory; and

control a first power consuming device to be power-supplied by the power source, the first power consuming device consuming electric energy lower than the specific threshold value of electric energy of the power consuming device, control the power storage device corresponding to the first power consuming device to be charged with a difference between the specific threshold value of electric energy and the electric energy consumption, control the power source to supply to a second power consuming device electric energy corresponding to the specific threshold value of electric energy, the second power consuming device consuming electric energy greater than the specific threshold value of electric energy of the power consuming device, and control the power storage device corresponding to the second power consuming device to discharge to the second power consuming device the difference between the electric energy consumption of the power consuming device and the specific threshold value of electric energy.

2. The controller according to claim 1, the processor being further configured to:

acquire information about stored electric energy of each power storage device,

wherein the control causes the power source to supply the entire electric energy consumption to the power consuming device corresponding to a first power storage device having dischargeable electric energy based on the stored electric energy, the dischargeable electric energy being exceeded by the difference between the electric energy consumption and the specific threshold value of electric energy, and causes the power storage device other than the first power storage device to reduce a charged amount and/or increase a discharged amount in response to electric energy by which the dischargeable electric energy based on the stored electric energy is exceeded by the difference between the electric energy consumption and the specific threshold value of electric energy.

3. The controller according to claim 2, wherein the control causes power storage devices from among the power storage devices other than the first power storage device, in the order of long to short remaining time of stored electric energy, to reduce the charged amount and/or increase the discharged amount in response to the electric energy by which the dischargeable electric energy based on the stored electric energy is exceeded by the difference between the electric energy consumption and the specific threshold value of electric energy.

4. The controller according to claim 1, the processor being further configured to:

store information of electric energy consumption of each power consuming device responsive to time elapse in the memory; and

search for a value, as the specific threshold value of electric energy, minimizing a maximum electric energy from the power source when the control unit controls the electric energy consumption recorded in the memory.

5. A controller for leveling power supplied from a power source, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor, the processor configured to;

acquire information of electric energy consumption from a power consuming device consuming electric energy from the power source and electric energy charged into a power storage device, the power consuming device arranged for a plurality of power storage devices charged by the power source;

store a specific threshold value of electric enemy in the memory; and

control the power source to supply electric energy to all the power consuming devices, and control a part of the power storage devices to be charged with a difference between the sum of electric energy consumption and the specific threshold value of electric energy when the sum of electric energy consumption is less than the specific threshold value of electric energy.

6. The controller according to claim 5, wherein the control controls the part of the power storage devices to discharge to the power consuming device excess electric energy by which the sum of electric energy consumption exceeds the specific threshold value of electric energy when the sum of electric energy consumption exceeds the specific threshold value of electric energy.

7. The controller according to claim 6, the processor being further configured to:

acquire information about stored electric energy of the power storage device,

wherein the control selects a power storage device having a long remaining discharge time of the stored electric energy as the power storage device which discharges the excess electric energy.

8. The controller according to claim 5, the processor being further configured to:

store information of electric energy consumption of each power consuming device in response to time elapse in the memory; and

set, as the specific threshold value of electric energy, a value minimizing a maximum electric energy from the power source when the control controls the electric energy consumption recorded in the memory.

9. A power leveling method implemented in a computer, comprising:

acquiring information of electric energy consumption from a power consuming device consuming electric energy from a power source and electric energy charged into a power storage device, the power consuming device arranged for a plurality of power storage devices charged by the power source; and

causing the power source to supply electric energy to all the power consuming devices, and causing at least a part of the power storage devices to be charged with a difference between the sum of electric energy consumption and a specific threshold value of electric energy when the sum of electric energy consumption is less than the specific threshold value of electric energy.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium in which a program for causing a computer to execute a process of leveling power supplied from a power source is stored, the process comprising:

acquiring information of electric energy consumption from a power consuming device consuming electric energy from the power source and electric energy charged into a power storage device, the power consuming device arranged for a plurality of power storage devices charged by the power source; and

causing the power source to supply electric energy to all the power consuming devices, and causing at least a part of the power storage devices to be charged with a difference between the sum of electric energy consumption and a specific threshold value of electric energy when the sum of electric energy consumption is less than the specific threshold value of electric energy.